Liv Kristine

Liv Kristine Espenæs (born 14 February 1976), better known as Liv Kristine, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter who has performed and composed songs mostly for various subgenres of heavy metal music. She started her career in the music industry as a vocalist for the gothic metal band Theatre of Tragedy, and is the former lead vocalist for the symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes. She is known for her work in close association with her then-husband and leader of the German band Atrocity, Alexander Krull. Currently she is a singer of a German band Midnattsol alongside her younger sister Carmen Elise Espenæs.

Liv Kristine Espenæs
Background information
Birth nameLiv Kristine Espenæs
Also known asLiv Kristine
Born (1976-02-14) 14 February 1976
Stavanger, Norway
OriginStavanger, Norway
GenresSymphonic metal, gothic metal, folk metal, pop
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1993–present
LabelsNapalm Records
Associated acts
Websitelivkristine.com

Career

Liv Kristine was born in Stavanger, and joined the Norwegian gothic metal band Theatre of Tragedy in 1994 as a backup singer, but was soon sharing lead vocals duties with Raymond István Rohonyi.[1] She was fired from Theatre of Tragedy in 2003, a fact she learned about through the band's website.[2] She had been living in Germany since 1996 and collaborating with the death metal band Atrocity, whose singer Alexander Krull she married on 3 July 2003.[3] With the five musicians from Atrocity she formed a new band, Leaves' Eyes, in August 2003.[4] She has also released five solo albums, the most recent of which was released in October 2014 through Napalm Records.

Kristine has a soprano vocal range.[5]

In 2005, Liv Kristine was nominated for a Grammy award with Cradle of Filth for the song "Nymphetamine".[6]

In 2016, Liv joined Eluveitie as a session vocalist for a couple of their live shows after the departure of their singer Anna Murphy.

On 16 April 2016, Leaves' Eyes stated that Liv Kristine, who formed and had the idea of the band project, was no longer the singer of the band.[7]

In December 2017 it was announced that Liv joins her sister Carmen's band Midnattsol. She was originally announced to be a guest on their new album but after some discussions, the band picked her up as a permanent member.

Personal life

On 3 July 2003, Liv Kristine married Atrocity vocalist Alexander Krull.[3] They have a son, Leon Alexander.[3] Liv Kristine and her husband split-up in early January 2016.[8]

Her younger sister, Carmen Elise Espenæs, is the vocalist of the German symphonic/folk metal band Midnattsol[9] and of the Norwegian gothic/folk metal band Savn.[10]

Contributions to music
Liv Kristine at a live show in Israel, 2016

Kristine helped to pioneer the beauty and the beast vocals approach, later used by many other successful bands such as Tristania, After Forever, Epica and Within Temptation in their beginnings. The term "beauty and the beast" refers to an aesthetic contrasting "angelic" female vocals with male growls or aggressive singing.[11] Paradise Lost and The Gathering had already made use of this technique on some songs from their earlier albums but it was the Norwegian Theatre of Tragedy, Kristine's former band, that first released an entire album devoted to this approach with their self-titled debut in 1995.

A second album Velvet Darkness They Fear arrived in the following year.[12] Theatre of Tragedy's third album Aégis in 1998 saw the band "venturing into fresh musical territory".[12] The piano was replaced by electronic keyboards while Raymond Rohonyi opted to discard his death growls in favor of a "soft, spoken, sometimes whispering voice".[13] The music was more clean and soft,[13] "stripped of guitar harshness" but with a "near flawless execution" that "prompted many European critics to award Aégis perfect review scores".[12]

For over a decade, this beauty and the beast aesthetic has flourished with many representatives across the European continent.[11] Cradle of Filth has also been known to make use of this approach through guest female vocalists such as Liv Kristine and Sarah Jezebel Deva.[14]

Discography
Liv Kristine and Alexander Krull in July 2007
Further information: Leaves' Eyes § Discography

Studio albums
Title Album details
Deus Ex Machina
Enter My Religion
  • Released: 13 February 2006
  • Label: Roadrunner
  • Formats: CD, digital download[16]
Skintight
  • Released: 27 August 2010
  • Label: Napalm
  • Formats: CD, digital download[17]
Libertine
  • Released: 7 September 2012
  • Label: Napalm
  • Formats: CD, digital download[18]
Vervain
  • Released: 24 October 2014
  • Label: Napalm
  • Formats: CD, digital download

