Leprous are no strangers to experimentation, with a unique blend of operatic prog metal that's softened over the years but hasn't diminished in its infectious zany intensity. So while Pitfalls continues in the same direction as 2017's Malina but more so, it's as unquestionably Leprous as any of their other albums. This is the band at their most symphonic, most electronic and most vocal-centric. And it mostly works.
Over its 9 tracks, this record plays with art-pop sensibilities, moody orchestration, beats you can dance to, and some thrilling moments of Pure Reason Revolution style electro-rock bombast. It's a constant reminder that prog is short for progressive.
Album opener Below sets the scene pretty effectively for what you can expect from Pitfalls. It starts off soft and gentle, taking its time to build layers of beats and orchestration until the wailing and cathartic second half of the song barely resembles the first. The same can be said about I Lose Hope, which starts off groovy and ends with a big emotional hook. And once more for the album's first single, Alleviate, which goes from mellow to intense and back again, mixing rock seamlessly into lush soundscapes. If there's a defining musical theme throughout the album, it's that nearly every song finds a way to morph into something different and do it organically without any jarring breaks or overt genre shifts. They've mastered the art of accelerating without changing gears. That said, when Foreigner, the only outright rocker on the album comes on, there's a part of me that misses their old sound.
Singer Einar Solberg is even more the star of the show than ever. I don't want to imply the rest of the band aren't pulling their weight, but this is what I imagine an Einar solo album would sound like. And Pitfalls gives him ample breathing room to explore the more mellow side of his range while still hittiing those dramatic high notes when the song calls for it - or doesn't. If Pitfalls has one major weakness it's that it has more than a few moments when Einar goes all out but the rest of the band quite doesn't match his intensity.
The bottom line with Pitfalls is that if you weren't a fan of Einar's singing on previous albums, you're going to hate this one. His vocals walk a razor's edge between hauntingly emotional and gratingly over the top, and Pitfalls is the ultimate example of that balancing act. He sounds his most comfortable and nuanced on softer tracks like Observe the Train and album closer The Sky is Red, yet the music is at its most interesting when he goes all out and risks hitting an off note. There's an undeniable conviction to his style that's easy to appreciate.
Overall, it's hard to make predictions about who Pitfalls is going to please. For someone like me who cut their teeth on Leprous' early work, it's hard not to yearn for the unique riffing and sharp vocal turns that made Bilaterial and Coal so memorable. Yet the new sound is still probably too Leprous for the casual listener. All the same, give pitfalls a chance and you might find there's a lot to love.
Over its 9 tracks, this record plays with art-pop sensibilities, moody orchestration, beats you can dance to, and some thrilling moments of Pure Reason Revolution style electro-rock bombast. It's a constant reminder that prog is short for progressive.
Album opener Below sets the scene pretty effectively for what you can expect from Pitfalls. It starts off soft and gentle, taking its time to build layers of beats and orchestration until the wailing and cathartic second half of the song barely resembles the first. The same can be said about I Lose Hope, which starts off groovy and ends with a big emotional hook. And once more for the album's first single, Alleviate, which goes from mellow to intense and back again, mixing rock seamlessly into lush soundscapes. If there's a defining musical theme throughout the album, it's that nearly every song finds a way to morph into something different and do it organically without any jarring breaks or overt genre shifts. They've mastered the art of accelerating without changing gears. That said, when Foreigner, the only outright rocker on the album comes on, there's a part of me that misses their old sound.
Singer Einar Solberg is even more the star of the show than ever. I don't want to imply the rest of the band aren't pulling their weight, but this is what I imagine an Einar solo album would sound like. And Pitfalls gives him ample breathing room to explore the more mellow side of his range while still hittiing those dramatic high notes when the song calls for it - or doesn't. If Pitfalls has one major weakness it's that it has more than a few moments when Einar goes all out but the rest of the band quite doesn't match his intensity.
The bottom line with Pitfalls is that if you weren't a fan of Einar's singing on previous albums, you're going to hate this one. His vocals walk a razor's edge between hauntingly emotional and gratingly over the top, and Pitfalls is the ultimate example of that balancing act. He sounds his most comfortable and nuanced on softer tracks like Observe the Train and album closer The Sky is Red, yet the music is at its most interesting when he goes all out and risks hitting an off note. There's an undeniable conviction to his style that's easy to appreciate.
Overall, it's hard to make predictions about who Pitfalls is going to please. For someone like me who cut their teeth on Leprous' early work, it's hard not to yearn for the unique riffing and sharp vocal turns that made Bilaterial and Coal so memorable. Yet the new sound is still probably too Leprous for the casual listener. All the same, give pitfalls a chance and you might find there's a lot to love.
Final Score: 4/5
No comments:
Post a Comment