Leah (musician) explained

Leah McHenry
Background:solo_singer
Alias:Leah McHenry
Birth Date:4 November 1984[1]
Origin:Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Genre:Celtic metal, symphonic metal, symphonic black metal, world music, folk rock
Occupation:Musician
Instrument:Voice, keyboard, piano
Years Active:2011–present
Current Member Of:Dragonlord
Past Member Of:Project Aegis

Leah McHenry, mononymously known as Leah (pronounced) (born November 4, 1984), is a Canadian heavy metal musician who records both as a solo artist and, since around 2015, as a member of Dragonlord. Sometimes called the "Enya of heavy metal", she performs a mixture of symphonic and Celtic metal with folk and world music. As a solo artist, she has released five full-length albums Of Earth & Angels in 2012, Kings & Queens in 2015, The Quest in 2018, Ancient Winter in 2019, and The Glory and the Fallen in 2024; two EPs, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence in 2012 and Otherworld in 2013; and twenty singles, both as part of album releases and as stand-alone recordings. She is a frequent artistic collaborator with Eric Peterson of Testament and Dragonlord, Timo Somers from Delain and Vengeance, Sander Zoer from Delain, Barend Courbois from Blind Guardian and Vengeance, and Troy Donockley of Nightwish. McHenry and Peterson released a collaborative single, "Winter Sun", in 2015. She joined Dragonlord for its 2018 studio album Dominion. She also has participated in the charity group Project Aegis.

Biography

McHenry is from the Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada, and has English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.[2] [3] Around age 10 or 11, she started singing in her home.[4] According to McHenry, she mimicked the singing of others — Jim Morrison, Mariah Carey, Tori Amos, it did not matter — until she developed her own style. She eventually taught herself piano and joined the band Ashur, which toured locally and released an EP.[5] She also taught herself a limited amount of guitar.

She released her first solo album, Of Earth & Angels, in June 2012, and Leah performed her first live show in December.[6] She also released a three-track Christmas EP that December. In 2013, she released the EP Otherworld.[7] Eric Peterson contributed to the single "Dreamland" from the EP. In January 2015, she released her second studio album, Kings & Queens. Contributing to the album were Timo Somers of Delain and Vengeance, Sander Zoer of Delain, and Barend Courbois of Blind Guardian and Vengeance.[8] [9] [10] In December of the same year, she and Peterson collaborated on the single "Winter Sun", enlisting the help of the rest of the Dragonlord band line-up and some touring members of Testament to round-out the recording.[11] In 2017, she released "The Dragonborn Comes", a cover version of Jeremy Soule's "Dragonborn" from video game expansion. Her third studio album, The Quest, was released on October 5, 2018.[12] The recording featured previous collaborators Somers, Courbois, and Zoer, along with Troy Donockley of Nightwish and Chen Balbus of Orphaned Land.[13] On November 15, 2019, she released Ancient Winter, a Christmas album and her fourth album overall. The album featured more instrumentation from McHenry herself and included contributions from Donockley, Anna Murphy of Cellar Darling and Eluveitie, Shar-Ran Yinon of Eluveitie and Epica, and Rupert Gillett.[14] [15] She also participated in two charity singles by Project Aegis, a charity project organized by Matt Smith of Theocracy: The first, "Angel in the Ashes", was released in 2016, and featured contributions from McHenry, Smith, Rob Rock, Daísa Munhoz of Vandroya and Soulspell, and Vasilis Georgiou and Gus Drax of Sunburst and Black Fate.[16] The second, "And the Rest is a Mystery" was released in 2020, and featured McHenry, Smith, Daniel Heiman of Lost Horizon, Harmony, and Heed, Neal Morse of Spock's Beard and Transatlantic, and Ernie Topran and Val Allen Wood of Theocracy.[17] On February 16, 2024, Leah released her fifth studio album, The Glory and the Fallen, which featured contributions from Somers, Zoer, Mark Jansen of After Forever, Epica, and Mayan, and Dagda of Celtibeerian.[18] [19] [20]

