Norwegian prog-metal wizards LEPROUS have done it again! After “Pitfalls” and “Aphelion”—albums that felt like a smooth and logical ride down Einar Solberg’s emotional rollercoaster—the band has now decided to yank the wheel and take us on a wild detour with “Melodies of Atonement,” released August 30th, 2024, via InsideOut Music. Spoiler alert: it’s heavy, it’s weird, and it’s LEPROUS doing what they do best—blowing your mind with stuff you didn’t know you needed.
The album kicks off with “Silently Walking Alone,” a single that wastes no time cranking up the heavy. While we’ve been getting used to Einar’s wild falsetto acrobatics in recent albums, this track dives back into his deeper, moodier vocal range—more “The Congregation” than “Pitfalls.” Add in a rhythm that seems to exist in its own dimension, and you’ve got something that feels like math class, but, you know, fun. The synths are out in full force too, as if LEPROUS decided to double down on the keyboards and say, “Yes, this is the future. Deal with it.” Spoiler: we’re dealing with it just fine.
“Atonement” is a perfect example of the band mashing together “Aphelion”‘s lush beauty with the gritty, punchy heaviness of their earlier work like “Coal.” In the first few seconds, you might get flashbacks to “The Sky is Red,” thinking, “Wait… haven’t I heard this before?” But no, just as you’re about to get comfortable, LEPROUS throws in some sliding guitar wizardry that sounds suspiciously like synths. They keep innovating, and the rest of us are left wondering how they keep making such strange, wonderful sounds while still sounding unmistakably like themselves.
Next up is “My Specter,” which opens with an eerie, atmospheric vibe. Einar goes full ghostly storyteller mode for nearly two minutes before they crank up the power. “I Hear the Sirens” had me hooked by the bassline alone—super jazzy and almost jazz noir-like, giving off some serious BOHREN & DER CLUB DER GORE vibes. Einar’s vocals are touching as always, but the real star here is that slow, creeping rhythm. The song is soft at first, building into a mantra-like repetition of the title, which becomes a hypnotic hook.
Then we hit “Like a Sunken Ship,” which might just be one of the highlights of the album. It kicks off with a bassline and drum pattern that wouldn’t feel out of place in a cool ’90s alternative rock song, but then… things get wild. Einar goes from soft vocals to full-on “Lalalalala” (which replaces the iconic “AAAAaaaAAAAaaaAA” he’s been doing on previous albums)—yes, actual “lalalas” over a breakdown. And somehow, it’s amazing. The song goes from mellow to heavy so fast that by the time you realize what’s happening, you’re already headbanging to lalalas (didn’t see that coming, did you?). The chorus is massive and pretty much demands repeated listening sessions, I think it’s one of my favorites.
“Limbo” takes a slick and funky turn, sounding like it could’ve been plucked straight from “Bilateral” with a dash of VOLA’s “These Black Claws.” There’s even a subtle hip-hop influence woven in, which just goes to show that LEPROUS can do anything—including being groovy while sneaking in bone-crushing heaviness. “Faceless” follows, and it’s another banger. It starts with a jazzy bass intro, and just when you think it’s going to be smooth sailing, they surprise you with a full choir towards the end of the song (made up of fans, no less!). The song takes you on a journey from calm and soothing to full-blown epic, with everything from heavy riffs to intricate vocal melodies. If you ever doubted that a fan choir could make a prog metal song better, here’s proof that it absolutely can.
By the time we get to “Starlight,” there are some undoubtedly beautiful vocals and some fantastic guitar work that feels like a nod to PINK FLOYD‘s “Atom Heart Mother” era. There’s an almost psychedelic slide guitar vibe happening, and honestly, the whole song feels like a love letter to ’70s prog rock while still being pure LEPROUS. “Self-Satisfied Lullaby”—what a title, right?—starts off strong, with Einar showing off his emotional range without any other instruments, stripped down, and then pulling out some QUEEN-esque vocal harmonies. There’s this beautiful, trance-like energy throughout the track, which makes it one of the most hypnotic and enchanting songs on the record. Finally, “Unfree My Soul” closes things out with a bang. It opens with a YES-like intro that quickly morphs back into that trademark LEPROUS sound. The synths, the epic vocal melody, the chorus that refuses to leave your brain—it’s a powerhouse of a finale and easily one of the catchiest tracks since “Distant Bells.”
All-in-all, “Melodies of Atonement” is another great entry in LEPROUS‘ catalog, pushing their sound into new territories while keeping the core elements that make them so special. Sure, the absence of cello and orchestrations might raise an eyebrow, but the band has stripped things back in a way that lets the songwriting shine. It’s still cinematic, still emotionally gripping, and still LEPROUS at their very best—constantly evolving, yet never losing sight of what makes them unique.
Written by Laureline Tilkin
Tracklist
1. Silently Walking Alone
2. Atonement
3. My Specter
4. I Hear The Sirens
5. Like A Sunken Ship
6. Limbo
7. Faceless
8. Starlight
9. Self-Satisfied Lullaby
10. Unfree My Soul
Lineup
Einar Solberg – Vocals, Keyboards
Tor Oddmund Suhrke – Guitars
Robin Ognedal – Guitars
Simen Børven – Bass
Baard Kolstad – Drums
Label
InsideOut Music
