LEPROUS Signs With INSIDEOUT MUSIC

InsideOut Music, the leading label for progressive music, has announced the signing of Norway's LEPROUS to a worldwide deal.

Commented the band: "We're all very happy… no, delighted... no, enthusiastic…, no THRILLED to be a part of the InsideOut/Century Media family! InsideOut has always been the label we've considered the most suitable for our music, so this is really a dream come true for us! We're ready to take LEPROUS to new heights in 2011, and the signing with InsideOut/Century Media is just the first step."

LEPROUS is a young five-piece band (ages range from 19 to 25 years) hailing from the metal town of Notodden, Norway, also home to such bands as EMPEROR, ZYKLON, IHSAHN, PECCATUM, etc. Originally founded in 2001, they've gone through a few lineup changes and now consist of Einar Solberg (synth/vocals),Tor Oddmund Suhrke (guitar),Rein Blomquist (bass, also in ABOVE SYMMETRY),Øystein Landsverk (guitar) and Tobias Ørnes Andersen (drums).

The music of LEPROUS is not easy to classify. Various genres are included, from progressive rock, to jazz, to pure metal and the vocals alternate between clean singing and growling, adding heaviness to the music. Instead of drawing parallels to this or that, bands such as OPETH, KING CRIMSON, PORCUPINE TREE, THE MARS VOLTA, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and SHINING (Norway) should be regarded more as songwriting influences than as comparisons. It's all in the eye (or in this case, the ear) of the beholder…

LEPROUS has already made itself visible on the Norwegian prog and metal scene by releasing the self-financed full length demo CD "Aeolia" in 2007 and by making it to the finals of the Norwegian Rock Championship twice. In May of 2009, LEPROUS released its first real album, "Tall Poppy Syndrome", via American label Sensory Records and that effort quickly became somewhat of an underground cult release, heralded as the best 2009 prog metal CD by many media people.

Backed by new management/booking agency Intromental Worldwide, LEPROUS spent 2009/2010 promoting the album's release with numerous shows throughout Scandinavia, Europe and USA, as well as finally a main support slot for the fall 2010 European tour of Swedish symphonic/orchestral metal band THERION, taking them through no less than 17 countries in 30 days.

In addition to performing with their own band, the members of LEPROUS are currently also acting as the session/live band of solo artist IHSAHN, also known as the front figure of the legendary black metal band EMPEROR.

LEPROUS is currently busy with studio work for its upcoming, as-yet-untitled new album, to be released after the summer via InsideOutMusic.