Singles
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
GER
[19]
"3am" 1998 — Deus Ex Machina
"Take Good Care" —
"3am" – "Fanedition" 1999 —
"One Love" — non-album single
"Fake a Smile" 2006 94 Enter My Religion
"Over the Moon" —
"Trapped in Your Labyrinth" —
"Skintight"[20] 2010 — Skintight
"Paris Paris" 2012 — Libertine
"Love Decay (feat. Michelle Darkness)" 2014 — Vervain
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

EPs
Title Album details
Fake a Smile
  • Released: 27 January 2006
  • Label: Roadrunner Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download[21]

Music videos
Title Year Directed Album
"Fake a Smile" 2006
—
 Enter My Religion
"Skintight" 2010 Patric Ullaeus Skintight
"Paris Paris" 2012 Libertine
"Love Decay" 2014
—
 Vervain

Other appearances
Album Notes Year Ref.
Theatre of Tragedy – Theatre of Tragedy band member 1995 [22]
Theatre of Tragedy – Velvet Darkness They Fear band member 1996 [23]
Atrocity – Werk 80 additional vocals
(appears also in "Shout" music video)		 1997 [24]
Theatre of Tragedy – A Rose for the Dead band member 1997 [25]
Theatre of Tragedy – Aégis band member 1998 [26]
Heavenwood – Swallow vocals on "Downcast" 1998 [24]
Atrocity & Silke Bischoff – "Blue Moon" additional vocals (non-album single) 1998 [24]
Atrocity – Non Plus Ultra 1989–1999 additional vocals 1999 [27]
WeltenBrand – Der Untergang von Trisona vocals on "The Devil Gets the Profiteer" 1999 [24]
Das Ich – Re-Laborat vocals on "Des Satans neue Kleider" (Atrocity Remix) 2000 [24]
Atrocity – Gemini additional vocals 2000 [24]
Theatre of Tragedy – Musique band member 2000 [28]
Atrocity – Thank You – A Tribute to The Sisters of Mercy vocals on "More" 2000 [24]
Theatre of Tragedy – Inperspective band member 2001 [24]
Theatre of Tragedy – Closure: Live band member 2001 [29]
Theatre of Tragedy – Assembly band member 2002 [30]
Genius – A Rock Opera Part II vocals on "To Be Free" 2004 [31]
Immortal Rites – Art of Devolution vocals on "Mirror Reflections" 2004 [24]
Hortus Animae – The Lotus Eaters – Dead Can Dance Tribute vocals on "Summoning of the Muse" 2004 [32]
Cradle of Filth – Nymphetamine vocals on "Nymphetamine"
(appears also in music video for the song)		 2004 [33]
Leaves' Eyes - Lovelorn band member 2004 [34]
Atrocity – Atlantis additional vocals 2004 [24]
Umbra et Imago – Motus Animi "Ein letztes Mal" (Leaves' Eyes Remix) 2005 [35]
Leaves' Eyes - Vinland Saga band member 2005 [36]
Delain – Lucidity vocals on "See Me in Shadow" and "Day for Ghosts" 2006 [37]
Atrocity – Werk 80 II additional vocals
(appears also in "Fade to Grey" and
"The Sun Always Shines on TV" music videos)		 2008 [38]
Doro Pesch – Fear No Evil backing vocals on "Celebrate" 2009 [39]
Leaves' Eyes - Njord band member 2009 [40]
Legio Mortis – The Human Creation and The Devil's Contribution vocals on "Life Denied" 2011 [41]
Leaves' Eyes - Meredead band member 2011 [42]
Bob Katsionis – Rest in Keys vocals on "Rendez-Vous in the Sky" 2012 [43]
Týr – Valkyrja vocals on "The Lay of Our Love"
(appears also in music video for the song)		 2013 [44]
Romanthica – Eterno vocals on "Despierta" 2013 [45]
Leaves' Eyes - Symphonies of the Night band member 2013 [46]
Primal Fear – Delivering the Black backing vocals on "Born with a Broken Heart" 2014 [47]
Savn – Savn vocals on "I Am Free" 2014 [48]
Emerald Sun – Metal Dome vocals on "Call of Nature" 2015 [49]
Cradle of Filth - Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay vocals on "Vengeful Spirit" 2017 [50]
Orden Ogan - Gunmen vocals on "Come With Me to the Other Side" 2017 [51]
Midnattsol – The Aftermath band member 2018 [52]
Lux In Tenebris - To A New Eternity Vocals on the duet « The Grand Design » with Marion-Lamita Peubey 2018 [48]
gollark: Your introduction would be easier to read if I didn't have to spend nonzero amounts of brain on error correction. In any case, you clearly don't have that much power if it's significant for you. It is also underspecified and somewhat incoherent, so fix that.
gollark: Surely your ultimate cosmic powers should at least extend to spelling power correctly. I mean, I can do that, and I'm not a god at least 83% of the time.
gollark: Greetings, "le bunker de corona" members. I am gollark, otherwise known as osmarks, a human. As someone who is totally a human, I exist, and do human things such as (not limited to): consuming food; consuming water; sleeping; not sleeping; sitting in chairs; motion; social interaction; thought.I enjoy things such as authorship of highly accursed code in a wide range of programming languages, computational gaming, reading scifi/fantasy, and sometimes (when I am not horribly distracted) reading about various maths topics.If you are reading this, it is already too late.Feel free to DM me iff Riemann hypothesis!I have harvested some insightful quotes:“You know what they say, speak softly but carry a tungsten slug accelerated to a measurable fraction of C.” “I mean, we could use it to destroy the Universe, but we'd have to add a lot of antimatter. Which pretty much goes for all other matter.”“The laws of Australia prevail in Australia, I can assure you of that. The laws of mathematics are very commendable, but the only law that applies in Australia is the law of Australia.”"World domination is such an ugly phrase. I prefer to call it world optimisation."“The Earth is built to last. It is a 4,550,000,000-year-old, 5,973,600,000,000,000,000,000-tonne ball of iron. It has taken more devastating asteroid hits in its lifetime than you've had hot dinners, and lo, it still orbits merrily. So my first piece of advice to you, dear would-be Earth-destroyer, is: do NOT think this will be easy.”“Eventually all the people who hate this kind of thing are going to be dead, and the ones who use it are going to be in control.” - a linguist“All problems in computer science can be solved by another level of indirection.” “Ignorance of insecurity does not get you security.” “I don't always believe in things, but when I do, I believe in them alphabetically.” “If you're trying to stop me, I outnumber you 1 to 6.”
gollark: Does it? I thought you only needed to look after and before a bit up to a digit which would require carrying. Or something like that.
gollark: No, but you can use accursed streaming base conversion algorithms™ probably.