In addition to singing, McHenry plays the piano, keyboards, and some guitar, and teaches herself Celtic harp.[21] McHenry is married and has five children whom she homeschools.[22] She fits her music career around her family commitments, which is partly why she has not yet gone on a concert tour.[23] In addition to her recording career, she also founded a music instruction and marketing company, Savvy Musician Academy, in 2015,[24] [25] and is the CEO and product developer of fantasy and folklore inspired candles at Mythologie Candles.[26]

Musical style and influences

Sometimes referred to as "the metal Enya", McHenry has, in addition to Enya, been compared to Loreena McKennitt, Hayley Westenra, Liv Kristine and Kristine's band Leaves' Eyes, Sharon Den Adel, Moya Brennan (a sister of Enya), Tori Amos, and Blackmore's Night.[27] [28] [29] Her genre is described as symphonic and Celtic metal mixed with folk and world music,[30] [31] [32] as well as folk metal, world music, gothic metal, gothic rock, symphonic gothic metal, power metal, and symphonic power metal, with progressive metal, New Age, and Middle Eastern influences.[33] On Ancient Winter, she shifted away from symphonic metal further into folk rock and world music, including medieval music.[34] During her childhood, she listened to gospel and choir music as well as blues and rock music, such as Jimi Hendrix and The Doors. In her teens she discovered metal music, starting with Dream Theater and then bands such as Symphony X and Nightwish. She considers her discovery of Celtic music and then European symphonic metal to be when she musically found where she belonged.[35] She credits her focus on Celtic music and music of the Middle East evoking the Roman and Persian eras to listening to Loreena McKennitt and Enya, as well as her Celtic ancestry, specifically Irish and Scottish.[36] [37] Other influences on McHenry include Jesse Cook, Enya, early Lacuna Coil, early Within Temptation, "old school" After Forever, Devin Townsend, Nightwish, and Clannad.

Lyrical themes and ideology

McHenry's lyrics and thematic imagery mostly involve fantasy, folklore, and mythology with a medieval European and Insular Celtic focus. Many of her songs include water and ocean themes, and she sometimes sings in other languages such as Irish Gaelic and Latin. McHenry is a Christian but does not consider her music a ministry or associate with the Christian music market and does not explicitly write Christian themes in her music.[38]

