Vous consultez actuellement le France version du site.
Voulez-vous passer à votre site local ?
3 TEMPS DE LECTURE MIN

LEPROUS

A return to prog metal? Not quite, but Norway’s kings of the epic ditch the excess baggage on album number eight. Words: Paul Travers Illustration: Matt Holland

Edited by Dave Everley prog.reviews@futurenet.com

‘I’m done pleasing the crowds,’ croons Leprous frontman and chief songwriter Einar Solberg on Silently Walking Home, the opening track on Melodies Of Atonement. Which is surprising as it wasn’t apparent that he had been. Even in progressive circles there are those who would prefer a band to carry out variations on a theme for the rest of their career and there are plenty who yearn for a return to Leprous’s earlier work – pre-2017’s Malina, essentially – when they could still be accurately described as a prog metal band.

Débloquez cet article et bien plus encore avec
Vous pouvez en profiter :
Découvrez l'intégralité de cette édition
Accès instantané à plus de 600 titres
Des milliers d'anciens numéros
Pas de contrat ni d'engagement
Essayer pour €1.09
S'ABONNER
30 jours d'accès, puis seulement €11,99 / mois. Résiliation à tout moment. Nouveaux abonnés uniquement.


En savoir plus
Pocketmags Plus
Pocketmags Plus

Cet article est tiré de...


