LEAVES` EYES hailing from Ludwigsburg, Germany were formed in 2003 by ATROCITY mastermind Alex Krull and former vocalist Liv Kristine. Most of the band members of German Death Metal icons ATROCITY and LEAVES' EYES are the same with the addition of Finish vocalist Elina Siirala to the latter band. LEAVES' EYES mix symphonic Metal with melodic and Folk Metal elements and after seven EPs, 10 full-length albums, and a live album, they release the EP "Song Of Darkness". The EP was produced, mixed, and mastered by Alex Krull at his Mastersound Studios, Germany. It has a length of about 16 minutes, and it was released via US Thrash, Power, and symphonic Metal specialists Reigning Phoenix Music. LEAVES' EYES suffered a bit from several line-up changes in recent years, where the only constants are the vocalists Elina Siirala and Alex Krull, while the not-so-new guitarist Luc Gebhardt can already be regarded as a senior member of the band. Despite this, LEAVES' EYES still offer a lot of continuity in terms of live performances and releases. The EP starts with the title track, which is a song inspired by the medieval Gisla saga, which is the tragic story of the Gisla siblings who had to migrate from Western Norway to Island with their parents. It is a gloomy storytelling, and this is well reflected in the song. Starting with powerful guitar riffs, the track transitions into a quiet verse part, driven by strong basslines, the piano, and the female vocals. The vocals vary between the medium to higher end of the vocals range, where many highly pitched vocal notes are used. The melodies of the choruses are dark with a lot of melancholy. The break offers a very contributing lead guitar solo, which gives the track an additional layer. The track takes its darkness from Elina Siirala's vocals, while the energy comes from the guitars.

"Song Of Darkness" was released as video, and the YouTube link is provided below. "Hall Of The Brave" starts with a folk-inspired symphonic pre-lude, leading into the verse part at mid-tempo. The guitar riffing is tight and accompanied by notable orchestral arrangements, driven by the brass and the strings. The vocals are the LEAVES`EYES trademark mix of highly pitched female vocals and the male growls, where the female vocals pre-dominantly drive the verse parts, and the male growls contribute to the bridges and the choruses. Additionally, there is a choir at a later stage of the song, creating together with the arrangements a bombastic atmosphere. "Until The Last Day" also starts with a short orchestral intro. The track has crushing start with punishing guitar riffs and the male growls starting the verse part. The orchestral arrangements are ever present with the brass and strings during the heavy parts. There are a few twists during the track as heavy and more quiet parts alternate, where the quiet parts are driven by the female vocals, the piano, and the strings. Both parts come together for the choruses, which once again makes the track a bit more epic and bombastic. The short break offers another cool lead guitar solo. The EP finishes with "Roots Eternal" and the track starts with the strings, piano, and the female vocals. It is a ballad, where the drums and guitars join in at a later point of the track. While the first two verse/chorus parts are slow and quiet, the break offers a classical power ballad lead guitar solo accompanied by thunderous guitar riffs. It is the second song of the EP with only female vocals.

LEAVES' EYES deliver quality with four new songs. "Song Of Darkness" offers the classical LEAVES' EYES trademark sound, a mixture of symphonic Metal and Folk Metal elements including historically themed tracks. Altogether, the sound of the EP is a bit darker, and more melancholic compared to previous releases. The guitars deliver cool riffs and solos; however, the star of the EP is vocalist Elina Siirala, especially during her two solo performances. The EP is well produced. The downside of "Song Of Darkness" is the fact that an EP naturally only offers four tracks, while fans would have rather preferred a full-length album. Perhaps, "Song Of Darkness" is a teaser for new full-length release to come soon as LEAVES' EYES show that they are still on top of their game.