Leprous

Norway's Leprous originated in the early 2000s as a progressive metal outfit yet gradually forged a singular identity that fuses prog, metal, sophisticated pop, film music, and additional strands. Persistent personnel shifts across successive recordings, which commenced with the 2009 album Tall Poppy Syndrome, prompted the band to absorb aesthetics drawn from sources as varied as Porcupine Tree, Katatonia, Opeth, Radiohead, Arvo Pärt, Marillion, Behemoth, Massive Attack, and Pink Floyd. Their kinetic stage presence has won worldwide audiences while reviewers grapple to encapsulate the combination of heavy riffs, expansive multi-part vocal harmonies, sweeping dynamics, lush textures and atmospheres, rhythmic syncopation, and hooky melodies. The experimentally produced 2012 release Bilateral, supported by its tour, propelled them onto mainstream charts. Malina, issued in 2017, highlighted their boundless invention by incorporating neo-psych and future funk into an already distinctive blend.

Established in 2001, Leprous circulated multiple demos before unveiling the well-received debut studio album Tall Poppy Syndrome in 2009. A 2010 engagement as live backing musicians for former Emperor frontman Ihsahn—whose wife is the sister of Leprous vocalist/keyboardist Einar Solberg—further elevated their visibility, leading to the 2011 release of the eagerly awaited follow-up Bilateral, which included guest vocals from Ihsahn. The brooding Coal appeared in 2013, and The Congregation followed in 2015, earning the group their initial Spellemannprisen nomination. In 2017 they delivered their fifth studio album, the ambitious Malina, which tempered their sound even as it grew more experimental, then embarked on an extended European tour. Following time off the road and a brief respite, the band returned to producer David Castillo's Ghostward Studios in Stockholm during February 2019, working alongside mix engineer Adam Noble for the subsequent six months. They enlisted a cellist, a violinist, and a classical choir for the sessions. The resulting Pitfalls emerged on InsideOut in late October and debuted at number 17 on the Heatseekers chart, surpassing every prior Leprous entry.