After the magnificent 'The Congregation Acoustic (Live)', 'Einar Solberg' released with his band 'Leprous' at the end of August 2024 a new album, 'Melodies Of Atonement' which continues the path of this atypical group which surprises us each time with a new direction taken compared to the last studio recording. If you are a fan of 'Leprous', you are therefore used to all these changes and 'Melodies Of Atonement' is no exception to the rule because it is with their basic line up that the Norwegians offer us their latest baby: the orchestrations provided with many strings are replaced by electric instruments but, everything is still implemented to serve the extra-terrestrial 'Einar Solberg' who offers us a succession of goosebumps throughout each composition.
The first two tracks 'Silently Walking Alone' and 'Atonement', which were also released as a single, are a beautiful showcase of this 'Melodies Of Atonement' which shows from the start these striking ruptures between sections of extraordinary power and others calmer bringing these contrasts on which 'Einar Solberg' knows so well how to integrate his singing modulations and touch us deep within our being (see the video of 'Silently Walking Alone' above and that of 'Atonement' here). We are already hypnotized by these first two compositions and 'My Specter' arrives with its melancholic introduction which highlights this angelic song coming out of nowhere which comes to delicately caress our senses before the sound storm which will follow and which literally seizes us and which, for my part, gives me these shivers of pleasure characteristic of an immense emotion, then, 'I Hear The Sirens' continues in this way, the title being completely in phase with the clear atmosphere which paralyzes us entirely and which develops a heavy and slow tempo alternating with captivating sections. Same process with 'Like A Sunken Ship' which starts off restrained with some percussion, the high-pitched vocals of 'Einar Solberg' being accompanied by a discreet bass and which continues with childish 'lalalalalalalala' before this impressive contrast with this rise to terrifying growls (in this case, I love this death side which is the climax of the title but which is used sparingly).
We start the second part with 'Limbo' which is certainly one of the most accessible titles of the album which makes you want to swing gently to the rhythm of the accompaniment of the bass and which is a slight crescendo repeating the same musical phrase, 'Einar Solberg' remaining quite sober until the finale which sees him harden his tone and in which he is accompanied by magnificent choirs. Follows 'Faceless' which has a jazzy side and which continues in a moderate atmosphere of the previous composition while keeping these sound rises which are the trademark of the group and which benefits from a very sensual guitar solo in the second calm part. Still all in contrasts but this time with his singing, 'Einar Solberg' begins 'Starlight' in a much lower register and with a beautiful depth, then, returns to his head voice to continue on his clear higher voice allowing to deploy a beautiful power and which gives 'Robin Ognedal' the opportunity to put himself forward with a new remarkable guitar solo (for my part, 'Leprous' would still gain from integrating more instrumental parts like that one). 'Self-Satisfied Lullaby' begins a capella and adds to this second part of the album another more moderate but equally captivating composition, this time by the more ethereal atmosphere deployed with vocal harmonies that fill the entire sound space in most of the piece, the bass/drums rhythm section being used very wisely in a punctual and more discreet way until the end which sees a hardening of the atmosphere which then falls back into a few keyboard notes. Same observation for the final title 'Unfree My Soul' which is a good summary of this album with this melody which, on this heavy tempo with numerous rhythmic changes, reaches you deep inside your being thanks to the singing of Einar Solberg' who manages to blend entirely into this melancholic atmosphere by bringing out intense emotions.
In summary, as every time I listen to a 'Leprous' album, when the last note of the album occurs, as they said for 'Mozart', the silence that follows is still 'Leprous' but, in this case, this silence is necessary to reconnect with reality because the band of 'Einar Solberg' always takes us very far and makes our soul travel in a sort of parallel world where everything is made only of emotions, shivers and hypersensitivity... | |