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

As featured artist

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: McHenry . Leah . Today I turn 34. We live in a society that tries to do everything in its power to escape age. I want to embrace it. I look forward to grey... . https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/leahthemusic/1905243891117079715 . December 25, 2021 . registration. . June 27, 2021 . November 4, 2018.
  2. Web site: Newman. Craig. November 21, 2013. Leah's new Otherworld EP featuring Eric Peterson of Testament. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160616154429/http://allaccessmagazine.com/2013/11/21/leahs-new-otherworld-ep-featuring-eric-peterson-testament/. June 16, 2016. June 8, 2021. All Access Magazine.
  3. Web site: McHenry. Leah. Hi! I'm Leah, the creator of Mythologie Candles. June 8, 2021. Mythologie Candles. en. June 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210608231327/https://mythologiecandles.com/blogs/blog/creator. live.
  4. Web site: June 22, 2013. Leah McHenry. June 8, 2021. Metal Divas. en.
  5. Web site: Stryker. Robin. February 2013. LEAH Interview. June 5, 2021. Sonic Cathedral. en-gb. June 5, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210605193404/https://www.soniccathedral.com/zine/index.php/band-interviews/426-LEAH%20Interview. live.
  6. Web site: Monger. James Christopher. Leah. June 7, 2021. AllMusic. en. June 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210607143407/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/leah-mn0002587771/biography. live.
  7. Web site: Prof. Pacific. Leah - Otherworld EP. June 7, 2021. Sonic Cathedral. en-gb.
  8. Web site: November 11, 2014. LEAH New Album "Kings & Queens" Announced. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150421000217/http://melodicrock.com/articles/news-feed/2014/11/21/leah-new-album-kings-queens-announced. April 21, 2015. June 6, 2021. MelodicRock.com.
  9. Web site: Susan. January 13, 2015. Leah - Kings & Queens review - Metal Storm. June 5, 2021. Metal Storm. April 21, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210421144918/http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=13212. live.
  10. Web site: Newman. Craig. December 18, 2014. Celtic Metal Queen Leah talks about Kings & Queens and her music influences. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150121125727/http://allaccessmagazine.com/2014/12/18/british-columbia-canadas-celtic-metal-queen-leah-talks-new-album-kings-queens-music-influences/. January 21, 2015. June 5, 2021. All Access Magazine.
  11. Web site: DiVita. Joe. December 23, 2015. Eric Peterson + Leah, 'Winter Sun' - Exclusive Song Premiere. June 1, 2021. Loudwire. en.
  12. Web site: Waltz. Jonathan. September 28, 2018. Leah - The Quest. June 15, 2021. Powermetal.de. DE. June 16, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210616043159/https://powermetal.de/review/review-Leah/The_Quest,33794.html. live.
  13. Web site: Mis. Joe. October 14, 2018. Leah The Quest. June 7, 2021. HardrockHaven.net. en-US. June 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210607143411/http://hardrockhaven.net/online/2018/arcrvws2018/leah-the-quest-music-review/. live.
  14. Web site: Swank. Jonathan "Doc". December 11, 2019. LEAH - Ancient Winter. June 7, 2021. Heaven's Metal Magazine. en. June 16, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210616043208/https://heavensmetalmagazine.com/index.php/2019/12/11/leah-ancient-winter/. live.
  15. Web site: McHenry. Leah. Ancient Winter, by LEAH. June 7, 2021. Bandcamp. June 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210607143408/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/album/ancient-winter. live.
  16. Web site: Peters. Markus. Project Aegis - Angels in the Ashes. June 10, 2021. Crossfire-Metal.de. de. June 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210610021235/http://www.crossfire-metal.de/13899-0-PROJECT-AEGIS--ANGELS-IN-THE-ASHES-.html. live.
  17. Web site: Van Pelt. Doug. February 7, 2020. Project Aegis Releases Single Featuring Neal Morse, Theocracy, Daniel Heiman, Leah. June 10, 2021. Heaven's Metal Magazine. en. June 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210610021236/https://dougvanpelt.wixsite.com/heavens-metal-mag/single-post/2020/02/07/project-aegis-releases-single-featuring-neal-morse-theocracy-daniel-heiman-leah. live.
  18. Web site: Rossi . 2024-02-12 . Leah – The Glory And The Fallen ϟ Metalinside . 2024-02-22 . Metalinside . de-DE . June 24, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240624222131/https://www.metalinside.ch/2024/02/leah-the-glory-and-the-fallen-review/ . live .
  19. Web site: Jeff . 2023-08-03 . Leah Announces New Album 'The Glory And The Fallen', With Kickstarter Campaign . 2024-02-22 . Folk N Rock . en-US . June 24, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240624222138/https://folknrock.com/news/leah-announces-new-album-the-glory-and-the-fallen-with-kickstarter-campaign . live .
  20. Web site: 2023-08-03 . LEAH: Announces New Album . 2024-02-22 . . en-US . June 24, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240624222129/https://heavensmetalmagazine.com/index.php/2023/08/03/leah-announces-new-album/ . live .
