LEPROUS - TALL POPPY SYNDROME - 2009

From Norway comes Leprous, a five-piece metal band whose sophomore CD Tall Poppy Syndrome is now out on Sensory Records. This is a pretty unique band, as their style seems to draw from prog-rock, progressive metal, as well as some black & death metal themes. The members all come from a town in Norway called Notodden, well known as the breeding ground for Ihsahn and other past members of legendary black metal act Emperor. As fate would have it, all the members of Leprous have become touring musicians for Ihsahn in recent times, so you can expect plenty of Ihsahn's influence here, as well as some of the more avant-garde & progressive styles of bands such as Opeth, Arcturus, Tool, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Pain of Salvation, and Amorphis.

Though I've mentioned some other acts above, Leprous use those influences and have forged their own path quite nicely here. Opening cut "Passing" sees plenty of juggling back and forth between symphonic, 70's styled prog and a more aggressive, dark metal approach. Vocals are mostly clean, though there are the occasional growl or scream that pops in for dramatic effect, and expect plenty of complex riffs, raging rhythms, and various keyboard sounds. "Phantom Pain" is a real winner, filled with brooding prog, jazz piano, and raging black/death metal passages, as the band throws everything at you and constantly changes moods and tempos, much like Swedish band Opeth. Other highlights include the moody & textured "Dare You", the mix of folk and prog on the stunning "Fate", the ultra complex duo "Not Even a Name" and "The Will Kill Again", and the haunting title track, which features some of the most chilling musical arrangements on the CD, as the band goes back and forth between prog and metal for the entire 8-minute duration. Ending epic "White" is a tour-de-force, complex guitar lines doing battle with raging Hammond & Mellotron, with plenty of passages that recall 70's space rock as well as Norwegian black metal.

Pretty astounding stuff here on Tall Poppy Syndrome, Leprous showing that they are set to become a real force on the progressive metal scene in a real hurry. Granted, this is not a CD that you are going to pop in and immediately be swept away with. On the contrary, this is dark and brooding music, so be prepared to spend some time with it so you can allow all it has to offer to fully sink in. Once you do, there's plenty of beauty to be discovered. Highly recommended!