Leprous is a five piece progressive metal band hailing from the metal town … Read Full Bio ↴Leprous is a five piece progressive metal band hailing from the metal town of Notodden, Norway, home of bands such as Emperor, Zyklon, Ihsahn, CIrcus Maximus, and many more.

Since Leprous was founded in 2001, they've gone through a few changes in the line-up, and now consists of Einar Solberg (synth/vocals), Tor Oddmund Suhrke (guitar), Simen Børven (bass), Robin Ognedal (guitar) and Baard Kolstad (drums)

The young quintet have already made themselves visible on the Norwegian prog- and metal scene, and twice the band has made the finals in the Norwegian Rock Championship. Besides Leprous, the guys in Leprous are currently working as a session band of solo artist "Ihsahn", also known as the front figure of the legendary black metal band Emperor.

In August 2008, Leprous recorded their debut album "Tall Poppy Syndrome". As a result they caught the eye of several record companies, and ended up signing with the American label Sensory Records for a May 2009 release.

Prior to "Tall Poppy Syndrome", Leprous have recorded two demos which both received great accolades from the worldwide media, with the demo (self-financed full length album) "Aeolia" among other great reviews received a perfect 10 out of 10 score from the Norwegian webzine www.metal-norge.no. The band at that point decided to hold off on the search for a label to release their albums though, as they knew that they could create even better songs. And now, a couple of years later, "Tall Poppy Syndrome" is ready to hit the shelves.

Backed by Intromental Management & Booking Agency, Leprous spent 2009 promoting the release with numerous shows throughout Scandinavia, and entering 2010 the band and management laid plans for bringing the music of Leprous even further out to fans, by lining up shows around Europe and USA, as well as setting the band up as main support on Swedish orchestral metal band Therion's fall 2010 European tour, taking the band through no less than 17 countries in 30 days.

The music of Leprous is not an easy one to classify. Various genres are included, from progressive rock, to jazz, to pure metal. The vocals alternate between clean and growling, something which gives the music a heaviness it otherwise wouldn't have. To compare Leprous to other bands is practically impossible, but the closest comparisons would be bands such as Opeth, Arcturus, Porcupine Tree, Van Der Graaf Generator or Emperor. An interesting listening-experience for the open-minded music fan.

Studio albums
Tall Poppy Syndrome (2009)
Bilateral (2011)
Coal (2013)
The Congregation (2015)
Malina (2017)
Pitfalls (2019)
Aphelion (2021)

Live albums
Live at Rockefeller Music Hall (2016)

Demos
Silent Waters (2004)
Aeolia (2006)

Third Law
Leprous Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

On the rise, going up
First to be alone on the top
No delusion in your mind
Peripheral vision left behind

Somewhere, someone must bow
Despair, hidden somehow
Somewhere, someone must bow

Somewhere, someone must bow
Despair, hidden somehow
Somewhere, someone must bow

Solid effort underground
Undervaluable to be found
Felt inside something alive
Devious instinct to survive
Truly hard to comprehend
Still effortless to defend

Real compassion, obsolete
Camouflaging
Indiscreet

Somewhere, someone must bow
Despair, hidden somehow
Somewhere, someone must bow

Somewhere, someone must bow
Despair, hidden somehow
Somewhere, someone must bow

Somewhere, someone must bow
Despair, hidden somehow
Somewhere, someone must bow

Somewhere, someone must bow

Despair, hidden somehow
Somewhere, someone must bow

Overall Meaning

These lyrics from Leprous's song Third Law are highly interpretive, and the meaning behind them can be inferred in different ways. However, based on the lyrics, it seems to be about the rise of an individual who has achieved greatness and is now standing alone at the top. The lyrics suggest that this person has a clear perception of their reality, devoid of any illusions, and that they possess a certain level of self-awareness which sets them apart. In this state, the person has left their "Peripheral vision behind," indicating that they are no longer reliant on external validation or recognition.

The lyrics also touch on the idea that someone somewhere must bow - perhaps to this individual who has achieved greatness, or maybe to the social status quo that perpetuates of an unequal distribution of power. The lines "Despair, hidden somehow, real compassion, obsolete" suggest that there is a darker side to this success and that it can come at the expense of others' well-being. The person's survival is also alluded to in the line "Devious instinct to survive."

In these lyrics, Leprous seems to be commenting on the notion that there is always someone on the rise, someone achieving greatness, but this usually comes at the cost of those who must bow. The lines "Somewhere, someone must bow, despair hidden somehow" seem to be a reminder that success can often breed despair and inequality, and that for some people, the sacrifices are too high. Overall, it is a thought-provoking song with lyrics that can be interpreted in different ways.

Line by Line Meaning

On the rise, going up
Progressing, ascending

First to be alone on the top
Achieving success and standing at the pinnacle of one's field

No delusion in your mind
Clear vision and sound judgment

Peripheral vision left behind
Focused and undistracted

Somewhere, someone must bow
Acknowledgement and respect are necessary

Despair, hidden somehow
Feelings of desperation and hopelessness that are concealed or repressed

Solid effort underground
Hard work and dedication that go unseen or unappreciated

Undervaluable to be found
Being underestimated, overlooked or underappreciated

Felt inside something alive
Feeling a deep and meaningful connection to something

Devious instinct to survive
Using cunning and resourcefulness to persist and overcome obstacles

Truly hard to comprehend
Difficult to grasp and understand

Still effortless to defend
Easy to justify or protect

Real compassion, obsolete
Genuine care and concern for others that is out of fashion or disregarded

Camouflaging
Hiding or disguising true emotions or intentions

Indiscreet
Imprudent or tactless