  21. Web site: W.. Bear. June 18, 2020. Interview with Leah - "It's definitely the atmosphere, mainly found in the particular synthesizers and folk instruments such as the harp, fiddle, and whistles or flutes.". June 8, 2021. Tuonela Magazine. en-US.
  22. Web site: McHenry. Leah. August 5, 2016. Hi, I'm Leah McHenry. Homeschool Mom of 5, Full-time Musician, and Liberty Lover.. June 8, 2021. Steemit. en. June 24, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240624222131/https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@leahmchenry/hi-i-m-leah-mchenry-homeschool-mom-of-5-full-time-musician-and-liberty-lover. live.
  23. Web site: Mis. Joe. February 22, 2015. Leah McHenry. June 6, 2021. HardrockHaven.net. en-US. June 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210606232949/http://hardrockhaven.net/online/2015/arcint2015/interview-with-leah-mchenry/. live.
  24. Web site: Sandvall. Anders. March 27, 2019. Canadian singer, musician, songwriter LEAH. June 8, 2021. Metal-Rules.com. en-US. June 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210608231328/https://www.metal-rules.com/2019/03/27/canadian-singer-musician-songwriter-leah/. live.
  25. Web site: Bacon. Matt. Dewar. Curtis. December 18, 2019. Dumb and Dumbest Episode #263: Female-Fronted is Not A Genre. June 8, 2021. Ghost Cult Magazine. en-US. June 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210608231352/https://www.ghostcultmag.com/dumb-and-dumbest-episode-290-interview-with-leah-mchenry-of-savvy-musician-academy/. live.
  26. Web site: December 10, 2020. Fantasy Candle Brand Releases Holiday Collection Inspired By The Chronicles of Narnia. June 8, 2021. BXP Magazine. en-US. June 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210608231338/https://www.bxpmagazine.com/fantasy-candle-brand-releases-holiday-collection-inspired-by-the-chronicles-of-narnia/. live.
  27. Web site: Pacific Prof. Leah - Otherworld EP. June 8, 2021. Sonic Cathedral. en-gb. June 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210607144410/https://www.soniccathedral.com/zine/index.php/cd-reviews/1168-Leah%20-%20Otherworld%20EP. live.
  28. Web site: Zukowski. Zenae. December 4, 2019. A conversation with Leah on 'Ancient Winter'. June 8, 2021. Metal Insider. en-US. June 24, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240624222130/https://metalinsider.net/interviews/a-conversation-with-leah-on-ancient-winter. live.
  29. Web site: Kusano. Rodney. November 1, 2019. Exclusive Premiere of LEAH's New Video for "Light of the World". June 9, 2021. Outburn. en-US. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609223112/https://outburn.com/all-features/exclusive-premiere-of-leahs-new-video-for-light-of-the-world/. live.
  30. Roks . Sjak . March 2018 . Leah - The Quest . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20210610013343/https://lordsofmetalarchive.nl/en/reviews/view/id/37748 . June 10, 2021 . June 10, 2021 . Lords of Metal . 188.
  31. Pezy. William. January 2015. Leah - Kings & Queens. Lords of Metal. 154. June 10, 2021. June 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210610010008/https://lordsofmetalarchive.nl/en/reviews/view/id/28834. live.
  32. Web site: Jano. October 10, 2019. Leah - 'Ancient Winter' (2019). June 8, 2021. Folk-metal.nl. en-GB. June 24, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240624222633/https://www.folk-metal.nl/2019/10/leah-ancient-winter-2019/. live.
  33. Web site: Swank. Jonathan "Doc". October 8, 2018. LEAH - The Quest. June 9, 2021. Heaven's Metal Magazine. en. June 16, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210616042930/https://heavensmetalmagazine.com/index.php/2018/10/08/leah-the-quest/. live.
  34. Web site: Jeff. November 11, 2019. Album Review: Leah - Ancient Winter. June 7, 2021. Folk N Rock. en-US. June 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210607143418/https://folknrock.com/reviews/album-review-leah-ancient-winter. live.
  35. Electronic Brain . June 17, 2013 . Interview with Leah . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20210302053910/http://www.rocktopia.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3676:fireworks-magazine-online-58-interview-with-leah&catid=903:fireworksmagazine&Itemid=474 . March 2, 2021 . June 8, 2021 . Rocktopia . 57.
  36. Web site: MCR . December 31, 2014 . Interview with Leah McHenry from LEAH – Rock / Metal singer and Songwriter from Canada . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20210606231444/http://monkeycastle.de/Interviews/Leah/index.php/ . June 6, 2021 . June 6, 2021 . Monkey Castle Franken . de-DE . (English version)
  37. Web site: Schoolcraft. Lindsay. LEAH - Of Earth & Angels. June 8, 2021. Sonic Cathedral. en-gb. June 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210608131946/https://soniccathedral.com/zine/index.php/cd-reviews/1038-LEAH%20-%20Of%20Earth%20?Angels=. live.
  38. Web site: Leah. October 31, 2016. Many people ask me about.... June 6, 2021. Facebook. June 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210607000848/https://www.facebook.com/LEAHthemusic/photos/many-people-ask-me-about/10154013228802006/. live.
