Leprous

Leprous
Leprous performing live at the 2013 Wacken Open Air.
Background information
Origin	Notodden, Norway
Genres	Progressive metal, progressive rock, avant-garde metal, experimental rock
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Sensory Records Inside Out Music/Century Media
Associated acts	Emperor, Ihsahn
Website	leprous.net
Members	Einar Solberg Tor Oddmund Suhrke Øystein Landsverk Baard Kolstad
Past members	Stian Lonar Esben Meyer Khristensen Kenneth Solberg Truls Vennman Halvor Strand Tor Stian Borhaug Rein Blomquist Tobias Ørnes Andersen Martin Skrebergene

Leprous is a Norwegian progressive metal band formed in 2001 in Notodden, Norway. The band gained prominence as the backing band for former Emperor frontman Ihsahn's live shows.

Although their music is often categorized as progressive rock or progressive metal, Einar Solberg, who is the main composer of the band, has referred that he's been so much inspired by Radiohead, Massive Attack, Arvo Part, Susanne Sundfør, The Prodigy, as well as some progressive acts like Porcupine Tree, The Dillinger Escape Plan.

Ihsahn has, in turn, contributed to several Leprous albums as a vocalist (on "Thorn" from Bilateral and "Contaminate Me" from Coal) and as a co-producer for Coal.

After releasing several demos with relatively unstable lineups, the band's roster solidified by the time that they recorded their debut album, Tall Poppy Syndrome in August 2008. American label Sensory Records signed the band and released the album in May 2009. Alex Henderson of Allmusic praised the band's debut for moving past the "staunchly pre-90s mentality" of contemporary progressive metal by blending the influence of Pink Floyd and King Crimson with alternative metal bands such as Tool.

The album received positive reviews while the band gained attention as the live band for Emperor's former frontman, Ihsahn, whose wife is the sister to Leprous vocalist/keyboardist Einar Solberg. In 2010, Leprous appeared at ProgPower USA and ProgPower Europe, and later supported Therion on their European tour. After that tour, the band announced that they had split with bassist Halvor Strand, who was replaced by Rein Blomquist.