LEPROUS Reveal New Album Title, Release Date; European Tour Announced

Norwegian progsters, Leprous, have wrapped up work on their newest studio album, which follows 2013’s Coal release. The album will be titled The Congregation, and is to be released on May 25th in Europe and June 2nd in North America via InsideOutMusic.

Leprous vocalist and keyboard player Einar Solberg has checked in on the album: “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.”

Leprous have recorded the drums, guitars and bass for their new album in Sweden’s Fascination Street / Ghostward Studios with David Castillo (Katatonia, Opeth) and the vocals together 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 at Fascination Street Studios (Opeth, Symphony X, Kreator).

Next to some previously announced festival appearances and the newly added show at Fortarock in The Netherlands in June, Leprous are now revealing the first dates for their extensive European headlining tour in support of The Congregation for September/October, alongside Rendezvous Point and another yet to be announced main support act.

European Tour:

September
25 – Bergen, Norway – Garage

October
2 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Forbraendingen
3 – Cologne, Germany – Euroblast Festival
4 – Baarlo, The Netherlands – Progpower Europe
5 – Paris, France – Le Divan Du Monde
6 – Nantes, France – Le Ferrailleur
8 – Lisbon, Portugal – RCA club
9 – Madrid, Spain – Caracol
10 – Murcia, Spain – Garaje
11 – Barcelona,, Spain – Apolo 2
12 – Lyon, France – Ninkasi Kao
13 – London,, UK – Garage
14 – Manchester, UK – Ruby Lounge
15 – Bristol, UK – The Fleece
16 – Maasmechelen, Belgium – Jan Hertog
17 – Karlsruhe, Germany – Substage
19 – Milano, Italy – Legend Club
24 – Bratislava, Slovakia – Majestic Club
25 – Prague, Czech Republic – Nova Chmelnice
26 – Warszaw, Poland – Progresja
27 – Riga, Latvia – Rockcafe
28 – Helsinki, Finland – Nosturi
30 – Stockholm, Sweden – Bryggarsalen
31 – Oslo, Norway – John Dee

More dates to be added soon.

European Festivals:

June
5 – Nijmegen, The Netherlands – Fortarock Festival

July
11 – Barcelona, Spain – BeProgMyFriend Festival

October
3 – Cologne, Germany – Euroblast Festival
4 – Baarlo, The Netherlands – Progpower Europe

Leprous added the following comment about the upcoming tour: “So we’re heading out again, and we’re more eager than ever to hit the road! It’s a bunch of good cities we already know, and we simply can’t wait to return. The preparations for the tour have already started, as to perform the new songs is a very challenging task. When we in addition are working to take our live performance up to a new level, I believe we have some busy months ahead of us.”

A promotional video clip for the track “The Cloak” off the previous Leprous album Coal can be seen below.

Leprous lineup 2015:

Einar Solberg – Lead Vocal, Keys
Tor Oddmund Suhrke – Guitars
Øystein Landsverk – Guitars
Baard Kolstad – Drums