Leprous

With 10 years of making music under their collective belt, the Norwegian quintet are a unique outfit in that, while they embrace the prog rock and metal "requirements" as laid out by the fans, the band's sound is equally rooted in straightforward hook-laden metal.

For every part Pain Of Salvation and King Crimson one may hear, there is an equal amount of Shining (NO), Devin Townsend and Opeth to balance it out. Not an easy task by any means, yet Leprous makes it sound effortless.