Bilateral - CD

Leprous: Bilateral version on CD in Standard edition. This particular edition was published in Europe in publishing company Inside Out Music on 5. March 2021.

The stunning cover of LEPROUS' third album and debut Bilateral for InsideOutMusic was created by Jeff Jordan (of The Mars Volta fame) and screams "prog rock!" as interpreted by die-hard fans of the genre. The music behind it redefines what progressive rock and/or metal means, both for devotees of the genre and metal fans who view it from a safe distance. The Norwegian quintet, who have a decade of music-making under their belt together, are unique in that while they embrace the "demands" of progressive rock and metal as laid down by fans, the band's sound is equally rooted in straightforward metal full of hooks. For every bit of Pain Of Salvation and King Crimson that can be heard, there is an equal amount of Shining (NO), Devin Townsend and Opeth to balance it out. Not an easy task by any means, but LEPROUS manage it effortlessly. "I'm not a fan of following genres in general," says singer/synth player Einar Solberg. "I feel like a lot of people limit their work too much to follow the conventions set by the genre they belong to. In my opinion, that's the thing that kills creativity. The term progressive music has become progressively diluted over the years, and now it seems that the only requirement to be labeled a progressive band is to include one or two odd time signatures plus a virtuoso guitar solo in your song. The bands that truly deserve to be labeled progressive are the ones that dare to break convention. That being said, I'm quite comfortable with being labeled a progressive band. The progressive audience seems to be a bit more open-minded than followers of other genres." Bilateral is the product of five years of musical inspiration that LEPROUS have had ten years to perfect, despite the young age (between 20 and 26) of the individual musicians that currently make up the band. It turns out that the experience of recording and touring behind the album Tall Poppy Syndrome, released in 2009, has only benefited the band. Being chosen as the backing band for former Emperor frontman and fellow countryman Ihsahn - a progressive black metal musician/legend in his own right - in 2009 and 2010, not to mention countless gigs supporting heavy hitters like Opeth, progressive metal stalwarts Pagan's Mind and symphonic metal veterans Therion, proved that musical boundaries can and should be crossed. According to Solberg, when creating Bilaterial, there was no blueprint for LEPROUS to follow, nor any other band that they tried to emulate, "As far as inspiration goes, we don't have any one band that stands out as the main one. We listen to a lot of different music, everything from Michael Jackson to Miles Davis to Meshuggah. And of course a lot of bands in between (laughs)." The new album is full of surprises. Solberg's smooth and clear vocals reach new heights, and he brings a new dynamic to the prog-metal world with a casual delivery of intense growls. Musically, Bilateral never stay in one place for too long. The title track is a dark progressive metal classic in the making, while "Forced Entry", "Restless" and "Cryptogenic Desires" hint at updated interpretations of classic symphonic hard rock, with the latter two featuring an overt metal vibe. Conversely, 'Waste Of Air' is an uncompromising stab of intricate hook-heavy aggression reminiscent of the rising Protest The Hero. The band is joined on the album not only by something as out of place as a trumpet (trumpet in heavy metal? Well, yes... why not?), but also a guest appearance by none other than living legend Ihsahn, formerly of Norwegian black metal pioneers Emperor; "After recording the trumpet for 'Thorn' we realised that the song was missing something. Brass instruments don't do well in metal unless they're backed by a black metal legend," comments Solberg. On the other side of the coin, Bilateral evokes Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree in songs like 'Mb. Indifferentia', 'Acquired Taste' and 'Mediocrity Wins'. Yet, for all the name inflection that goes on for the sake of Bilateral's overview, LEPROUS certainly have their own identity. They're not afraid to march to the beat of their own hammer and anvil, nor are they afraid to take a ride and look at progressive metal in a new light (insideoutmusic. com).

Album spans genres Rock, Progressive rock and Math Rock.