By Jonny Bakes
Having backed a few albums on Kickstarter in recent years, I find myself drawn to those that have had successful campaigns as it often shows that the band has managed to gain significant reach without having the luxury of a big financial backing. When I came across this new release, which not only claims to be a record breaking Kickstarter campaign but also from an artist who is coined as the “metal Enya”, then you better believe that caught my interest. So I found myself diving into the Celtic fantasy album of ‘The Glory And The Fallen’ and allowed myself to get whisked away.
Well, “metal Enya” hits the nail on the head pretty well I reckon! ‘The Glory And The Fallen’ is a heady mix of beautifully haunting vocals set to a symphonic metal background that is as heavy as it is relaxing. I realize that this is somewhat of a juxtaposition though, and it could be that only a certain kind of person could find this relaxing… But I am one of those people.
Unfortunately though, when I first sat down to write this review, I really wasn’t in the mood for something relaxing after a tough day so I had to put it to one side and try again later. Lo and behold, given the right mood, Leah’s music hits just right if you really allow yourself to focus your attention on the music with no distractions. It’s well composed and heavily emphasises Leah’s gentle vocals with the addition of Celtic folk elements that are reminiscent of the softer Eluveitie tracks.
The first track that really stood out to me opened with an eastern feel to it combining a sitar-like instrument with an exotic drum rhythm. It was this that made ‘Unshakable’ the first point that this album gave me the sensation of being transported away from the lounge in which I’m writing this review. In a way it reminded me of some of my favourite moments from Tuomas Holopainen’s ‘Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck’ in the way that it invokes strong mental imagery. This track also features guest vocals from Leah’s daughters who seem destined to follow in her footsteps given the quality of their performance here!
I was also captivated by ‘Sleeping Giant’ by its unexpected inclusion of harsh vocals to provide the yang to Leah’s yin. The thing is, you wouldn’t expect this to be coming until it’s suddenly in your face as the track starts with a more foreboding atmosphere but is still as soothing as the rest of the album, then all of a sudden – bam! To take the sting out of it, these vocals (provided by Mark Jansen of Epica fame) are accompanied by a jovial flute/pipe which worked well for me but others may find it a little odd!
All in all ‘The Glory And The Fallen’ is a solid album but something that I really have to be in the right mood for. There’s something here for fans of female fronted symphonic metal across the board, but may particularly appeal to fans of Eluveitie. For me, it’s something that I might come back to from time to time, but is unlikely to be on a heavy rotation because I need something with a bit more oomph to survive the day normally!
- ‘The Glory And The Fallen’ is released on Friday 16 February.
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