An opinion piece from Jay Kirby

If you can tell me what genre Leprous fall into, I’ll tip my hat to you— the band have toyed around with everything from avant-garde metal to symphonic rock music, but through it all, their unique voice has always shone through. This was an incredibly difficult list to make, not only because Solberg and company’s work is so ridiculously consistent, but because each record stands apart from the rest. Alas, here it is: my ranking of every Leprous album.

#8: Melodies Of Atonement (2024)

It feels like a criminal offence to rank a record featuring ‘Like a Sunken Ship’ in last place, but truly, which album would you rather see take the bottom spot: the unfortunate position ‘Melodies Of Atonement’ finds itself in here is, more than anything, a strong indicator that Leprous have never put out a bad (or even mediocre) project. The band’s latest effort is their heaviest in a decade, bringing the guitars back to the forefront in a big way, and you can bet your bottom dollar it has its fair share of highlights— the title track and ‘Faceless’ are anthemic as all hell, providing a hearty contrast to the serene beauty of ‘Starlight’ and ‘I Hear the Sirens.’ When push comes to shove though, ‘Melodies Of Atonement’ is probably the only Leprous album you could fairly describe as inconsistent. Cuts like ‘Limbo’ and ‘Unfree My Soul’ are weak only by this band’s impossibly high standards, but it’s nonetheless for that reason the record is landing so low for me.

#7: Tall Poppy Syndrome (2009)

You would normally expect a given group’s debut outing to be their weakest, especially when said band has gone on to develop such a storied discography: clearly no-one told ‘Passing’ though, a song that both kicks off Leprous’ catalogue and absolutely dominates the conversation. ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’ carries a number of the traits you’d expect— Einar Solberg’s heavenly vocals are here and accounted for, for one— but this is clearly the sound of a team who haven’t quite figured out who they are as musicians yet. What we have here, then, is a grab-bag of creative risks and explosive twists, which would be much less enthralling if Leprous hadn’t taken to the project with such enthusiasm and heart. Scattershot as they may be, the bouncy melodies of ‘He Will Kill Again,’ the full-blown prog antics of ‘Phantom Pain’ and the beautiful acoustics of ‘Fate’ mark exceptional high-points for this excellent debut.

#6: Bilateral (2011)

Now take everything I just said about ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’ and dial it up to eleven— if Leprous’ first album is a wild ride, their second is just as bizarre and surreal as its cover art suggests. ‘Bilateral’ is bursting at the seams with energy and promise, taking a kitchen-sink approach to its arrangements: the bombastic brass solo and grim Ihsahn-feature on ‘Thorn’ should be proof enough that Solberg and company were still finding their voice with this one, but they also demonstrate the boundless ambition and wonder this record has on offer. The monumental choruses of the title track and ‘Cryptogenic Desires’ may nod in the direction Leprous would head in from this point on, but it’s the dizzying progressive jams of ‘Waste of Air’ and ‘Painful Detour’ that really set this album apart. The inclusion of ten minute masterpiece ‘Forced Entry’ alone would be enough to call ‘Bilateral’ a modern prog metal success story.

#5: Malina (2017)

‘Malina’ rests at a comfortable mid-point in Leprous’ discography, borrowing both the characterful guitar lines of albums past and the grandiose orchestrations of the records to follow: it has, fittingly then, landed around the middle of my ranking. The variety of songs on display here is really quite staggering, yet the entire tracklist manages to feel quite cohesive in the end— an emphasis on making rock music beautiful runs through the quiet musings of ‘Bonneville,’ the racing rhythms of ‘Illuminate’ and the cinematic presentation of the title track, and it’s this idea that would define the band from here on out. You have here the complete Leprous experience, from the catchy choruses of ‘From the Flame’ and ‘Coma’ to the genuine bliss that overtakes ‘The Last Milestone,’ and everything in between. A subpar guitar tone is the only thing keeping ‘Malina’ tied down at the #5 spot: the margins between my rankings really are paper thin.

#4: Pitfalls (2019)

The label of ‘metal’ has always been one that fitted Leprous loosely at best, and ‘Pitfalls’ was the album that saw them discarding any semblance of that genre entirely: that’s not to say the record isn’t imposing (as ‘Below’ will surely remind you of) but the group’s use of subtle, sparse arrangements does a lot to separate their sixth project from those before it. For its string accompaniments alone, this could probably be described as the prettiest album in Leprous’ catalogue— ‘Distant Bells’ may just be the most beautiful thing they’ve ever recorded, and the likes of ‘Alleviate’ and ‘Observe the Train’ aren’t far behind. ‘Pitfalls’ purposefully distances itself from the dynamic playing of the group’s earlier work, which might be a deal-breaker for some, but it’s honestly difficult to make much of a fuss when ‘I Lose Hope’ and ‘Foreigner’ are taking your breath away. Rest assured that, when Baard Kolstad does get to flex some technical muscle on epic closer ‘The Sky Is Red,’ the results speak for themselves.

#3: Coal (2013)

It’s hard to believe that, less than two years after releasing ‘Bilateral,’ Solberg and company could have changed to such a degree, but here we are. ‘Coal’ is the first record that really feels like a Leprous album through-and-through, ditching the frenzied writing style in favour of weighty cinematic progressions that really cannot be denied— seriously, I defy you to check out the gripping pace of ‘Contaminate Me’ or the climactic crescendos of ‘The Valley’ and not appreciate their majesty. Leprous still exude energy and charisma here, but it’s channelled into an extremely focused and cutthroat record, one that manages to be both pummelling and uplifting in its strongest moments. Most bands would kill to have written a track as dynamic and all-around brilliant as ‘Echo,’ or a song as moving as ‘The Cloak.’ For Leprous, these are merely the mini-masterpieces that give way to an even greater achievement.

#2: The Congregation (2015)

Yep, here we are. ‘The Congregation’ isn’t quite taking the title of my favourite Leprous album, but what cannot be denied is that this is THE Leprous album, the biggest, grandest, boldest thing they’ve ever recorded, and rightfully their most successful to boot. This record is absolutely gargantuan, sucking you into its meditations on solitude and despair without much regard for your safety: songs like ‘The Flood’ and ‘Slave’ are out to bury you alive under waves of auditory agony, and they absolutely succeed. ‘The Congregation’ is still a progressive metal album, and the spectacular riffs that drive ‘The Price’ and ‘Third Law’ have made them fan favourites for a reason— when all is said and done though, it’s for its atmosphere that this record continues to turn heads. Aside from ‘Within My Fence,’ which may legitimately be the only thing preventing this album from hitting the #1 spot, this is pure perfection: ‘Moon,’ ‘Down,’ ’Triumphant,’ they’re all nigh-on untouchable.

#1: Aphelion (2021)

‘Aphelion’ is an album that only Leprous could’ve made— I couldn’t even tell you what genre it’s a part of, save to say that its fluttering strings, hazy electronic textures and bold rock guitars are all just heavenly. Whatever you’re looking for from your music, you can find it buried somewhere within this tracklist, which is equal parts adventurous and unyieldingly flawless. You have the outright beauty of ‘Out of Here’ and ‘Castaway Angels;’ you have the thrilling genre-hopping of ‘Running Low’ and ‘The Shadow Side;’ you have the masterful progressive flourishes of ‘The Silent Revelation’ and ‘Nighttime Disguise;’ and it’s all wrapped up in a polished presentation that is absolutely without peer. ‘Aphelion’ is a more unassuming record than something like ‘The Congregation,’ absolutely, but don’t let that fool you for even a second. These ten tracks are, quite simply, divine, and absolutely deserving of being this band’s crowning achievement.