Few bands stir the emotions like Leprous. The Norwegian six-piece have been gently metamorphosing from their early growling years into the consummate art rock outfit. Is there further for them to expand their horizons? Well, that’s for the future but with their latest album Aphelion having been on constant rotation since it dropped in 2021, the band had plenty to promote. Their arrival to a virtually sold out SWX in Bristol evidence of their increased popularity. But more of that later.
It’s probably fair to say that few in the early swell were that conversant with Kalandra. The Norwegian/Swedish band have apparently been responsible for the soundtrack to the Kingdom of Two Crowns game, as well as the HBO Nordic series Befriender. Forced to take the stage at the early time of 18:30 due to the club night that followed the show, probably the best compliment I can pay Kalandra was the silence that greeted their music. Now, that sounds negative, but in this case, it was due to spellbinding ethereal combination of Nordic folk and rock that swirled around the venue for their 30-minute set.
Kalandra’s music is based on keys, drums and two guitars, apart from finale ”Brave New World” which sees the introduction of pipe, something unexpected but totally in keeping with the eerie musical soundscapes that they carve. The petite Katrine Stenbekk is central point for visuals, although she’s elfin in stature. What she does with her voice is anything but small in stature, her melancholic tones driving deep into the core. Halfway through she reverts to Norwegian for “Virkelighetens Etterklang”. No-one objects. We’re all caught in the spell. It’s over too quickly. It can only be hoped that the band capitalise on the superb reception they are getting across this tour, and make their way back for a headline tour soon.
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Any semblance of calm that Kalandra have brought to the evening is rudely shattered as Monuments take the stage. A snarling, pit bull of a start sees vocalist Andy Cizek roaring at the crowd to form circle pits. It’s an intensity that never drops below full throttle as the London based outfit throw their intensive style of progressive metalcore to the crowd. There are many Monuments tees in the audience. The words are shouted back with gusto. The pits engage and it’s a crazy melee on the floor. It’s about as far away from Nordic folk as you can get.
Cizek is a blistering ball of energy, rarely stopping for more than a few seconds, and later hitting the barrier before launching himself into the crowd to surf across the venue. It’s highly charged, passionate and certainly one that most of the audience are losing their shit to. Alongside Cizek, guitarist John Browne and new bassist Werner Erkelens thrown themselves around to the breakdowns. It’s slightly choreographed, but not in such a way that its overpowering. Unsurprisingly they draw deep from the latest album In Stasis, pulling five from eight tracks. Finishing with “The Cimmerian” from In Statis, I’m left to muse on what I’ve seen. Granted I’m old, but I’m left scratching my head about why they got such a great reception. Still, the crowd love them, and the band leave the stage with an ovation that would befit the headliners.
Over the years, Leprous have moved further away from their metal roots. Today’s band is almost as far outfield in the progressive scene as they were in any of the other genres that they’ve had labelled on them. Today we see a flawless performance which dips through their career in emotional but perfectly charted style. Opener “Have You Ever?” is a interesting choice but it’s perfectly executed. The band bathed in blue light for much of the evening are fluid, tight, and as professional as you’d expect for a unit already deep into a run of over 30 shows.
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They may well be the sum of their parts, but there’s no doubt that it’s frontman, keyboardist and founder Einar Solberg who commands the attention. He flits between keyboards, (there are three to choose from), jumps up on the Perspex cable covers, and occasionally stomps like a spoilt child in a toy shop. It’s his voice that sets Leprous apart though, with his astonishing range at times almost operatic. It sends a chill down the spine. He’s also a deadpan frontman. He bemoans the fact that the band have previously been pushed to the smaller Fleece venue – “Now look at us,” he says to a room with nearly three times the capacity. “Maybe we don’t have to play there now,” he smiles.
Despite Solberg’s protestations that band’s shouldn’t play too much new stuff we still get six choice cuts from Aphelion. We are treated to some older treats though, with a duo from Coal (“Foe” and “The Cloak”) as well as two from The Congregation in “The Flood” and “The Price”. With Raphael Weinroth-Browne once again adding his deft touches on cello as he has done since 2017, Leprous simply astonish. Their songs don’t meander, the band favouring the shorter, concise tune. They can rip it up when needed though, with guitarists Tor Oddmund Suhrke and Robin Ognedal cutting shapes at times alongside bassist Simen Børven.
It’s suddenly encore time for an evening that has gone much too fast. The stage is bathed in red light for “The Sky is Red”, Leprous pour out the longest song of the evening and the audience leaves with gasps and open mouths. Very much in a league of their own, it’s debatable whether even SWX will be big enough next time the band visit this part of the world.
Photos by Paul Hutchings
Leprous: official | facebook | twitter | youtube
Monuments: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | youtube
Kalandra: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | youtube
