Leprous – Malina

Band – Leprous

Album – Malina

Country of Origin – Norway

Genre – Progressive Rock

Release Date – August 25, 2017

Label – Inside Out Music

Author – BingGan

On their 6th album, Malina, Norway’s Leprous return with an engaging, dynamic, well-crafted set of 11 songs that take listeners across peaks and valleys of sonic splendor. Touches of electronica– not necessarily prog-metal fare– introduce many of the songs, broadening the sound palette and giving the album a contemporary, vital feel. Einar Solberg (who also plays keyboards) delivers rich, soaring vocal melodies– often with impressive harmonies– that anchor the songs and fill them with character and purpose. Fans of Asia’s first album, with its snappy, aggressive rhythms laid down by Carl Palmer, will appreciate the same sort of approach to percussion here. Elsewhere, Leprous weaves together sounds that echo Pink Floyd, Queensryche, and Rush’s overlooked 2000’s work, but ultimately they end up with a highly infectious sound that sometimes roars with the electric energy of a superhero movie soundtrack and at other times glides gracefully down from the dizzying heights, as on the Sigur Ros-ish closing track, when Solberg’s falsetto floats over a gorgeous wash of strings– a fitting end to an excellent collection of songs. According to their press release, the album took four times as long for them to make as previous records did, but the results never sound belabored. Indeed, the final product is well worth the effort.

Rating: 4/5