Fugazi Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 This appears to be a side project of Martijn Westerholt (Delain) with Robin La Joy Westerholt (his wife?) and Johanna Kurkela (Auri). According to their website, "As the main songwriter of the metal band Delain, Martijn wanted an outlet to create lush orchestral fantasy music. In 2017, he teamed up with American lyricist Robin La Joy, a life-long fantasy enthusiast who spends much of her time immersed in books, particularly the works of Tolkien. Their mutual passion for fantasy-inspired music led them to the creation of Eye of Melian. Eye of Melian’s ethereal and symphonic music has been described as movie score-like - unfolding epic and elegant storyscapes in the listener’s mind. Successful Finnish solo artist Johanna Kurkela’s angelic voice quickens the fantasy to full life. She is also known for her work in Auri, Altamullan Road, and Tuomas Holopainen’s album “Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge." Also contributing to the project is Finnish orchestral arranger and producer Mikko Mustonen who has worked on many successful releases in various genres. It is his incredible talent in classical arranging that adds the final magical touch to the music. The EoM crew - Martijn the heartbeat, Robin the soul, Johanna the voice, and Mikko the skeleton - aim to craft music which takes the listener away to sojourn dreamy landscapes and other-worldly realms. Their debut album is expected to be released in 2022 with the first single in fall of 2021." Intriguing concept, I am also a Tolkien fan and on paper the team has solid credentials. Not metal, but symphonic movie-like music sounds good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted September 24, 2021 Author Share Posted September 24, 2021 A new teaser has been released, it sounds pretty good! Some atmospheric mellow moments but also more dynamic ones, and Johanna's voice makes everything better. First single this fall, the full album in 2022. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted September 26, 2021 Author Share Posted September 26, 2021 I found a few more details about Eye Of Melian at: https://arrowlordsofmetal.nl/launch-of-eye-of-melian-music-project/ They mention the following (emphasis mine): Quote EYE OF MELIAN is: Johanna Kurkela: Vocals Martijn Westerholt: Keys, backing voices Robin La Joy: Lyricist, Backing Voices Classical arranger & co producer: Mikko Mustonen With guest performences byLeah: VoicesTroy Donockley: Whistles & electric guitars Metal is a small world! So Troy and Johanna will reunite again on this album. And Leah is a Canadian (folk metal) singer that has has collaborated with Delain members before. Now, I know I'm reaching but could Leah become the next voice of Delain? She doesn't do tours though, so it might be impractical. 😐 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted October 7, 2021 Author Share Posted October 7, 2021 I don't know, it sounds like Auri to me! 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted October 31, 2021 Author Share Posted October 31, 2021 An interview with Martijn Westerholt and Robin La Joy Westerholt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-akIQb6W6Y There's a bit of talk about how Martijn got in touch with Johanna (and Tuomas) and Troy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted November 18, 2021 Author Share Posted November 18, 2021 https://www.instagram.com/p/CWYRTw9Kyl_/ EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!!! 🔔 We FINALLY have a date set for our FIRST SINGLE!!! 🥳 "The Bell" will be released on December 8th! Prepare yourself to enter a wintery wood, all silent but for the inevitable tolling of the bell... ❄️🌲🔔 Also: Quote Welcome, fellow traveler, and thanks for checking out our page! We’ve already introduced each of the EoM members along with our individual roles, but allow us to tell you more about ourselves so you can get to know us a little bit better. 😁 We are Eye of Melian, comprised of a Fellowship 🧙♂️🧝♀️🤓 of four different people from three different countries – The Netherlands, United States, and Finland. (For a bit more on how we came to be, you can take a look at our biography which is posted on our Facebook page in the "about" section as well as on our website). All four of us are life-long, nerdy fantasy fans 🤓 and share a passion for ethereal and symphonic music. So we have had an incredibly exciting experience setting out on this journey to create fantasy-inspired music to share with all you kindred spirits out there! 💫💙🌙 As for our debut album, we’ll have more news for you in the coming weeks so stay tuned! 😇 In the meantime… here are some facts about us:✨We are independent music (no record label is calling the shots) and because of this, we rely heavily on people sharing our music with others (hint, hint 😉)✨Our music is crafted to sound like it came right out of a fantasy movie score✨Our lyrics contain poetic Tolkien-type themes (though not ALWAYS direct Tolkien references…there are definitely some though! 