Leaves' Eyes vocalist Liv Kristine - who launched the band in 2003 - was recently replaced by Finnish singer Elina Siirala and made her live debut with the band on April 17th at the Hammersonic Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia. Fan-filmed video is available below:

Liv has since posted the following message to her fans on Facebook:

"It's with sadness I see the latest news reaching you. That this chapter in my life would have to end so soon was not my intention. Life must go on. For all of us. I wish Leaves' Eyes with their decisions and plans all the best for the future. I will keep you posted with good news soon. I am overwhelmed and deeply touched by all your amazing support and warm wishes. Thank you to every one of you for all your soothing words. I love you all endlessly!"

Following is the press release issued with the news of Liv's departure:

Leaves’ Eyes: "Liv was the female voice of the band since the beginning in 2003. Together we toured through 50 countries and 5 continents, moreover we recorded 6 studio albums with outstanding singer Liv. We are full of pride in what we have reached together! From the bottom of our hearts we want to thank Liv for amazing 13 years of being our front lady, the work we have done together and all the passion for music that we shared all these years! We wish Liv all the best for the future, her solo career and other projects! Liv will always be an important part of the Leaves’ Eyes history but now we are looking forward to a new chapter and the new musical adventures of Leaves’ Eyes!"

Liv Kristine: "I am highly proud of having been founding member and front lady of Leaves' Eyes, which has played a vital role in my life since 2003. Good luck guys, thank you for the amazing music, outstanding moments with our worldwide audiences, moreover, the passion we all share. Love, Liv"

Elina: "I can’t quite express how grateful and honored I am for being asked to join Leaves’ Eyes, one of the most iconic bands in symphonic metal! I have the utmost respect for Liv and the band and what they’ve achieved over the years! I take on this challenge with a huge excitement and look forward to the new chapter in my career. It’s truly thrilling to be working with such talented musicians who also are some of the nicest people I’ve met. My biggest passion is to make music and perform, so right now I can’t wait to see what the future will bring!"

Leaves' Eyes: "We embrace Elina with open arms and hearts! She is a fantastic singer and performer. Please, welcome the new female voice of Leaves’ Eyes: sensational Elina Siirala!"

Leaves’ Eyes will be touring around the globe with the new singer Elina Siirala Check out the tour dates below.

Moreover, there will be an Earbook tour edition of King of Kings released in June, including a new version and video clip of "Edge of Steel" featuribg new singer Elina! On top of that, there will be an US Edition of King of Kings including the new version of "Edge of Steel" as a bonus track.

Stay tuned for more news, coming soon.

The Leaves' Eyes tour schedule for 2016 is currently as follows:

April
28 - Rider's Café - Lübeck, Germany
29 - High Voltage, Copenhagen, Denmark
30 - Effenaar - Eindhoven, Netherlands

1 - De Verlichte Geest - Roeselare, Belgium
12 - Colos-Saal, Germany - Aschaffenburg, Germany
13 - Wave Gotik Treffen - Leipzig, Germany (Viking Show)
14 - Masters of Symphonic Metal  - Pratteln, Switzerland

June
10 - Rockfels - Loreley, Germany

July
8 - Zobens un Lemess Festival - Lone, Latvia

August 
21 - Rechitsa, Belarus - Metal Crowd Festival

October
22 - Metal Female Voices Festival - Wieze, Belgium (Viking Show)

November (with Sonata Arctica)
6 - The Fillmore - Charlotte, NC
7 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD
8 - Upstate Concert Hall - Clifton Park, NY
9 - The Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
11 - Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
12 - Webster Theater - Hartford, CT
13 - Club Soda - Montreal, QC
14 - Mavericks - Ottawa, ON
16 - Dallas - Kitchener, ON
17 - Park Street Saloon - Columbus, OH
18 - Token Lounge - Westland, MI
19 - Altar Bar - Pittsburgh, PA
21 - Rave - Milwaukee, WI
22 - Mill City Nights - Minneapolis, MN
24 - The Exchange - Regina, SK Canada
25 - Dickens - Calgary, AB Canada
26 - Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB Canada
28 - The Venue - Vancouver, BC Canada
29 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
30 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR

December (with Sonata Arctica)
2 - Slim’s - San Francisco, CA
3 - Brick by Brick - San Diego, CA
4 - The Grove - Anaheim, CA
5 - Club Red - Tempe, AZ
6 - Tricky Falls - El Paso, TX
8 - Gothic Theater - Englewood, CO
9 - Granada - Lawrence, KS
10 - Trees - Dallas, TX
11 - Cine el Rey - McAllen, TX
13 - Alamo Music Hall - San Antonio, TX
14 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
16 - House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL
17 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA