Leaves´ Eyes `Meredead` tour
Atak, Enschede, Netherlands
23 April 2011
Photography: Metalshots.com

An evening at the “new” atak, well shame you’ll have to admit this as a music lover. But unfortunately I had never been in the new version of this pop temple. And this needs to change, because it is a beautiful venue. The entrance looks to be very modern, the venue itself is nice and atmospheric.
Upon entering the first small disappointment, not everywhere (including at Folk-metal.nl) had been clearly announced this the evening was opened by a third band, Serenity.

Serenity
The band did not sound bad, the music was nice, the performance less. The band radiated not really and should obviously still had to gain the necessary experience on stage. But all in all not a bad entrant.

Midnattsol
Then it was time for the band where Folk-metal.nl was coming for, the Norwegian/German Midnattsol just released a new album “The Metamorphosis Melody”, which fortunately we could could listen to in time. The band contracted us a rich blend of old and new songs, including of course the stunning “The Tide” from their latest album.
Quite often can’t play new songs the whole concert, but Midnattsol managed to do this perfectly. Partly, of course, because the new album is so strong. The band performed with new guitarist, who wasn’t accurate everyweher, but that will come soon enough. Slightly more annoying was the keyboardist, which was quite a few times on another planet. However, the other experienced members stepped in, and since all eyes were focused on the, in a plastic white dress performing, singer Carmen, instead of the full “black” shrouded other band members, it wasn’t all noticed by everyone.
We’re looking forward to the next performance of the band.
Score: 8/10

Leaves’ Eyes
Then it’s the turn to Carmen’s sister Liv of Leaves’ Eyes. A band I discovered years ago, and which I like a lot, despite the regular small failure by of Liv. What would it be this time?
What is immediately noticed was the band, in comparison with its predecessors, was solid as a rock from the start. The band was, although quite a few new features (Dutch faces as well), clearly experienced.
Also Leaves’ Eyes just had a new album out “Mere Dead”, where the band surely strikes a slightly different path. There are some more folklore influences in the music instead of the typical Gothic sound of the past. But the band has quite a few “hits” of its older albums. Especially “Vinland Saga” is a fantastic album, I was very curious about how this new concert would take care of both.
This proved to be just fine, husband Alex was a regular guest at the stage for the mainly older songs. The old and new songs appeared fine to be played together in one set. The typical Leaves’ Eyes guitar sound has unfortunately disappeared with the arrival of new guitarist, but that did not spoil the fun. And it was of course inevitable, Liv and Carmen in one room on the same evening, while they had both already mentioned in an interview in the past, they would love to do something together… On their new album, they can already be heard together in the pretty “Krak Visa” something that was also played live in a very nice way. The audience was also treated with old hits such as “For Amelie” and “Solemn Sea”, so this made it a very good show.
As an encore we got the, live fairly harder sounding, “To France”, and Carmen also came back one more time for a beautiful duet.
Leaves’ Eyes will remain on my list to see in the future.