Review Summary: Lullabies to a bad dream
Leprous frontman Einar Solberg was right to warn awaiting fans that this would, even by Leprous standards, be a strange record to digest. For those who have followed the naughty Norwegian quintet for long enough, this probably comes as no surprise. I will be upfront in saying that this record, creatively speaking, resides on a different continent to Bilateral or Coal, despite bearing their vestiges. Yet, it too is a departure from their more delicate progressive outings (i.e., 2021’s Aphelion). They have gained back some power, and in some ways some heaviness, but harnessed it in a very - even by Leprous standards - unusual way.
As is custom, Einar holds a strong presence on the record. His luscious vocal harmonies have replaced the last record’s use of choir in an effective way, filling space in an operatic chaos. Screaming has returned, albeit very selectively, and are probably Einar’s strongest to date; shedding the jarring black metal rasp from previous efforts. There is also a, dare I say it, almost overbearing pop influence in the vocals this time around. Although there are moments of delivery that I intuitively feel I should hate ('The Faceless’ “never go alone” passage, or 'Atonement’s' ad nauseam “all because of you” line), they somehow settle into my epidermis like a tick, feasting undisturbed.
The record as a whole is progressive in feel, but not in length. While some would consider the lack of adventurous winding a weakness, the songs still feel meaty; helped greatly by silky production that does a great job of giving space to each instrument and creating a width that would give dive bar bouncers a run for their money.
Baard Kolstad, possibly one of metal’s most interesting drummers and another stand out feature of Leprous’ complex mechanism, is used in a very intriguing way. Baard closets his usual metal freneticism for half time ghost-note-laden grooves and moments of soft yet undeniably intricate percussion, utilising effects cymbals, rim-bashing and – wait for it – cowbell. Moo.
The guitar work on Melodies of Atonement quickly settles into a familiar low-tuned series of bendy riffage and jagged chords. While retreading familiar earth, there are some interesting surprises held within too. The Dire Straits reminiscent guitar solo at the end of Starlight is a good example of this, followed up by some soft picking that sonically represent a coconut on the beach. There is a solid use of bass guitar throughout this record too, conjuring excellent atmosphere (the end of ‘I Hear the Sirens’), and fretless grooves (‘Like a Sunken Ship’ & ‘Faceless’).
Despite the as-usual strong musicianship on the record, there is undoubtedly an over-reliance on prototypical song structures, starting softly and rhythmically, and building to some sort of operatic vocal crescendo. While this slays any real claim Melodies of Atonement would have had to being a progressive delight, it gives some cohesion to the record that might make it a somewhat less gruelling listen to the more straightforward listener. They also offer quite possibly their most square-dance worthy song to date in ‘Faceless’, laden with nasty grooving and some almost rapped vocals, breaking through to a poppy chorus. Jarring my cranium even as I write this, the song somehow weirdly works, despite undoubtedly smiting metal purists on the spot.
In sum, Melodies of Atonement further strays from Leprous’ long-winded progressive metal roots. While this might come as a disappointment to some, it not-so-silently stands alone as a solid pop-inspired record that has reclaimed some aggression, and sports a well-executed atmosphere. While the album is certainly more to-the-point than any release before it, I like to think of it as a series of lullabies to a bad dream. Catchy, ethereal, and unequivocally unsettling.