  39. Web site: Veni Veni Emmanuel (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel), by LEAH. June 8, 2021. Bandcamp. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004523/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/veni-veni-emmanuel-o-come-o-come-emmanuel. live.
  40. Web site: Remember (radio edge mix), by LEAH. June 8, 2021. Bandcamp. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004511/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/remember-radio-edge-mix. live.
  41. Web site: Silent Night, by LEAH. June 8, 2021. Bandcamp. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004518/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/silent-night. live.
  42. Web site: Matters of the Heart, by LEAH. June 8, 2021. Bandcamp. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004510/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/matters-of-the-heart. live.
  43. Web site: We Will Go Home (single), by LEAH. June 8, 2021. Bandcamp. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004516/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/we-will-go-home-single. live.
  44. Web site: Here's A Health to the Company, by LEAH. June 8, 2021. Bandcamp. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004522/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/heres-a-health-to-the-company. live.
  45. Web site: Dreamland (Single) Feat. Eric Peterson, by LEAH. June 8, 2021. Bandcamp. June 24, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240624222648/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/dreamland-single-feat-eric-peterson. live.
  46. Web site: Enter the Highlands - Single by Leah. June 8, 2021. Apple Music. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609044909/https://music.apple.com/us/album/enter-the-highlands-single/951834221. live.
  47. Web site: This Present Darkness - Single by Leah. June 8, 2021. Apple Music. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609044912/https://music.apple.com/us/album/this-present-darkness-single/957481784. live.
  48. Web site: Unbreakable (Stratovarius cover), by LEAH. June 9, 2021. Bandcamp. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004521/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/unbreakable-stratovarius-cover. live.
  49. Web site: While Your Lips Are Still Red (Nightwish Cover), by LEAH. June 9, 2021. Bandcamp. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004509/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/while-your-lips-are-still-red-nightwish-cover. live.
  50. Web site: Red (Remembrance for the Brave) - TEN cover, by LEAH. June 9, 2021. Bandcamp. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004517/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/red-remembrance-for-the-brave-ten-cover. live.
  51. Web site: Elixir of Life - Single by Leah. June 9, 2021. Apple Music. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609073835/https://music.apple.com/us/album/elixir-of-life-single/1319627118. live.
  52. Web site: Edge of Your Sword, by LEAH. June 9, 2021. Bandcamp. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004526/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/edge-of-your-sword-4. live.
  53. Web site: Lion Arises, by LEAH. June 9, 2021. Bandcamp. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004508/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/album/lion-arises. live.
  54. Web site: Redemption, by LEAH. June 9, 2021. Bandcamp. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004514/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/redemption. live.
  55. Web site: Light of the World - Single by Leah. June 9, 2021. Apple Music. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609044915/https://music.apple.com/us/album/light-of-the-world-single/1485144772. live.
  56. Web site: Sanctuary, by LEAH. June 9, 2021. Bandcamp. June 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609004520/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/sanctuary. live.
  57. Web site: Sleeping Giant, by LEAH . June 9, 2022 . . June 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220608234437/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/sleeping-giant . live .
  58. Web site: Sleeping Giant (Folk Version), by LEAH . 2024-02-22 . en . . February 22, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240222232637/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/sleeping-giant-folk-version . live .
  59. Web site: Before This War Is Over, by LEAH . 2024-02-22 . en . . February 22, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240222232637/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/before-this-war-is-over . live .
  60. Web site: Archangel, by LEAH . 2024-02-22 . en . . February 22, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240222232636/https://leahmusic.bandcamp.com/track/archangel . live .
  61. Web site: Light (featuring LEAH), by Eye of Melian . 2024-06-21 . en . . June 24, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240624222639/https://eyeofmelian.bandcamp.com/track/light-featuring-leah-2 . live .

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