LEAH
“ANCIENT WINTER”
Album Review by Piers Renfree

10/10

It’s a cold December evening and I’m warming myself with a hot chocolate (when the cold winds blow, the Gods drink hot chocolate, fact fans) and ready to give Leah’s latest offering a spin.

For those of you who missed it, Leah’s last album, last year’s “The Quest” received a well deserved 10/10 and it still gets a fair amount of airtime with me.

Leah is Leah McHenry, a Canadian born singer & songwriter who is 100% independent and has her own record label, Ex Cathedra Records.

Leah McHenry is also the founder of Savvy Musician Academy, which teaches musicians to build their brand & market their music online.

When she is not writing, recording or teaching musicians, Leah is either parenting & homeschooling her five children or making candles, chainmaille or playing games like Skyrim. Sadly, with everything music and family-wise that Leah has going on, it has not left her any time to do live shows, although she is looking into playing shows and touring at some point. So all of Leah’s success comes from her studio albums.

Leah calls her music “Celtic Fantasy Metal” and she says that when she set out to write her first album, she did not know whether to do Celtic music or metal music, as she loves both, so she did both. Leah’s influences are fantasy, folklore, landscapes and historical fiction, while her fans say that Leah’s music is a cross between Nightwish and Lord Of The Rings and call Leah “The Metal Enya”.

So this is Leah’s fifth album, following her award winning debut 2012’s “Of Earth And Angels”, “Otherworld” from 2013, “Kings & Queens” from 2015 and “The Quest” from 2018.

Leah started work on “Ancient Winter” very early this year, after a friend suggested that she make a Christmas album. Leah wrote half the songs that make up “Ancient Winter” and chose to do olde Carols, Christmas/Seasonal songs that haven’t been done to death, for the rest of her album. Leah also chose to focus on the Celtic side of her musical tastes for the record.

Returning to aid Leah in her quest for the fifth album is German born producer Oliver Philipps, who was praised highly by Leah for his help in the orchestration and arrangements of her songs from “The Quest”. Here again, he aids Leah with the orchestration and arrangements, and the results are proof positive as to why she was right to choose him to work with; they truly are a top notch writing team. Oliver also brings his trusty axe (yes, I mean guitar; I was blatantly going for a fantasy tie-in) with him.

Also, returning from last year’s “The Quest” is England’s Troy Donockley with his Uilleann Pipes, Low & High Whistles. You should know him from Nightwish – if you don’t, then get cracking on your homework now.

From Switzerland comes Anna Murphy with her Hurdy-Gurdy. Anna has previously spent a decade in the Swiss group “Eluveitie” from 2006 – 2016 and is now in the band “Cellar Darling”.

Answering Leah’s call to arms from Leipzig in Germany with her Fiddle, Violin and Viola is Shir-Ran Yinon. Like Anna Murphy, Shir-Ran was in “Eluveitie” for a spell, though as a touring violinist & backing vocalist. She has also worked with England’s New Model Army in a guest capacity since 2014 and has written commissioned works for the German String Philharmonic, Haifa Symphony Orchestra and Studentenorchester Münsen.

Making up Leah’s current Fellowship of musicians is London born Jazz Cellist & composer, Rupert Gillet who performed at the 2012 Paralympics and also at the Queen’s Jubilee. Rupert also performed on the musical score to the film “Tolkien” (which starred Nicholas Hoult) and has performed with Alison Moyet as well as other big stars.

As you can see from the pedigree of the musicians on this record, Leah does not do things by half.

Jan Yrlund’s artwork for the “Ancient Winter” album is stunning, absolutely phenomenal. This is album artwork of the year – bar none. 

The album’s eight songs run for a total of 34:59 and the first four songs “The Whole World Summons”, “Light Of The World”, “Upon Your Destiny” and “Redemption” are all new compositions by Leah, while the second four “The Messenger”, “Gaudete”, “Puer Natus” and “Noel Nouvelet” are traditional songs.

Leah again proves that she can sing. Her vocals are clean – she delivers the lyrics crystal clear and sharp, yet soft and ethereal all at once.

The music is just showstopping, very melodic, yet a masterclass in orchestration, light and shade and at no point do you miss the metal side of Leah’s music. “Upon Your Destiny” could be from a film score – it brings to your mind images of big, wide landscapes and most metal acts would have allowed the music to run away with itself, but here it is controlled and at no point does any of it feel forced. “The Messenger” is very ethereal and haunting, yet uplifting all at once. 

After just over half an hour in the company of Leah & friends, you feel calm and relaxed and the world seems like a better place. You finish the album, wishing there was more, yet fulfilled by it at the same time.

Leah has made my album of the year.

TRACKLIST

The Whole World Summons
Light Of The World
Upon Your Destiny
Redemption
The Messenger
Gaudete
Puer Natus
Noel Nouvelet

https://leahmusic.net/
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