Norwegian prog metal wizards LEPROUS have completed work on their new studio album, The Congregation, for a May 25 European release (June 2 in North America) via InsideOut Music. The drums, guitars and bass for the follow-up to 2013’s Coal were recorded at Sweden’s Fascination Street and Ghostward Studios with David Castillo (KATATONIA, OPETH) and the vocals with Heidi Solberg Tveitan and Vegard Tveitan at Mnemosyne Studios in Norway. Just like the preceding albums, Bilateral and Coal, The Congregation was mixed by Jens Bogren (OPETH, SYMPHONY X, KREATOR) at Fascination Street.
LEPROUS vocalist and keyboard player Einar Solberg commented: “This has without doubt been the most challenging album to write so far, if you count the amount of hours, blood, sweat and tears behind it. Which makes me extra proud to just have delivered the master of what I consider to be the most daring, technical, fresh and mature album we’ve ever done.
“The music of The Congregation is mostly written by me on my computer, so that this time around I could use my ears instead of my knowledge as the main writing tool. If you use your knowledge and your usual methods to write every album, you will eventually find yourself stuck in a quagmire of old habits. Lyrically, The Congregation covers the dangers and consequences of blindly following the flow, thus the album title will speak for itself.”
In addition to some previously announced festival appearances and the newly added show at Fortarock in The Netherlands in June, LEPROUS will embark on an extensive European headlining tour in September-October, alongside RENDEZVOUS POINT and another yet-to-be-announced main support act.