Oh how I have longed to really delve deep into this band. I have heard praise after praise for them for years. And in that time, I have somehow managed to not really listen to absolutely ANY of their material.
It's very rare that I go into a band completely blind. Normally I will have gained interest in said band because I know some of their songs, or even a few albums that I love. Not this time, I just knew I had to get to them eventually. And with all the hype, I have to say. They are nothing like I expected them to be.
These guys are so good. So experimental, and truly progressive. They make the most interesting heavy music I have ever heard. Their approach is always super unique and artful. I think that's very rare nowadays, and I appreciate that more than I suspect most people do nowadays. It does help that they have made some truly amazing and skull crushing songs too.
I feel like they are such a complete package when it comes to modern prog, and somehow they are still incredibly unique. I haven't heard another band replicate or even approach their style.
Let's get onto the ranking, and keep in mind, every single album here, except the bottom one, are AT LEAST really good albums. Their discography is super solid.
A super promising, but bloated beginning.
In reality, this album already had all the pieces in the table.
Einar's voice was great, they had some amazing moments, riffs and breakdowns. This is one of the heaviest albums from them for sure.
But the songwriting is just not strong here. There's very few good hooks.
The memorable melodies or ideas are far and few in between. And it's just such a long and bloated experience. The songs are too long, without much substance.
Favorite songs: Phantom Pain, Pain
An album trying to take the next step, and fumbling a little bit.
This album had to happen, it was their transition from avant-garde prog metal to disney-prog. It has equal parts of both of their sounds, as it has equal parts their weakness.
It feels like it lacks identity. It's a little too polished to sound heavy, but a little to harsh to have the beauty of their future albums.
Still, it's not a bad album. Somehow they still managed to cram a lot of amazing songs here. Some, amongst their best.
Favorite songs: From The Flame, Stuck
Oof, ow. It hurts to put this one this low but their material is just that good.
This is honestly a really good album. Their first in the modern disney-prog era. It's beautiful, subtle, very very different from anything they did before.
But maybe it's a little too artsy for me.
I adore the second half. It has some of their best and most iconic songs, but the first half is just a little too much for me.
I'm just not into the direction they took a lot of the hooks and melodies. The subtlety works wonders in some, while it detriments others.
Favorite songs: Distant Bells, Alleviate, The Sky Is Red
To me, this is the peak of their epic and emotional sound. This album is so grand, grandiose.
It takes the same subtle approach from Pitfalls, but makes it a lot more fun. And honestly I think that was the piece they needed to make something truly special.
However, the real gem of this album is it's ending run of songs, which... might be the best finale to an album they ever made.
The sadness and melancholy that is left after all the fun elements are stripped down is haunting. This is a beautiful album.
Favorite songs: On Hold, Castaway Angels, Nighttime Disguise
The most recent album at the time of this writing, and the most surprising album of the bunch.
This is both perfectly in line and completely against their modern releases. It has their epic emotional sound, but goes back to a heavier and much more dramatic sound.
This might be controversial, but I think they knocked it out of the park here. This album is just a party
The emotional songs hit so well, and the heavy songs are surprisingly tasteful while having a really sharp bite. They manage to be super fun while still holding so much meaning and emotion.
It's surprisingly consistent too, only having a couple songs that didn't speak much to me. I loved it from start to finish. I come back to it a lot
Favorite Songs: Atonement, Like A Sunken Ship, Faceless, Unfree My Soul
Without a doubt, this is their magnum opus.
This is one of the most insane albums I have ever heard in my life. It's chaotic, eclectic, explosive. I'm running out of adjectives here but I cannot begin to describe how genuinely crazy of a listen this is.
It is the closest to the traditional progressive metal sound, having super heavy and technical riffs, breakdowns, epic hooks. And honestly, they took an amazing shot at it and just nailed it.
Everything great about prog metal is IN this album, simple as that.
I do think I didn't enjoy it as much as most people do. As I do think there are some songs that brings it's quality down a little, but they are quite dismissible. This album is still incredible.
Favorite songs: Bilateral, Forced Entry, Acquired Taste, Painful Detour
Oh yeah, absolutely.
This album is a masterpiece. It is the most creative use of heavy music I have ever heard in my life.
It is by far the most technical work they've done. It's so cold and dry, almost robotic. Which makes the fact that humans wrote it and are playing it scary.
It's riddled with some of the most percussive instruments I've ever heard. I'm not talking drums, I'm talking the whole band. The riffs and rhythms here are insane. You will have some incredibly heavy and crazy instrumental playing under a hauntingly beautiful melody, and they make the juxtaposition WORK.
It's also worth pointing out that EVERY single song here had me hooked. This is the album that I come back to the most often. The one that has the most bangers.
Favorite songs: Literally every song except Lower
Rare is a band that can produce a single masterpiece. But one that can produce two??
Come on, this is just unfair. This album is a journey, one I am so happy to take every single time. And I can guarantee it will stay in my favorites library.
It somehow manages to be one of their heaviest albums, and one of their prettiest. It takes the heavy progressive music you'd expect and turns it into a beautiful eruption of lava and flowers.
They take such a minimalist approach here, which elevates the songs and lets them speak and breathe fully. When you combine that with some genuinely amazing and crushing riffs and vocals, you have one of the best progressive metal albums out there.
Favorite songs: The Valley, Echo, Contaminate Me
This band was just a delight. They never have taken the straight and narrow path when it comes to making progressive music. Their approach has always been so unique and pretty. You can tell they're just very artful and passionate artist where others are thinking "How many cool solos can I add to this song?"
And there's nothing wrong with that approach, I love those bands. But there is just something so special with the avant-garde way Leprous does heavy music.
And don't even get me started with the technical aspects. While these guys might be significantly less flashy than their peers, they are so much more than just how fast they can play their instruments.
The riffs and solos are always so damn tasteful. They can make a section made up of a super simple melody be the best and most climactic part of a song.
And if you want technical, just listen to the drums. Both Tobias and Baard are insane. The drums are always popping off doing genuinely crazy fills and rolls.
But of course, the bread and butter of this band is, has always been and will always be Einar Solberg. I mean... come on. He is one of the best metal singers out there. His voice can sound angelic, angry, demonic. He can scream, belt, he can do absolutely everything.
And the way he just conveys emotion is just incredible. Truly I think he is a perfect match for their super artsy sound.
And that's it. Another band done and in the bag. I have come to just adore these guys so much.