Leprous | Bilateral
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
Norwegian progressive metal upstarts Leprous are back with a new album, their third, titled Bilateral. After the sheer brilliance of their breakthrough 2009 offering Tall Poppy Syndrome and an eye-opening performance at last year’s ProgPower USA festival, expectations were understandably high for this album. The band, which also performs as the backing band for former Emperor front-man Ihsahn, raised some eyebrows with the very Mars Volta-esque cover artwork, but as soon as you press play, it’s obvious Bilateral is something special.
If Tall Poppy Syndrome bore a distinct resemblance to albums by Winds and Age of Silence, Bilateral finds Leprous continuing to push their sound into new territories. You can tell that right away from the triumphant opening strains of the title track, with its almost symphonic nature and intricate melodies and vocal harmonies. Before the impact wears off, the 10-minute “Forced Entry” kicks in, showcasing this band’s considerable technical capabilities as well as their development as songwriters. It’s almost the perfect Leprous song in that it really captures the band’s unique and innovative mix of both progressive metal and progressive rock. There aren’t a lot of bands that can make you think of Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Between the Buried and Me, Pain of Salvation, King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator – all in the space of a single song! The album continues on this very intense path throughout. The all too brief “Restless” has a mind-blowing range of vocal styles, including some harsh growls. Ihsahn makes a brief cameo there. “Thorn” also has a good deal of harsh vocals, set against some fascinating rhythms and yes even a horn section, which is a great contrast to the subtle, tranquil “Mb. Indifferentia,” which would have been at home on an old Pain of Salvation album. The contrast continues when the almost death metal ferocity of “Waste of Air” (Tobias Andersen’s drum work on that song is particularly amazing) gives way to the intricate “Mediocrity Wins.” The energetic burst of “Cryptogenic Desires” seems like a perfect counterpart to the opening title track. After that it’s up to the very nuanced, very progressive “Acquired Taste” and “Painful Detour” to close this remarkable album.
Like the best and ultimately most rewarding progressive music albums, Bilateral is one that reveals something new with each listen. A certain melody or vocal passage will grab you and force you to reevaluate the song, and hearing it in a distraction-free environment with a good set of headphones is a revelation. It lets you really appreciate Jens Bogren’s stellar mixing and mastering job.
It says a lot that in a season that will also see new releases from progressive metal icons Dream Theater and Opeth, this is the album to beat. Leprous has not only outdone their own previous work; they’ve raised the bar for the entire progressive metal genre. If you’re a fan of progressive metal that’s truly progressive, Bilateral is an absolutely mandatory purchase. Just be prepared to spend some time with this one. Once you hear it, you won’t be very inclined to walk away from it.
Genre: Progressive Metal
Band:
Tor Oddmund Suhrke (g)(v)
Einar Solberg (k)(v)
Øystein Landsverk (g)(v)
Tobias Ørnes Andersen (d)
Rein T. Blomquist (b)
Track Listing:
1. Bilateral
2. Forced Entry
3. Restless
4. Thorn
5. Mb. Indifferentia
6. Waste of Air
7. Mediocrity Wins
8. Cryptogenic Desires
9. Acquired Taste
10. Painful Detour
Label: InsideOut
Website: www.leprous.net
Hardrock Haven rating: 10/10