❛ OBLIVION (BETWEEN TWO WORLDS) ❜ ofrece un viaje más tranquilo en las estrofas con sólo la voz y el piano, y arrancando de forma espectacular en los estribillos en un equilibrio perfectamente armónico entre los diferentes instrumentos. El arreglo de ésta canción es exquisito. Al igual que “RUINS OF ILUSION”, es una canción habla por sí misma.

Casi llegando al final del disco, tenemos algo que para mí sería un perfecto single. ❛ GHOST UPON A THRONE ❜  tiene un carácter más pegadizo que las anteriores, y una línea muy similar a “EDGE OF YOUR SWORD”. Mantiene una energía sólida y un estilo mucho más metal. De todas las canciones del disco, ésta en particular muestra una faceta completa de todo lo que ha hecho Leah hasta el momento. Si tuviese que haber un videoclip de alguna del disco, probablemente escogería ésta.

A diferencia del principio del disco donde empezamos a subir de energía, como cierre del disco tenemos algo que nos apacigua. Como si fuese un dulce cuento de cuna, ❛ THE WATER IS WIDE ❜  es una la perfecta muestra del gran trabajo vocal que posee Leah. A cappella, el viaje musical termina de una forma sutil y delicada.

Algo que siempre he dicho cuando a la música de Leah se refiere, es que es muy introspectiva en cuanto a sonidos y melodías. Es como un viaje interno que termina exteriorizándose en fantasías y sueños.

Si quieres comprar éste fenomenal disco (que no estará en Spotify por el momento), hazlo aquí: https://leahmchenry.lpages.co/thequest/

The singer of Celtic music infused with rock and metal, presents her new album: “THE QUEST”, with the participation of excellent musicians and arrangers from around the world. A musical work that I waited a long time get my ears on, and now I have the pleasure of writing about it. I turn on my speaker at the maximum sound level, and as I pour Amarula liqueur, on a glass full of ice, I hit play.

The album starts with sounds of instruments from the Middle East, in tune with Leah’s voice humming a melodic line that definitely ends up stuck in your head. The song that gives the title to the album, ❛ THE QUEST ❜, is perhaps the most complex of the album and I would dare to say, of Leah’s career to date. A song with a little more than ten minutes of rich sounds and full of dynamic moments that progressively increase in intensity as the song continues. To be the opening track, it is a song that definitely sets you up for what you expect in the rest of the songs.

⁃Along with a subtle murmur of birds and the sweet humming of Leah’s voice, starts ❛ EDGE OF YOUR SWORD ❜, a song faster in tempo and with very catchy chorus in which the drums are definitely a highlight. Something I really enjoyed was the fantastic guitar solo. In this song in particular, the folk style that the singer chose to thematize the album is felt as its best. This song was a teaser that the singer had been showing on her networks since last year, finally seeing the light recently as the first single (excellent choice).

Inspired by the Psalm 03, we have something slower in time and a bit heavier in sound. ❛ LION ARISES ❜  has some fantastic Celtic ornaments that beautifies the song, leaving the guitars as the song’s protagonist (very wise decision). Feels more like a ”ballad”, but not as smooth as the usual ballads we’re used to hear.

And … let’s talk about orchestration. Yes, because if something makes ❛ HEIR ❜ a brutal song, is because of its strong beginning with orchestra and the fastest drum beats so far. And not to mention the little taste we have of the flute and pipes arrangements created by Troy Donockley. Until now it’s the one that has a ‘folk’ direction, it is still quite heavy.

If Leah’s plan was to set us in a medieval era, with castles, kingdoms and ancient tales, then let’s go in a time machine with ❛ RUINS OF ILUSION ❜ . Pipes and flutes in collision with Middle East’s sounds, make this song in my opinion, the sonic bomb of the album. Definitely the one that represents the most this fantasy journey. The arrangement of instruments and the melody of the voice in this song is probably one of the best I’ve heard in a long time. My absolute favorite.

❛ LABYRINTH ❜ offers a slower moments but like the previous song, you can feel a very strong medieval influence on it. It’s a great example of the great work and preparation of Leah as a singer, since she uses powerful vocal melodies that wrap the song in a environmentally gentle way. One of the songs that perhaps I enjoyed the most. It plays with heavy and soft moments, which I liked it a lot.

Almost as if it was story, ❛ ABYSS ❜ continues with the same vibe as we have heard so far, but with a surprise that when I listened to it for the first time, I had to pause it and put it again. Aside the best pipe solo of the album, for the first time on the album we have an intense choir in some apocalyptic way closing the song in the most epic way possible. That is the clearest example of what Leah can do as a composer.

❛ OBLIVION (BETWEEN TWO WORLDS) ❜ offers more like a folk journey in verses using just the voice and the piano, and pulling off spectacularly the chorus in a perfectly harmonic balance between the different instruments. The arrangement of this song is exquisite. Like “RUINS OF ILUSION”, it’s a song that speaks for itself.

Getting closer to the end of the album, we have something that for me, would perfectly workout as a single. ❛ GHOST UPON A THRONE ❜ is much more catchy than the previous ones, and it has a line very similar to “EDGE OF YOUR SWORD”. It maintains a solid energy and a much more the metal style. Of all the songs on the album, this one in particular shows a complete face of everything Leah has done so far. If there had to be a video clip of any of the songs from this album, I would probably choose this one.

Unlike the beginning of the album where we begin rising up the energy, as a closure, we have something that appeases us. As if it were a sweet lullaby, ❛ THE WATER IS WIDE ❜ is the perfect example of Leah’s great vocal work. A cappella, the musical journey ends in a subtle, etheric and delicate way.

Something I have always said when referring to Leah’s music is that it is very introspective in terms of sounds and melodies. It is like a journey within ourselves, that ends up by exteriorizing fantasies and dreams.

If you want to support LEAH’s work, you can pre order the album here: https://leahmchenry.lpages.co/thequest/

Special thanks to Ex Cathedra Records and Inner Wound Records.

Musicians in this album:

LEAH – Vocals, lyrics, original music, keys & orchestration
​Timo Somers​ – Rhythm & Lead guitars
Sander Zoer​ – Drums & Percussion
Troy Donockley​ – Pipes & Flutes
Chen Balbus​ – Middle Eastern Saz & Out
Barend Courbois​ – Bass Guitar
Oliver Philipps – Production
Jacob Hansen​ – Mixing / Mastering