{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox album | name = Meredead | type = studio | artist = Leaves' Eyes | cover = Meredead.jpg | alt = | caption = Cover art by Stefan Heilemann | released = 22 April 2011 | recorded = Mastersound Studios, Steinheim, Germany, 2010-2011 | venue = | studio = | genre = Symphonic metal | length = 55:16 | language = English, Nynorsk | label = Napalm | producer = Alexander Krull | prev_title = Njord | prev_year = 2009 | next_title = Symphonies of the Night | next_year = 2013 }} {{Music ratings |rev1= Metal Storm |rev1score= (very favorable)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=9612 |title=Leaves' Eyes - Meredead |publisher=Metal Storm |date=18 September 2011 |accessdate=19 April 2014 }}</ref> |rev2= About.com |rev2score= {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://heavymetal.about.com/od/leaveseyes/fr/Leaves-Eyes-Meredead-Review.htm |title=Leaves' Eyes - 'Meredead' |last=Simms |first=Kelley |work=Heavy Metal |publisher=About.com |accessdate=19 April 2014 }}</ref> |rev3= Metal Underground |rev3score= {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metalunderground.com/reviews/details.cfm?releaseid=4609 |title=Leaves' Eyes - "Meredead" (CD) |publisher=Metal Underground.com |date=25 August 2011 |accessdate=19 April 2014 }}</ref> |rev4= Femme Metal |rev4score= (95/100)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.femmemetalwebzine.net/2012/05/15/leaves-eyes-meredead-2011/ |title=Leaves' Eyes - "Meredead" (2011) |last=Cannella |first=Tony |publisher=Femme Metal Webzine |date=15 May 2012 |accessdate=19 April 2014 }}</ref> |rev5= Metal Temple |rev5score= {{Rating|7|10}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/l_2/leaves-eyes-meredead.htm |title=Leaves' Eyes - Meredead |last=Mitsakos |first=Yiannis |publisher=Metal Temple.com |date=9 May 2011 |accessdate=19 April 2014 }}</ref> |rev6=Rockfreaks.net |rev6score=(7/10)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rockfreaks.net/albums/3965 |title=Leaves' Eyes - Meredead |last=Larsen |first=Tim |publisher=Rockfreaks.net |date=13 June 2011 |accessdate=19 April 2014 }}</ref> | noprose = yes }}
'''''Meredead''''' is the fourth studio album by the German/Norwegian symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes. It was released on 22 April 2011 on Napalm Records. The Deluxe Edition of the album contains a bonus DVD with five songs from a live performance recorded at the Metal Female Voices Fest, in Wieze, Belgium, on 24 October 2010.
==Background== The title is inspired<ref name='leaveseyes'>{{cite web | url = http://www.leaveseyes.de/leaves-eyes-meredead-sample-and-own-words-by-liv-kristine/ | title = Leaves' Eyes - "Meredead" sample and own words by Liv Kristine | accessdate = 14 July 2011 | work = Leaves' Eyes Official Website | publisher = Leaves' Eyes}}</ref> by the Old English compound noun ''meredēað'', literally "sea-death", which is attested (in the genitive plural ''meredēaða'') in the passage ''rodor swipode meredēaða mǣst'', literally: "the greatest quantity of sea-deaths scourged the skies", in ''Exodus'', the second poem of the Junius manuscript, in the section telling the story of the Crossing of the Red Sea.<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Marsden | first1 = Richard | title = The Cambridge Old English reader | publisher = Cambridge University Press | year = 2004 | location = Cambridge, UK | pages = 140 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=OE4Vqj3IYrcC&pg=PA140 | accessdate = 14 July 2011| ISBN = 0521-45612-6}}</ref> Alternatively, ''meredēað'' could be translated as "sea of death" or "deadly sea" in view of a later passage in the same text: ''meredēað geswealh'', literally "sea-death swallowed".<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Marsden | first1 = Richard | title = The Cambridge Old English reader | publisher = Cambridge University Press | year = 2004 | location = Cambridge, UK | pages = 143 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=OE4Vqj3IYrcC&pg=PA143 | accessdate = 14 July 2011 | ISBN = 0521-45612-6}}</ref> On her website, Liv Kristine explicitly recommends Marsden 2004, and quotes the explanation for ''meredēað'' given in the book, saying that ''Meredead'' could be translated as "dead by the sea".<ref name='leaveseyes'/>
Produced by Alexander Krull, the album blends the folk elements from earlier works to shape ''Meredead'''s atmospheric tone. The opening track, "Spirits' Masquerade," incorporates folk instrumentation, enriching the album’s diverse sound. Tracks like ''Étaín'' and ''Sigrlinn'' lyrically evoke the mysticism of ancient cultures, featuring uilleann pipes to enhance their thematic depth. The album also includes more traditional songs, such as ''Nystev'' and ''Kråkevisa''; the latter employs the Scandinavian nyckelharpa, or keyed fiddle. A cover of ''To France'' reinterprets the tragedy and emotion of Mike Oldfield's classic. Supporting vocals and instrumentation on the album are provided by Maite Itoiz and John Kelly (Elfenthal), Carmen Espenæs, the Norwegian Anette Guldbrandsen, and Victor Smolski's Lingua Mortis Orchestra.
