Album Review: Liv Kristine - Amor Vincit Omnia

Liv Kristine’s Amor Vincit Omnia opens with a heartbeat—literally—and it’s not just a clever intro. That low, pulsing bass drum acts as a statement of purpose for the whole album: intimate, visceral, and alive. From there, the album sinks immediately into its own unique brand of melodic despair, where funeral dirges meet symphonic flourishes, and doom riffs wrap themselves around delicate melodies. While Kristine’s career has often straddled the line between ethereal and bombastic, this time she leans confidently into atmosphere and mood, with a sound that's less operatic metal pageantry and more elegiac, shadow-drenched reflection.

The title track sets the tone with slow, doom-laden guitars and ghostly, processed vocals that hover like mist. Michael Espenæs’ growls counterpoint Kristine’s melodic lines in a beauty-and-the-beast dynamic that reinforces the album’s bleak romanticism. It's heavy, yes—but not in the bludgeoning, overproduced way that plagues so much gothic metal. Instead, Amor Vincit Omnia thrives on space and contrast. The production gives every instrument room to breathe, and the result is a sound that’s both punchy and restrained—guitars crunch without crowding the mix, while synths add atmosphere without tipping into melodrama.

This sense of control carries into Ode to Life Pristine, a track where Kristine’s layered harmonies build like a choral dirge. It’s here that the album’s emotional gravity really starts to sink in. The tempo remains glacial, but the hook is undeniable, and Kristine’s voice—always more emotive than showy—guides the melody with quiet intensity. 12th February continues in this vein, its grand, doom-inflected progression playing like a requiem in slow motion.

That tension between restraint and release is what gives the album its power. On Angel in Disguise, Kristine’s vocal range finally opens up into soaring choruses, but it’s all the more effective for being held back elsewhere. Rather than filling every track with operatic flourishes, she chooses her moments carefully, letting emotion rise organically from the music rather than forcing it.

That same dynamic is at play in Hold It With Your Life, one of the album’s strongest cuts. It opens with an unexpectedly danceable bass line and a playful piano riff, before gradually shifting into more dramatic territory. The contrast between the groove and the sweeping vocal lines gives the track a cinematic quality, with just a hint of light peeking through the gloom.

The latter half of the album subtly shifts gears without breaking the spell. Sapphire Heaven starts as a mournful piano ballad but builds into one of the more rhythmic, driving tracks on the record—still not fast, but purposeful. Unzip My Love brings a heavier rock feel, with a coiled, serpentine riff in the chorus that injects a welcome jolt of energy.

Not every track lands with the same impact. Mélange (When Addiction Calls) feels like a moment of drift, the least distinct entry on the album. It’s not bad—nothing here is—but it doesn’t offer much that hasn’t already been said more powerfully elsewhere. Still, the album recovers quickly. Tangerine, built around a simple acoustic guitar progression, balances its fragility with flickers of metal grandeur. And closing track When Stillness Speaks ends things on a delicate, acoustic note, fading into a calm instrumental passage that feels like the album’s final exhale.

If there’s a single thread running through Amor Vincit Omnia, it’s the interplay of light and shade, of tension and release. Kristine and Dannenberger understand the power of restraint, allowing songs to develop slowly and deliberately, letting the mood do the heavy lifting. It’s atmospheric, eerie, and dark—but always melodic. The album never leans too hard on gothic clichés, instead offering something more nuanced: a slow-burning, emotionally resonant journey from heartbreak to hard-won serenity. And at its center, always, is Kristine’s voice—never ostentatious, but always commanding, guiding us gently through the gloom.

Genre: Gothic Metal
Release date: April 25th, 2025
Produced by: Sascha Dannenberger
Label: Metalville
Rating: 8/10