References
  1. "Liv Kristine – Official Website". Livkristine.de. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  2. "Ex-THEATRE OF TRAGEDY Singer Says She Was Betrayed And Deceived By Her Bandmates". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 27 August 2003. Archived from the original on 3 October 2003. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  3. Dunphy, John (15 July 2005). "Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull (Leaves Eyes) : Interview". Music Tap.net. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  4. Reesman, Bryan. "Atrocity: Twenty Years of Passion, Progression and Perseverance," Metal Maniacs, December 2006, p. 113
  5. Interview with Liv Kristine about 'Njord'- Metalexperience webzine, december 2009. Metal-experience.com (16 December 2009). Retrieved on 2012-08-05.
  6. "Artists – LIv Kristine". Napalm Records. 2012. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  7. "Liv Kristine – Official Website » LEAVES' EYES announce new singer".
  8. "Leaves' Eyes – Official Website » Brand new interview for ROCK COR / Russia!".
  9. Nordlys – CD von Midnattsol Archived 1 August 2012 at Archive.today. Emp.de (27 December 2007). Retrieved on 2012-08-05.
  10. "Midnattsol, The Sins Of Thy Beloved Members Join Forces In Savn - Blabbermouth.net". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  11. Reesman, Bryan (1 November 2007). "They Will Rise: Metal's female ranks on the move". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  12. Sharpe-Young, Garry. "Theatre of Tragedy". MusicMight. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  13. Eldefors, Vincent. "Aégis review". Tartareandesire.com. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
  14. Sharpe-Young, Garry. "Cradle of Filth". MusicMight. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2008.
  15. "iTunes – Music – Deus Ex Machina by Liv Kristine". iTunes. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  16. "iTunes – Music – Enter My Religion by Liv Kristine". iTunes. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  17. "iTunes – Music – Skintight by Liv Kristine". iTunes. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  18. "iTunes – Music – Libertine by Liv Kristine". iTunes. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  19. "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche - musicline.de". musicline.de. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
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  41. "Legio Mortis – The Human Creation And The Devil's Contribution". Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  42. "Leaves' Eyes – Official Website » Discography" (in German). Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  43. "Rest In Keys – BOB KATSIONIS". BOB KATSIONIS. 1 December 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  44. "Valkyrja – Týr – Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
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  49. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aHX7zkkTqA. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  50. Maloney, David. "METALHEADS FOREVER MAGAZINE". Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  51. "Come With Me to the Other Side Official Youtube Video. titled: ORDEN OGAN - Come With Me To The Other Side (feat. Liv Kristine) // AFM Records". youtube.com. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  52. "LIV KRISTINE Joins MIDNATTSOL". Blabbermouth. 14 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
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