Although they're a smidge behind when it comes to their consistent, biannual release schedule, the unveiling of Leprous’s eighth full-length is nonetheless worth the wait for the band’s increasingly burgeoning and avid fanbase. Having continued to move further from the chug of their more overtly metallic beginnings, your favourite gambling app could have good odds on the Norwegians eschewing their heavier foundations altogether and releasing their own take on Kid A. However, while keyboards form the prime focus from the off on Melodies Of Atonement, angular riffs are onhand to lift the chorus of opener Silently Walking Alone.
Though it might seem a selfish and childish notion to want bands to hold onto their roots, particularly those who have heavy ones, Leprous are so delicate in nature that the heaviness offers an extra dimension that would be missed if removed. Einar Solberg is the most overwhelmingly identifiable part of the music, thanks to his extraordinary, enchanting set of pipes, and the band’s latest trio of albums – Malina, Pitfalls and Aphelion – have seen his keys increasingly come to the forefront, shifting the focus and dynamic further from his bandmates.
While the stabbing electronics and washes of synth are still very much in the ascendency, as a whole Melodies Of Atonement is more of an organic, stripped-back effort, with all members coming to the forefront of the evocative builds and crescendos of each track.
Taking away the orchestral elements hasn’t diminished the wall of sound the band are able to produce, with the songs acting like the perfect soundtrack to a personal drama set against the backdrop of their country’s majestic splendour. And while the repeated use of the quiet/loud recipe is another factor that could be levelled as criticism, each track reveals an identity as unique as the band itself. Atonement and My Specter are both as jarring as they are inescapably hooky, while the unsettling, lackadaisical groove of Limbo saunters its way to a memorable swell.
Starting from humble beginnings, the likes of I Hear The Sirens and the heartbreaking histrionics of Faceless see the skill of underrated drummer Baard Kolstad open up, with bullish bass and guitars exploding around. The claustrophobic Starlight adds yet another emotion to the myriad created over the 10 tracks, before the most sombre moments of Self-Satisfied Lullaby still leave their mark with quiet drama.
Even if it does conclude quickly, Unfree My Soul delivers a suitably bombastic and euphoric closer, with Einar’s most unashamedly extravagant vocal performance proving that he is without a doubt among the elite of rock and metal vocalists – and easily one of the most distinctive.
Progressive while anchored, opulent but austere, adventurous yet firmly holding onto familiar ground, Melodies Of Atonement really does feel like a culmination of the band’s two decades’ worth of experience, energy and insight. It might be the most complete Leprous album to date.
Melodies Of Atonement is out August 30 via InsideOut.
