Leaves’ Eyes Are ‘Not Typical,’ Says Frontwoman Liv Kristine

"We're not typical in any genre," Leaves' Eyes frontwoman Liv Kristine told Noisecreep about the band's latest, 'Njord,' which is out via Napalm Records. "We're not Viking metal. We're not gothic, doom or pagan. I got into metal from Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. It is in my blood, as is classical music. I love singing and was singing before I was able to talk."

On 'Njord,' Kristine's voice is certainly the band's centerpiece, for an almost beauty and the beast style of music! She says, "We combine heavy metal and classical and my own soprano voice and the concept of the band. This was natural to me. When I was 18 and founded Theatre of Tragedy, we made an album and went on tour and thought, 'This is the way to go!' People thought you could not do such a thing. And with Leaves' Eyes, I can live my dream with music and my own personality. It's not typical in any way. It's a gathering of contrasting elements and can help listeners escape from daily life. It's a much bigger concept than playing symphonic, female-fronted metal!"

Bands like Leaves' Eyes, who merge uncommonly fused musical elements, are able to thrive and flourish in Europe because the continent, namely Scandinavia, supports the arts. Metal is a huge genre overseas, much bigger than in America, and that could have to do with the government support that is provided. Bands are able to truly make a living doing what they love, playing festivals like Download in the U.K., Wacken in Germany and Sweden Rock in Sweden -- all to 10s of thousands of attendees.

"In Scandinavia and Denmark, black metal bands win Grammys," Kristine, who is Norwegian by birth but currently resides in Germany, said. "You can get financial support if you are thinking about going on tour. It's a cultural thing to support the arts, even if you wear corpse paint. It's like a grant. Not all bands get it. You apply for it, and if you have a name and a goal to tour, you can get the money. Europe is very open-minded when it comes to the arts."