Norway loves progressive and today cannot even in theory be more prog, since it is our finest Leprous that are hitting Sentrum Scene. Just imagine: a sold-out 1,750-capacity venue for Leprous playing alone in a two-act show. They’ve now outgrown the stages that recently hosted Accept, Saxon, Queensryche and such veterans like Vader. It’s a well-earned achievement, built through years of relentless hard work.All ages and subcultures seem to be present.

Leprous start and the vocals captivate instantly. The music is so intelligent and complex, the recent Opeth show is a bunch of radio-friendly hits compared to this - Leprous is very avant garde, with Einar Solberg, Norway’s best vocalist, being the glue of all the bizarre pieces together. The only thing that does not really fit is the band's name being too metal for their type of material.

Keys (along with vocals) dominate, set’s first songs have very hidden guitars, - but it evolves so that the 5th song Downhill Racer unleashes fires set onstage. All the parts are very unconventional and the drums are not your typical rhythm too - Baard Kolstad is a master percussionist. This is seriously very very very very intricate.

At one point, Einar asked the crowd, “Quality or quantity?” prompting a cheer for the former. He also humorously resumed speaking Norwegian after hearing quite a number of non-Norwegian speakers voicing their existence.

Leprous’s lineup featured two guitarists, a percussionist, a bassist who occasionally jumped on keys, another keyboardist, and Einar—constantly rushing back and forth to the keyboard himself. Musically, they’re like a hybrid of a more complex Animals as Leaders fused with Sigur Rós’s melancholic undertones—only with entirely different vocals. Their guitars hint at djent influences, while the drumming carries the free-form brilliance of Jojo Mayer—yet nothing feels repetitive or predictable.

This show marked the last booking made by Radar Booking’s Jan-Martin Jensen before his passing on February 10, 2025. Jan-Martin played a pivotal role in elevating Norway’s metal scene, helping put Oslo on the global map as a music destination. Leprous paid tribute with a solemn minute of silence.

I have mixed feelings. Being a prog lover it was so over the top I struggled to handle it, yet it was such an interesting experience embraced by so many.