Welcome to an ethereal, sublime orchestral masterwork from Martijn Westerholt (Delain, Within Temptation) and the talented artists he assembled to deliver the debut from Eye of Melian. While not metal, the sheer beauty of this work demands to be heard.
In 2017, Martijn Westerholt (Delain, Within Temptation) teamed up with Tolkein-inspired lyricist Robin La Joy to work on a new project of fantasy-inspired orchestral music. Along the way, Finnish vocalist Johanna Kurkela and Finnish orchestral arranger/producer Mikko P. Mustonen joined the project. For the actual recording, Troy Donockley was brought on to add flutes and pipes to several songs, Shir-Ran Yinon added violins and violas, and vocalist Leah guested on a track.
For those just hearing about Eye of Melian, I will start by letting you in on the big secret in that there is not a guitar on the album and this is not what you might expect given the pedigree of those involved, especially Martijn Westerholt. That being said, Legends of Light is an amazing concept and album. The music itself, doesn’t really fit into any specific genre but to my ears, may best be described as an ethereal orchestral, epic soundscape with dreamy vocals and some underlying Celtic influences.
For me, one of the biggest surprises on the album were the vocals from Johanna Kerkela. Not only does she have an amazing range but also a very delicate tone that is also full and rich. From quiet whispers to full volume high register choruses, Johanna manages to keep her distinct, dreamy sound. Robin La Joy not only handled the lyrics for the album but also provided some of the backing vocals, which have been expertly incorporated into the mix. On songs like “Everstrong” and “Light” that feature extra vocalists, the blend of the vocals works really well, especially the male vocals on “Everstrong”, where the harmony really stands out and creates a memorable chorus. Being a fan of Leah’s solo work, seeing her listed in the credits, had me anticipating how the song “Light” would be and to put it simply, it lived up to expectations. Johanna and Leah’s voices meld together perfectly as the song rises and falls and builds to a crescendo with the blend being stronger than each on their own.
Production as one might imagine with an album that has such a cinematic feel, is perfect with all the instruments and nuance in the vocals clearly heard. The music itself being primarily orchestral does have a bit of a produced feel to it, but with the size of the effort involved here that makes sense and does not detract at all.
“Adrift in Eternity” may be one of the more recognizable songs on the album as it has a familiar feel to it and a more obvious verse/chorus structure. That being said, the arrangement of the instruments, and the way the song rises, falls, and builds, will not be as familiar to many listeners.
The album closes out with “Rainfall”, which is one of the longer songs on the album and brings in both the pipes of Tony Donockley and the strings from Shir-Ran Yinon and the combination of both of those, as on the other songs they are together, does bring out the Celtic undertones present on the album. The song rises and falls with a sense of urgency, building to a crescendo, much like a conclusion and then quietly finishes.
Eye of Melian is not the metal project one may have been expecting given the talent involved, but it is simply one of the best albums I have heard this year. The lush soundscapes, complex arrangements and ethereal, dreamy vocals, combined in a way that highlights the strengths of each works perfectly with the fantasy nature of the story and make this an album that begs for repeated listens.
Rating: 10/10
Written by John Jackson
Tracklist
- Doorway of Night
- Vita Nova
- The Homesong’s Call
- Under the Grey Sky
- The Bell
- Everstrong
- Wings of the Dawn
- Adrift in Eternity
- Light (featuring LEAH)
- Rainfall
- Ainiaan (Adrift in Eternity, Finnish version), bonus track
- Light (alternate ending), bonus track
Band Members
Martijn Westerholt – music and backing vocals
Johanna Kurkela – vocals and lyrics*
Robin La Joy – lyrics* and backing vocals
Mikko P. Mustonen – orchestrations
Special Guests
Troy Donockley – flutes and pipes on Doorway of Night, Under the Grey Sky, Rainfall
LEAH – featuring vocals on Light
Shir-Ran Yinon – violins and violas on Doorway of Night, Under the Grey Sky, The Bell, Rainfall
Release Date: June 21th. 2022
Record Label: Independent, 2022
Weblinks:Facebook / Website / Bandcamp
Video for ‘The Bell’
Video for ‘Light’ (featuring LEAH)
Video for ‘’Legends of Light’ (album preview)