View Issues
Prog
Issue 152
VOIR EN MAGASIN

Autres articles dans ce numéro


REGULARS
Discovering
Spirit Of Unicorn Music was born out of
Ed’s Letter
Hello and welcome to the latest issue of
Bloody Well Write
Send your letters to us at: Prog, Future Publishing, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London, W2 6QA, or email prog@futurenet.com. Letters may be edited for length. We regret that we cannot reply to phone calls and we cannot always respond to individual messages. Find us on facebook.com under Prog.
PHIL MANZANERA TO RELEASE AMUSICAL MEMOIR BOX SET
IF IT’S OUT THERE, IT’S IN HERE
VOLA EXPLORE SONIC EXTREMES ON NEW LP
Friend Of A Phantom promises to be both heavier and mellower than last album.
PELAGIC ANNOUNCE 2024 FESTIVAL LINE-UP
The label celebrates 15th anniversary at new venue.
PSB SOAR ON NEW CONCEPT ALBUM
The last flight of pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart forms the basis of new album.
IHLO SIGN TO KSCOPE
Independent proggers Ihlo are re-releasing their debut album
HAZE RAMP UP THEIR SOUND
Eschewing their DIY approach, the 80s band recorded latest against the clock.
HELD BY TREES: DELIRIOUS WITH THEIR GUEST SINGER
Martin Smith joins the instrumental proggers on latest EP.
STUCKFISH PROMISE THE UNEXPECTED
North-east proggers return with “ambitious” album for new label, White Knight.
JAKUB ZYTECKI SIGNS TO INSIDEOUT
Polish prog guitarist and producer Jakub Zytecki has
PROGRESSIVE CIRCUS 2024 LINE-UP CONFIRMED
Swedish event combines vintage and heavy prog sounds.
STEVE AND DYLAN HOWE’S NEW ALBUM
The father and son combo share equal billing on their latest collaboration.
FAD GADGETS
Rhodri Marsden on thre e of the latest must-have gizmos currently putting the prog in progress.
PROG IN BRIEF
The Alan Parsons Project’s 1978 album Pyramid gets
JAKE DREYER
Inspiring the wider music world…
RELIQA
The genre-bending Aussies ready to take on the world with their hook-refined anthems
LUKE HAINES
9½ PSYCHEDELIC MEDITATIONS ON BRITISH WRESTLING OF THE 1970S AND EARLY 80S (Fantastic Plastic Records, 2011)
AMAROK
Our far-out trip to far-flung prog
PROG IN BRIEF
RESS/MARTYN GODDARD Ian Anderson (ghtnes the 10-LP vinyl box
DAWN CHORUS AND THE INFALLIBLE SEA
US trio find the perfect home for their guitar-based “dronegaze” sounds.
MAGIC FIG
Organ-led San Francisco quartet with a passion for the Canterbury scene.
A BURIAL AT SEA
Meet the angular shoegaze duo flying the flag for beautiful and chaotic Irish music.
MICHAEL DE ALBUQUERQUE
ELO’s former bassist on becoming friends with Roy Wood, reissuing his solo albums and stepping out of the spotlight.
THE PORG INTERVIEW
DAVE PEGG
AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR
Soaring seventh long player from the Northern Irish instrumental art-rockers.
ABSOLUTE ELSEWHERE
Long-lost 70s prog album exhumed from the vaults.
BEAK>
Cosmic vibes that reflect the here and now, courtesy of Portishead man.
BLACK MARKET KARMA
Woozy, off-kilter psychedelia on UK band’s 11th studio album.
CHRYSTABEL & DAVID LYNCH
Soporific collaboration between Twin Peaks’ mentor and his muse.
DAVID CARROLL AND FRIENDS
Friend of Fairport and Gryphon gathers pals for more trad-folk fun.
EMILY FRANCIS TRIO
Jazz trio embrace prog and electronic energies.
TIM BOWNESS
Stunning change of pace from maverick crooner.
IQ
Neo-prog survivors’ gathering of the clans captured.
MARCO GLÜHMANN
Sylvan’s vocalist opens his heart on solo debut.
GURU GURU
Komische linchpins’ new album falls short of its lofty ambitions.
GAVIN HARRISON & ANTOINE FAFARD
Jazz and soul overdrive from two of prog’s landmark players.
HEILUNG
Nordic neofolkers revisit their live ritual.
KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD
More genre fluidity from Aussie sextet on album 26.
KINGCROW
Dynamic Italian proggers wear their influences on their sleeve.
IZZ
New York prog collective return with moods swinging wildly.
MAGIC FIG
Transportive psych prog. Take a bite and wait for them to kick in.
MOTHMAN AND THE THUNDERBIRDS
Dynamic prog metal with a pop edge, and a concept album to boot.
NEKTAR
Veteran proto-proggers embark on a three-album mission.
EXPERIMENTAL PROG
Ambient, electronica and oddities through the monocle of Jo Kendall.
MEER
KARISMA Norwegian prog-pop perfection.
ØRESUND SPACE COLLECTIVE
Space rock free-wheelers go on an epic trip.
TOM PENAGUIN
21st-century Canterbury scene man.
PRESENT
Final album from Belgian RIO awkward squad.
JULIANNE REGAN/TIM BRICHENO
All About Eve couple are back and reeling in the years.
RITUAL
Swedish storytellers drop first half of belated return.
SIMONE SIMONS
Epica’s vocal powerhouse on a busman’s holiday.
PSYCHEDELIC PROG
Take a trip with Rob Hughes as he seeks out the latest mind-expanding music.
RETURNED TO THE EARTH
Sublimely produced collision of melodic art-rock and existential reflections.
SOFT MACHINE
Complete 1971 concert released at last.
SUNFACE
Cosmic, stoner rock combining heavy fuzz with a world music beat.
SUSANNA
A compelling mix of melancholy and minimalism.
SYLVAN
Contemplative and enchanting live set from German art-rock ensemble.
TUSMØRKE
Scandinavian prog-folk troupe take a trip to Faeryland.
ZIO
Special guests highlight neo-prog project’s expansive first live LP.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Grant Moon has a rummage down the back of the Prog sofa for the ones that nearly got away…
FISH
Circle-closing reissues of the big man’s first two solo albums.
BEARDFISH
Swedish prog crew reanimate a landmark.
THE POLICE
