After the last two albums 'Malina' in 2017 and 'Pitfalls' in 2019, Norways of 'Leprous' return with a new album that will, like the others, leave a mark on the music world in general, because to listen to a new album from the band of 'Einar Solberg' is to become a defector and explorer of new lands with this happiness to be closer to the stars with each new listening, new small details coming to be added to the previous listenings to get even closer to this unique musical grail. Closer to the stars, you tell me, the title 'Aphelion' was not chosen at random and transports us to our solar system when the earth is the farthest from the sun and that, in these moments of suffering on it, requires a crazy energy to each to get closer to a saving light.
It is with a few notes of piano serving as a purified rhythmic base to accompany the high vocals of Einar, that begins 'Running Low', revealing us a first track that sneaks in gently and slowly takes on momentum to explode after 2.30 followed by a section with strings with contemporary sounds of extraordinary strength and the first shiver of pleasure is already present. With 'Out of Here', the repeated haunting melody accompanies us in a first calm part in phase with the text of an immense emotional force on this loss of freedom of these last years during which it was necessary to find immense resources to fight and which leads to a powerful section with a memorable chorus which envelops you completely to fall again in a decrescendo with some notes of guitar. 'Silhouette' follows with electronic sounds and continues with this rollercoaster of intensities, passing from a passage embellished by strings to an energetic part with this vocal capacity of 'Einar Solberg' to pass from a hypnotic softness to an extraordinary rage, then, with 'All The Moments', we are at the firmament of an imaginative progressive with an introduction which seems almost banal compared to the rest but worthy of the best of 'Genesis' or 'Marillion' (yes, even so!) and then offers completely addictive clean parts (Einar still bringing that little shiver in the quietest moments). We then reach heights of originality with 'Have You Ever?' which mixes strings and keyboards in an almost unreal atmosphere, while remaining quite refined, each artist soberly and very precisely bringing his stone to this imaginative sound puzzle. The second part of the album continues in this creativity with an 'Einar Solberg' always on the edge of the razor which offers us a still remarkable performance on energetic flights in 'The Silent Revelation', then, 'The Shadow Side' is a more direct composition with melodic lines which one could qualify as accessible to the Norwegians, the final crescendo bringing a remarkable guitar solo. And how to miss almost 8 minutes of 'Hold On' which follows, and which gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it, the melodic lines being a pure delight with these variations of intensity endowed with an immense emotional power, the lyrics taking such a real meaning in the interpretation of 'Einar Solberg' who gives himself completely on this track. With 'Castaway Angels', we recover from our emotions in a muffled and warm atmosphere that lulls us in the first part and takes strength in the second part, always with a slow tempo on which we abandon ourselves completely, then, 'Nighttime Disguise' ends the album with a rather particular track because it was composed by asking for their opinions to the fans of the band and the result is a progressive composition in multi-drawers highlighting different rhythms, intensities, sonorities, vocal tessituras and of which you can see the video here.
In summary, as you will have understood, we still reach heights of creativity with 'Aphelion' and the Norwegians of 'Leprous' continue to offer us albums of great quality that slowly reveal themselves, listening after listening, and, for those who do not know this band yet and who like to discover new musical horizons in a progressive avant-garde, 'Aphelion' could well enter soon in your ideal record library... | |