==Track lists== {{Track listing | all_lyrics = Liv Kristine Espenæs | all_music = Alexander Krull and Thorsten Bauer, except where noted | title1 = Spirits' Masquerade | length1 = 6:31 | title2 = Étaín | length2 = 3:58 | title3 = Velvet Heart | length3 = 3:42 | title4 = Kråkevisa | note4 = ''"Crow's Ballad"'' | writer4 = traditional | length4 = 4:34 | title5 = To France | note5 = Mike Oldfield cover | writer5 = Mike Oldfield | length5 = 4:37 | title6 = Meredead | note6 = ''"The Deadly Sea"'' | length6 = 5:19 | title7 = Sigrlinn | length7 = 8:47 | title8 = Mine tåror er ei grimme | note8 = ''"My Tears Are Not Hideous"'' | length8 = 2:54 | title9 = Empty Horizon | length9 = 4:58 | title10 = Veritas | note10 = ''"Truth"'' | length10 = 0:48 | title11 = Nystev | note11 = ''"New Stave"'' | writer11 = traditional | length11 = 4:39 | title12 = Tell-Tale Eyes | length12 = 3:58 }} {{Track listing | headline = Bonus track | title13 = Sorhleod | note13 = ''"Song of Sorrow"'' | length13 = 5:04 }} {{Track listing | headline = Japanese edition bonus tracks | title14 = Melusine | length14 = 3:34 | title15 = Legend Land | note15 = acoustic | writer15 = Espenæs, Krull, Bauer, Chris Lukhaup, Mathias Röderer. | length15 = 3:46 }} {{Track listing | headline = Deluxe edition bonus DVD | title1 = Njord | title2 = My Destiny | title3 = Ragnarok | title4 = Elegy | title5 = Frøya's Theme }}
==Personnel==
===Leaves' Eyes=== *Liv Kristine Espenæs – lead and backing vocals *Alexander Krull – harsh vocals, keyboards, programming, samples *Thorsten Bauer – guitars, bass, mandolin on tracks 1, 5 and 12 *Sander van der Meer - guitars *Roland Navratil - drums, percussions
===Additional musicians=== *Lingua Mortis Orchestra from Minsk, Belarus, directed by Victor Smolski *Al dente Choir from Kleinbottwar, Germany, directed by Veronika Messmer *Anette Guldbrandsen - backing vocals, lead vocals on tracks 4, 8, 10, 11 *Carmen Elise Espenæs - lead and backing vocals on track 7 *Maite Itoiz - lead and backing vocals on tracks 2 and 6, baroque guitar on track 12 *John Kelly - lead vocals on track 12 *Christian Roch - Uilleann pipes and whistles *Janna Kirchhof - fiddle on tracks 2, 3 and 11, nyckelharpa on track 4
===Production=== *Alexander Krull - producer, engineer, mixing and mastering at Mastersound Studios *Thorsten Bauer, Liv Kristine Espenæs - assistant engineers *Victor Smolski - orchestra recording engineer *Orchestral arrangements by Leaves' Eyes
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Chart (2011) ! Peak{{break}}position |- | German Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.officialcharts.de/album.asp?artist=Leaves%27+Eyes&title=Meredead&country=de | archive-url = https://archive.today/20140707094243/http://www.officialcharts.de/album.asp?artist=Leaves'+Eyes&title=Meredead&country=de | url-status = dead | archive-date = 7 July 2014 | title = Album – Leaves' Eyes, Meredead| accessdate = 19 April 2014| work = Charts.de | publisher = Media Control Charts |language=German }}</ref> |align="center"|32 |- | Ultratop Belgian Chart (Flanders)<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ultratop.be/nl/album/261a8/Leaves'-Eyes-Meredead| title = Leaves' Eyes - Meredead | accessdate = 19 April 2014| work = Ultratop | publisher = Media Control Charts |language=Dutch }}</ref> |align="center"|97 |- | UK Indie Chart<ref name="napalm" >{{cite web |url=http://www.napalmrecords.com/company/charteinstiege/ |title=Napalm Records Chart Results |publisher=Napalm Records |accessdate=19 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408044323/http://www.napalmrecords.com/company/charteinstiege/ |archive-date=8 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |align="center"|37 |- | US Top Heatseekers<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/meredead-mw0002118241/awards |title=Meredead Billboard Alnums |work=Allmusic |publisher=Rovi Corporation |accessdate=19 April 2014 }}</ref> |align="center"|37 |- | US Independent Albums<ref name="napalm" /> |align="center"|134 |}
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
{{Leaves' Eyes}} {{Authority control}}
Category:2011 albums Category:Leaves' Eyes albums Category:Napalm Records albums Category:Albums produced by Alexander Krull Category:Crossing the Red Sea