Music

Album Review: Leprous ‘Bilateral’

Published

13 years ago

August 2, 2011

Leprous is a band that you probably haven’t heard of, which is a damn shame. These guys were the backing band for Ihsahn (Emperor) for 2009 and the first half of 2010, if that gives you any clue as to how talented they are. Around since 2001 with an EP, a demo and one full-length album, the band is back with their newest release, Bilateral. Laced with heavy doses of 70’s prog rock but with a thoroughly modern twist, this album rolls up and down like a roller coaster. But is it the awesome speedy ride you crave or the disappointing kiddy ride that you have to ride with your wee young’un? Check after the jump for the answer.

I’m going to clear the air right now: this album is astonishing. I wasn’t expecting much when I first hit ‘Play’, but within two songs I was not only hooked, I was floored. The opening track, Bilateral, starts with epic and triumphant chords and vocals before diving down into subtle harmonized vocals overlaid by vintage synth patches. Slowly building up by adding more and more instrumentation, this track showcases the musical versatility of each member, from clever drumming to syncopated, staccato guitars to soaring vocals.

The production of the album has a glorious vintage sound with beautiful mixing and astonishing clarity. One of the great aspects of the album is the vast wealth of tones I heard. Each song had new sounds that were fascinating. The second track, Forced Entry, starts with a tone that sounds like dial-up modem choking and screaming for life. Later in the song, there were tones that made me think of Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead. Basically I had kick ass music playing while I was thinking about Ken Foree and Scott Reiniger running through the mall taking out zombie after zombie. Awesome.

This album is definitely for fans of King Crimson, The Mars Volta, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, and all the other great prog rock bands you can think of. Also, add in some dashes of near djent metal and you’ve got an idea of what to expect from Leprous‘ Bilateral.

The Final Word: Bilateral is a serious contender for my Album of the Year. I cannot stop listening to it, which might be the highest compliment I can give.

JonathanBarkan

Managing editor/music guy/social media fella of Bloody-Disgusting

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Music

“He Walks By Night” – Listen to a Brand New John Carpenter Song NOW!

Published

2 weeks ago

April 9, 2024

John Squires

It’s a new day, and you’ve got new John Carpenter to listen to. John Carpenter, Daniel Davies and Cody Carpenter have released the new track He Walks By Night this morning, the second single off their upcoming album Lost Themes IV: Noir, out May 3 on Sacred Bones Records.

Lost Themes IV: Noir is the latest installment in a series that sees Carpenter releasing new music for John Carpenter movies that don’t actually exist. The first Lost Themes was released in 2015, followed by Lost Themes II in 2016 and Lost Themes III: Alive After Death in 2021.

Sacred Bones previews, “It’s been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become Lost Themes, his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood’s great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. With Lost Themes IV: Noir, they’ve struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration.

“Since the first Lost Themes, John has referred to these compositions as “soundtracks for the movies in your mind.” On the fourth installment in the series, those movies are noirs. Like the film genre they were influenced by, what makes these songs “noirish” is sometimes slippery and hard to define, and not merely reducible to a collection of tropes. The scores for the great American noir pictures were largely orchestral, while the Carpenters and Davies work off a sturdy synth-and-guitar backbone.

“The trio’s free-flowing chemistry means Lost Themes IV: Noir runs like a well-oiled machine—the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster from Kiss Me Deadly, perhaps, or the 1958 Plymouth Fury from John’s own Christine. It’s a chemistry that’s helped power one of the most productive stretches of John’s creative life, and Noir proves that it’s nowhere near done yielding brilliant results.”

You can pre-save Lost Themes IV: Noir right now! And listen to the new track below…