Listen to the Full Album Courtesy of Celtic Life
Ancient Winter, the winter-themed album from symphonic/Celtic vocal goddess LEAH, is available today.
Listeners can stream the full album today, courtesy of Celtic Life.
Says LEAH, “I’m so excited for this moment…Ancient Winter is finally available to the world! My intention was to create a very special atmosphere and mood that makes you imagine feasts in great halls, ruins of ancient cathedrals, hooded monks, stained glass, Northern lights in a midnight sky, silent snowfall and evergreen forests amidst a lantern-lit village. An utterly magical place you don’t want to leave. This is the music to accompany that dreamy place. I hope everyone loves it and shares it.”
Ancient Winter features eight tracks – five of which are originals and three traditional century medieval songs that LEAH puts her own unique touch on. The album offers a slight departure from LEAH‘s traditional symphonic metal into a more atmospheric, ethereal sound. It is a more earthy sounding album filled with new instrumentation such as fiddles and uilleann pipes, which give it a beautiful harmony of middle eastern feeling and Celtic folk and fantasy. Ancient Winter proves LEAH‘s ability to venture into musical realms beyond metal.
The album represents a new approach to holiday music as it celebrates winter themes in a way that is sure to give it a wider appeal. This is not simply a “Christmas album” but rather an emotional journey into transcendent ideals that will inspire any listener from anywhere.
Ancient Winter Tracklisting:
The Whole World Summons
Light of the World
Upon Your Destiny
Redemption
The Messenger
Gaudete
Puer Natus
Noël Nouvelet
For Ancient Winter, LEAH tapped a top-notch talent cast of musicians, including Troy Donockley (Nightwish), Anna Murphy (Cellar Darling), Shir-Ran Yinon (Eluveitie), Oliver Philipps (Everon, Phantasma) and renowned string musician Rupert Gillett. This diverse lineup adds an international flavor to the album alongside LEAH‘s beautiful vocals.
LEAH has amassed a generous and dedicated fanbase that has allowed her to crowdfund three of her five recordings without the assistance of a record label. LEAH‘s first four albums, Of Earth and Angels (2012), Otherworld (2013), Kings & Queens (2015), and The Quest (2018) are a rapturous blend of a symphonic metal style carefully spiced with Celtic, folk and fantasy. Her emotive vocals are often compared to Loreena McKennitt, Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan.
About LEAH:
LEAH – described affectionately by her fans as “the metal Enya” – hails from the coast of British Columbia, Canada, and is inspired by Celtic and world music influences such as Clannad and Enya to European symphonic and progressive metal influences. Her debut self-released album Of Earth & Angels received international critical acclaim, including landing the “The Best Symphonic Metal Album” Metalstorm Award for 2012. Her 2013 release, Otherworld, is a five-song Celtic-metal masterpiece, mixed by Christian “Moschus” Moos at SPACELAB in Germany (Delain, Everon, Imperia) and features the vocals of guitar legend Eric Peterson (Testament/Dragonlord) on the ethereal metal track “Dreamland.”
2014 was very successful year for LEAH as she raised over $27,000 through Indiegogo via her fans to record and produce her heaviest album, Kings & Queens, which was eventually released in early 2015 through Inner Wound Recordings. The album received dozens of four and five-star reviews, and helped her gain thousands of new fans around the world. LEAHraised over $87,000 in 30 days via Indiegogo and her shop to launch last year’s The Quest, again released via her own independent record label, Ex Cathedra Records, along with Inner Wound Recordings. The Quest received 5-star reviews and critical acclaim.
The crowdfunding campaign for Ancient Winter raised $83,000, far surpassing its goal of $50,000.
In addition to her career as a recording artist, LEAH founded Savvy Musician Academy, an online education academy in 2015 that teaches independent musicians how to effectively market their music online without the support of a record label. Savvy Musician Academy has served thousands of musicians around the world through self-paced courses and coaching programs. LEAH also hosts a popular podcast called the Savvy Musician Show.
LEAH Online:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/leahthemusic
Instagram: http://instagram.com/leahthemusic
Twitter: http://twitter.com/leahthemusic