Their final studio album gets the deluxe, demo-revealing treatment.
STEELEYE SPAN
Steeleye’s ‘Dylan goes electric’ moment, helped by David Bowie and Tull’s Ian Anderson.
THRESHOLD
Less thrash, more sparkle on two 90s prog metal remasters.
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Sprawling three-CD/two-LP Decca/Deram retrospective.
WHITE WILLOW
Everything comes up roses for Jacob Holm-Lupo’s folk proggers.
VARIOUS ARTISTS
The year in relatively lesser-sighted prog.
YES
Prog landmark gets an LP, four CD and Blu-ray bonanza.
ELO: A VISUAL BIOGRAPHY
Perfunctory hardback profile of British orchestral pop giants.
PROCOL HARUM: EVERY ALBUM, EVERY SONG
Fresh attempt to wrestle attention away from that song.
MAKING IT UP AS YOU GO ALONG – NOTES FROM A BASS IMPOSTER
Affectionate account of making remarkable music.
EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO PINK FLOYD
Trainspotterly detail with a personal touch in in-depth Floyd book.
Take a Bow
NICK MASON’S SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS VENUE ROYAL ALBERT
ALISTAIR MURPHY (THE CURATOR)
The great and good of progressive music give us a glimpse into their prog worlds. As told to Grant Moon
COVER FEATURE
A Carpe Diem Attitude
David Gilmour is back with his first album of new material in nine years. Luck And Strange, due in September, finds the guitarist and lyricist Polly Samson taking inspiration from their Von Trapped Family Sessions and turning this into a real family affair. The pair discuss its creation, working outside their comfort zone, and why we might not have to wait quite so long for a follow-up.
Comfortably Strummed
It’s hard to imagine the world of progressive music without David Gilmour’s distinctive and accomplished playing. His soaring solos and sweeping soundscapes helped elevate Pink Floyd’s music, and led him to become one of the most instantly recognisable guitarists of the modern age. To celebrate the upcoming release of his fifth solo album, we asked 30 fellow musicians and collaborators to name their favourite Gilmour performances. Prepare to be surprised!
FEATURES
All Clear
They’ve been at the forefront of progressive music since 1969, and Focus show no signs of slowing down with latest studio album Focus 12. Prog caught up with mainman Thijs van Leer, ahead of their recent North American shows as part of The Heat of The Moment Tour line-up, to find out more about their new material and why he’s so happy to get back on the road.
The Contrarian
No-Man’s Tim Bowness is back with his most experimental album to date and his first solo offering for Kscope. Powder Dry finds him retracing his early art-rock and post-punk steps and “following the enthusiasm” to create a spiky blend of haunting soundscapes and vibrant prog pop. Prog learns what role his son’s budget guitar and Peter Hammill’s pedalboard had in its creation, and why he still feels excited by music-making in the 2020s.
Fantastical Journey
Voted Prog’s Best Unsigned Band back in 2021, Brightonbased proggers Azure have spent the past two years crafting their magnum opus, Fym. We meet band founders, vocalist Christopher Sampson and guitarist Galen Stapley, to hear the inside story of its fantastical, complex tale.
Rococo’n’ Roll
Fifty years ago, Gryphon entered one of their busiest periods. The release of not just Midnight Mushrumps but also Red Queen To Gryphon Three found them reaching a bigger audience than before, aided by a North American tour with Yes. Founding members Brian Gulland, Graeme Taylor and Dave Oberlé recall those early years, and why they continue to champion Gryphon’s unique blend of medieval, classical and prog to a highly appreciative audience.
Breaking The Chains
He’s been described as a “psychedelic polymath”, and Gong’s Kavus Torabi lives up to that title on his timely second solo release, The Banishing. Reflecting on the challenges in his personal life and the “heroic dose” of hallucinogens that led to its creation, The Utopia Strong and Mediæval Bæbes member discusses the healing power of music
Grey Days In Gothenburg
Evergrey have been bridging the gap between progressive music and power metal since 1993. To celebrate their belated 30th anniversary and the release of new album Theories Of Emptiness, Prog flew to Gothenburg to meet the band. There, keyboardist Rikard Zander and guitarist Henrik Danhage gave us a guided tour of their hometown and revealed the important role it’s played in their success.
More Than Meets The Ear
Eight years after their last studio album, Jadis have returned with More Questions Than Answers. Prog catches up with bandleader Gary Chandler to find out about what might just be their career-best recording and why he has no plans to give up
The Seeker
It’s been five years since Alcest’s last studio album, and after tackling a spell of writer’s block, the French blackgaze duo are back with a surprisingly uplifting new release. Les Chants De L’Aurore takes the listener on a magical journey through childhood memories of a past life. Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Neige recounts the dreamy record’s creation and explains why he considers it to represent “the real Alcest”.
DREAMING BIG
While Leprous are gearing up to release their latest album, drummer Baard Kolstad’s other band, Rendezvous Point, are thinking ahead on their own new record. Prog catches up with the quintet’s Nicolay Tangen Svennæs, Gunn-Hilde Erstad and Petter Hallaråker to discuss Dream Chaser, tortured artists and the potential of some very exciting guest collabs.
Chat
X
Support Pocketmags