Leprous are one of modern progressive music’s most distinctive and acclaimed bands. Formed in Notodden, Norway in 2001, they have travelled a remarkable path — from complex progressive metal to a sleek, atmospheric, vocal-driven art-rock — always built around the extraordinary voice of Einar Solberg. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their finest songs.

The short version

If you only hear a few, make them “The Price”, “The Cloak”, “The Sky Is Red” and “From the Flame” — their signature hit, their first truly standout single, an eleven-minute electronic-prog epic, and a soaring anthem. The full ranking is below.

Norway’s restless prog shapeshifters

Few modern bands evolve as fearlessly as Leprous. Formed in Notodden, Norway in 2001 — and for years the live band for black-metal legend Ihsahn — they began in dense, complex progressive metal before steadily transforming into something sleeker and stranger: an atmospheric, groove-driven art-rock built on repetition, texture and, above all, the soaring, operatic voice of frontman Einar Solberg. Rather than pile on riffs, they take a single motif and make it hypnotic. Across eight albums they have refused to stand still. These fifteen songs are the best.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing melody, that singular voice, the fearless evolution and lasting impact. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential six

At the very top sits “The Price” (2015), their signature song and biggest hit. With it: “The Cloak” (2013), their first truly standout single, built on three simple guitar notes; “The Sky Is Red” (2019), an eleven-minute electronic-prog epic and fan favourite; “From the Flame” (2017), a soaring, irresistible anthem; “Passing” (2009), the compelling, near-epic opener of their debut; and “Forced Entry” (2011), a labyrinthine, ten-minute early behemoth.

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Reliably great

The next tier is essential too. “Foe” (2013) is the staccato opener that announced a whole new direction; “Rewind” (2015) is driven by Baard Kolstad’s fierce drumming; “Below” (2019) is a downbeat, atmospheric opener; “Atonement” (2024) is a heavy, hook-laden recent single; and “Stuck” (2017) builds to a perfect symphonic post-rock finale.

Deeper cuts

For the dedicated, these reward repeat listens. “White” (2009) is the eleven-minute epic that closes their debut; “Restless” (2011) is a nuanced, infectious early highlight; “Running Low” (2021) is the atmospheric opener of their 2021 album; and “Silently Walking Alone” (2024) is the syncopated opener of their latest.

Every song at a glance

All fifteen songs, in chronological order — each linked to the album it comes from, so you can hear it in context.

Where to start

Begin with The Congregation, often hailed as their finest hour and home to the hit “The Price,” and Coal, then work back to the heavier debut Tall Poppy Syndrome or forward through Malina and Pitfalls into their recent, stripped-back Melodies of Atonement. Every album rewards exploration.

The players

Leprous have always centred on vocalist and keyboardist Einar Solberg, whose remarkable voice is the band’s defining instrument, and guitarist Tor Oddmund Suhrke, his longtime foil. Today they are joined by guitarist Robin Ognedal, bassist Simen Daniel Børven and the extraordinary drummer Baard Kolstad. Fittingly for a band that began as Ihsahn’s live backing group, they have become one of the most respected live acts in prog. All of the members remain active and busy.

Why they still matter

Leprous have shown that progressive rock can keep reinventing itself — that a band can travel from extreme metal to art-pop and remain unmistakably themselves. Alongside modern peers like Haken, Pain of Salvation, Caligula’s Horse and Riverside, they have expanded what the genre can be, and Einar Solberg is widely regarded as one of prog’s greatest living vocalists. Decades on, they remain utterly singular.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: rank their records with our guide to the best Leprous albums, or place them in the bigger picture with the best progressive rock songs of all time.

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