🙃) Here are some places you can find us:🌟Website – www.eyeofmelian.com🌟Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/eyeofmelian🌟YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/EyeofMelian🌟Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/eyeofmelian/_saved/ (For those who like to dazzle their eyes with breath-taking nature and all sorts of things fantasy! 🤩) Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know us better and we welcome you to accompany us on this exciting and inspiring journey! Who knows what adventures lay ahead! 😃🗺️ ~Eye of Melian P.S. If you do want to join us on this epic odyssey and make sure you don’t miss out on any updates directly from us first, join our EoM email Fellowship! You can do so by clicking the link below! Join now!!! 🥳 >>> https://mailchi.mp/eyeofmelian/email-fellowship. Or you can visit the link in our bio! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted December 8, 2021 Author Share Posted December 8, 2021 Here you go, the first single: "The Bell". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX30ufIN90A I find it very reminiscent of Auri music, of course with Johanna singing, but also in the genre. Only one listen so far, but there's a lot to like here. Very far from Delain's brand of metal though. Edit: Here's a better link, with a video to boot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean Soul Posted December 8, 2021 Share Posted December 8, 2021 I'm listening to this right now... It gives me goosebumbs! Johanna's voice with really powerful drums and symphonic orchestra. Can't wait for their debut album to be released! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted December 9, 2021 Author Share Posted December 9, 2021 8 hours ago, Ocean Soul said: I'm listening to this right now... It gives me goosebumbs! Johanna's voice with really powerful drums and symphonic orchestra. Can't wait for their debut album to be released! Indeed, Johanna makes everything fantastic! 🤩 Looking forward to the album, sometime in 2022... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted January 20, 2022 Author Share Posted January 20, 2022 A new song is out, "Vita Nova". "The Bell" is growing on me, and this new one is also an impressive vocal performance. Certainly worth many more listens! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Botterell Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 I love Johanna's voice in everything I have heard her do. From her solo stuff, Auri, The Eye of Melian and she was also great on Tuomas's Scrooge Mc Duck album. Even my car loved that album. The CD player refused to eject it for weeks. 🤣 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted February 8, 2022 Author Share Posted February 8, 2022 She is truly gifted, and the gradual shift over the years to more complex songs suits her so well. Eye Of Melian also seems like a project that could have legs, I'm very curious to see whether it and Auri ever become live acts. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Botterell Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 @FugaziTuomas and Troy spoke about wanting Auri to play in 'Castles and Cathedrals' in the UK. If that ever happened I'd probably follow them round the country. 😁 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted February 8, 2022 Author Share Posted February 8, 2022 Had it not been for Johanna it could have become a 'Pubs and Taverns' tour instead! 😁 But speaking about cathedrals, here's something I found the other day... Tuomas playing church organ. I know, I'm off-topic now! 😁 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted February 11, 2022 Author Share Posted February 11, 2022 Here's what the new album will look like, no release date yet. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Botterell Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 That looks awesome. I liked both singles so I'm looking forward to getting this when it comes out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted February 11, 2022 Author Share Posted February 11, 2022 Same here! I'm also very curious about the next Delain release, but no news on that front recently. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share Posted February 13, 2022 Quote We want to shed a little "light" on some details regarding our upcoming debut album! The title of the album will be "Legends of Light" AND... it will be released in early summer of this year! We are absolutely delighted with how the album has turned out (it's ALMOST done) and we can't wait to share it with you! Take a moment to bask in the tranquil beauty of the album artwork. (Artwork by Jan Yrlund / Darkgrove Design) ........ Make sure you sign up to the EoM email Fellowship (newsletter) if you haven't already! We'll be sharing some news regarding our crowdfunding campaign soon. https://mailchi.mp/eyeofmelian/email-fellowship From Facebook. So what is this crowdfunding about? Maybe they don't want to sign with a label but rather publish the album independently? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted February 25, 2022 Author Share Posted February 25, 2022 "Ready for another heavenly single? We've got one coming your way very soon! This song will whisk you away to celestial realms where the moon reigns over the night. "Doorway of Night" will be released on ✨March 4th✨. This song is a bit special because it contains some pretty strong allusions to some of our favorite fantasy literature. 🤓 Keep an ear open when you listen to it and let us know if you recognize the references! If not, no worries. 😊 We think you'll still relish being swept away into the resplendent beauty and grandeur of the night. May the moon leave you a touch of magic in its wake, ~Eye of Melian" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Botterell Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 Looking forward to it. Loved the previous work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted March 4, 2022 Author Share Posted March 4, 2022 Another strong vocal performance... and we can clearly hear Troy's flutes on this track! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moondance Posted March 10, 2022 Share Posted March 10, 2022 It looks like the first album Legends of Light will be released on June 21, 2022. Also, crowdfunding for the album begins this Friday. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean Soul Posted March 10, 2022 Share Posted March 10, 2022 On 3/4/2022 at 1:37 PM, Fugazi said: Another strong vocal performance... and we can clearly hear Troy's flutes on this track! This is such a beautiful song... I'm pretty sure that Martijn has stolen this from Tuomas' drawer and made it Eye Of Melian's song. Heard this one first time on this Tuesday, laying under a blanket in high fever. Yesterday I found out that I have corona. No worries though, this has been waaaaay much easier than I expected and it has been affecting me less than a normal flu. 🤘 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moondance Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 @Ocean Soul You're right there. It does remind me a lot of Tuomas' 2014 solo album. It shares a lot of orchestral influence, being that both Johanna and Troy are present on both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted March 11, 2022 Author Share Posted March 11, 2022 14 hours ago, Ocean Soul said: This is such a beautiful song... I'm pretty sure that Martijn has stolen this from Tuomas' drawer and made it Eye Of Melian's song. Heard this one first time on this Tuesday, laying under a blanket in high fever. Yesterday I found out that I have corona. No worries though, this has been waaaaay much easier than I expected and it has been affecting me less than a normal flu. 🤘 Very sorry to hear that! 😢 I hope you're feeling better by now, take good care! Yes, the Eye Of Melian crowdfunding campaign is on, and there are some interesting items available. Introductory video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgMjKY3IGmw Campaign store: https://eyeofmelian.merchstore.nl/ Johanna appears to be more than a guest singer, she's also involved in sharing the costs of the production and even knitting exclusive beanies! Also, a release party is planned for the patrons: Quote Come hang out with us live at our online album Release Party! You automatically will receive one ticket for admission if you make a purchase from this campaign. During the party we will be chatting about the album, doing a Q & A of questions you guys ask, as well as some other exciting things! You will receive an email with information about the date and all the details when the time gets closer. Last but not least, the album is comprised of 2 CDs, including instrumental versions and bonus tracks. TRACKLIST CD 1 1. Doorway of Night 2. Vita Nova 3. The Homesong’s Call 4. Under the Grey Sky 5. The Bell 6. Everstrong 7. Wings of the Dawn 8. Adrift in Eternity 9. Light featuring LEAH 10. Rainfall CD 2 1. Ainiaan (Adrift in Eternity – Finnish version) 2. Light (alternate ending) 3. Doorway of Night - instrumental 4. Vita Nova - instrumental 5. The Homesong’s Call - instrumental 6. Under the Grey Sky - instrumental 7. The Bell - instrumental 8. Everstrong - instrumental 9. Wings of the Dawn - instrumental 10. Adrift in Eternity - instrumental 11. Light - instrumental 12. Rainfall - instrumental Guest performances by: LEAH - featured vocals on Light Troy Donockley - pipes and flutes Shir-Ran Yinon - violins and violas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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