Artist: Leprous
Title: Bilateral
Genre: Metal/Progressive
Release Date: 22nd August 2011
Label: Insideout
Album Review
LEPROUS hail from Norway and had been blending their take on Metal for the period of about ten years. They’ve toured alongside bands such as EMPEROR, OPETH, PAGAN’S MIND and THERION. The upcoming ‘Bilateral’ is their third album following on ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’ and self-produced ‘Aeolia’. They claim to break boundaries by blending many genres, from Prog rock, pure Metal to elements of Jazz. Yet they don’t seem to be something so much unexpected unless you’re a newcomer to that kind of music. The album titled opening ‘Bilateral’ sounds as your classic anthemic mixture of Heavy Metal tinged with the progressive experimentation; you won’t even be surprised that this album was produced by Jeff Jordan with his connection to MARS VOLTA, of whom this song reminds in ample measures, in what feels like a less psychedelic take.
During the first two songs of the album I have wished for different vocal approaches that are at times there to be more present than the predominantly clean one, however good a singer Solberg is, which he is without a doubt. Second song, ‘Forced Entry’ certainly grated on my nerves with the slightly clichéd feel of it in its refrain, whilst the more urgent semi-growl-scream was a much better addition. Again the song possessed too much of a MARS VOLTA feel. However, I’ve enjoyed its disorientating and confused state of mind impression evoked by the erratic guitar work and frantic yet orderly drumming; some of the Prog touches added an eerie feel too. With ‘Restless’ though I’ve changed my mind with Solberg’s singing, until now his voice would have suited the classic Heavy Metal or Power Metal more, but here it does go together with the Progressive edge quite well. MARS VOLTA still breezes into one’s mind, albeit this is a much harder song, and one I of my favourites of the album.
‘Mb. Indifferentia’ was another one, beautifully melancholy, beautiful song, although its ending is too juxtaposing to it and doesn’t really ‘sit’ with the feel the song stirred up in its main body, even if it’s interesting with its vocals joining in and singing slightly ridiculously high. ‘Waste Of Air’ is another harder track, but one where they’ve missed the bull’s eye. It just seem far too filled up with effects, the overcrowded feel makes it a really weak track. ‘Cryptogenic Desires’ might have been a better song if they weren’t overcrowded although it’s not as bad there too. Again, there’s too much of MARS VOLTA approach that they could have done without, sometimes “less is more” should be considered and things would have come out quite better. The album is closed by an intense song which is always a great touch, yet if they ditched their producer or asked him to forget whom he made his fame with and didn’t drag the remnants of it to his other projects... they could have shown more of their own promise and originality.
Tracklist
01. Bilateral - 4:00
02. Forced Entry - 10:20
03. Restless -3:30
04. Thorn - 5:47
05. Mb. Indifferentia - 6:33
06. Waste Of Air - 5:32
07. Mediocrity Wins - 6:07
08. Cryptogenic Desires - 2:45
09. Acquired Taste - 5:13
10. Painful Detour - 8:18
Line-up
Einar Solberg - synth and lead vocals
Tor Oddmund Suhrke - guitar and vocals
Halvor Strand - bass
Øystein Landsverk - guitar
Tobias Ørnes Andersen -drums
Websites
www.leprous.net / www.myspace.com/leprousband
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 7
Total: 7 / 10
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