Acts: Leprous, support: Ihlo & Crystal Horizon
Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 7:45 PM – 11:00 PM
Venue: Ljubljana / CUK Kino Šiška / Slovenia
Every now and then a ray of light tied to the progressive rock genre manages to shine down on Slovenia. Given how rich and universally present the genre is in the world of music, our scene has always lagged light-years behind it. Those few fans of progressive rock — and progressive metal too — that you can count on one hand in Slovenia most often travel over 1,000 km to venues where both genres have been at home for decades. If that means the British Isles, northern Poland, Germany, or even Plovdiv in Bulgaria, so be it. That’s just how it goes. Slovenia is therefore practically a proverbial dead zone — a massive black hole with zero reception for progressive rock or progressive metal.
Now, when it comes to Scandinavian prog-metal oddballs Leprous, we’re lucky enough here that Leprous are one of those rare bands that manage to visit Slovenia every few years. This time around, their show as part of the “Melodies Of Atonement” tour (2024, RockLine review) was (believe it or not) already their sixth here. Leprous have played Metaldays twice. Four times in Ljubljana. First in 2010 at CUK Kino Šiška, as support for Therion, then at Orto bar in 2013, and again at CUK Kino Šiška. That was two years ago, when they were supporting the “Aphelion” album and put on a fantastic show — one you don’t easily forget, one that still rings in our ears to this day (RockLine concert review).
Leprous have a habit of always taking bands on tour with them that fall stylistically into the category of “musical weirdos” — bands that need the exposure, and bands whose quirky nature definitely adds to the appeal of every Leprous tour date. This time around, the first support slot went to young, up-and-coming Norwegian compatriots Crystal Horizon. The quintet kicked off at 7:45 p.m. and in a tight 25-minute set presented their self-titled debut, which came out in March 2024. With their material and performance, Crystal Horizon made it clear that they’re learning a great deal from Leprous, among others. The dreamy atmosphere of mid-tempo tracks skillfully filled out by a vivid rhythm section, deft guitar interjections, and a “quirky” choice of chord progressions that without warning sweep the atmosphere and melody off into surprising territory — it was hugely entertaining in every way. The room wasn’t very full at that point, but Crystal Horizon definitely won over the early arrivals too, to the enormous talent the quintet possesses. Their chorus melodies also owe a great deal to the pop culture of those unforgettable ’80s evergreen hits. The band definitely picked up a fresh batch of new fans at CUK Kino Šiška that evening.
Ihlo are a different matter altogether. By the time their set rolled around, the room had filled up considerably. The band already enjoys significant international recognition and support, which was confirmed by the crowd’s enthusiastic response during their performance. The audience knew the band’s material very well. Even though Ihlo are pretty slow when it comes to releasing new material, the high quality of what they do put out is what counts. Not every artist lands a deal with Kscope Records. Their second album “Legacy” only came out this year, and the British band has already been at it for ten years. The quintet is technically razor-sharp. Precise and incredibly tight. These are sonic performance perfectionists — which the audience quickly recognized, as this band represents a generational leap between old-school prog-metal philosophy and modern acts. Yes. Djent-inflected phrases, among other things. Absolutely. There’s no question of any flirting with Dream Theater here. The whole thing sits closer to bands that are setting new standards in progressive metal in the modern era — like their compatriots TesseracT or Haken — and you can feel the influence of Porcupine Tree (and occasionally Muse) at almost every turn. Insane how completely Ihlo had us hooked with their set and performance. Complex rhythmic structures, sudden and unexpected jumps between lead rhythms, skillful looping with programmed patterns that vividly contrast with the band’s sonic landscape. Andy Robison is the commander, hunting for musical infectiousness in the vocal lines — and in that regard we’re again faced with subtleties that connect to the rhetoric of ’80s pop. But Australian Voyager do the same thing very skillfully today too. Thirty-five minutes with a focus on material from the album “Legacy” flew by in a blink, and the band drew thunderous crowd responses more than once! Brilliant. In every way. A band we can only hope to catch live again sometime. A performance that won on every front, sound included.
During the break the stage opened up — very, very spacious. The backdrop was the unfolded cover of Leprous’s latest album “Melodies Of Atonement”, featuring the marine ciliate (tintinnid) Rhabdonella spiralis. For the uninitiated: it’s a single-celled organism that feeds on microscopic algae and lives, among other places, in the Mediterranean.
Leprous delivered in an hour and a half of playing. Just as expected. The hall was nicely full, similar to three years ago, and a big chunk of the crowd had made their way from neighbouring countries, especially Italy and Austria. Lucky for us. Over time Leprous have grown into an enormously respected band. They have nothing left to prove. Their loyal fans positively radiate genuine fanaticism at moments during their shows — in the way they respond to everything coming from the stage from their favourites, which makes the occasional very loud singalong no surprise at all. The latest album “Melodies of Atonement” was front and centre, but the band also devoted considerable time to their career-defining fan favourite “Pitfalls” (2019), from which, alongside the obligatory Below and The Sky Is Red — which they never drop from the encore — they also played Alleviate and, very early in the show, I Lose Hope.
There are always a few factors that place Leprous, as an artistic entity, in a special spot in the musical universe. One of the band’s central figures is Einar Solberg — the chief composer, multi-instrumentalist, and above all that, an incredible vocal chameleon who stuns with everything he touches vocally. Once again he showcased the multi-faceted extravagance of his voice. A vocalist of a thousand faces; a vocalist who is unique in himself and gives the band a wholly eclectic artistic stance all on his own. Then there are the other five oddballs, who craft an extraordinary blend of complexity, unpredictable mood shifts, calm passages where hypnosis and psychedelia are never absent, and sudden jolts of relentless phrasing. The eight-string axes do their job. The wall of sound is phenomenal. Theatricality is the band’s middle name. Three platforms at the front of the stage — used by both guitarists during solos, but most often by Einar Solberg during his preacher-like commanding of the room.
More than a few endearing moments crept in during the show — when Einar spent quite a while hunting for the right tuning on the keyboards before performing the absolute surprise of the evening: the jagged Passing, taken from the band’s debut “Tall Poppy Syndrome” (2009), having already called for help from a technician before managing to sort it himself at the last moment. During one of the breaks, Einar also mentioned that CUK Kino Šiška has always been one of the band’s favourite venues, adding a memory of Leprous’s first concert in Slovenia in 2010, when he asked the audience: “Is there anyone here who was at our concert in 2010? I won’t forget those few people who watched our show just sitting down. They were sitting right in front of the stage.” The band also surprised more than a few with the inclusion of a massive evergreen that stirred up those ’80s pop sensibilities — the hit Take On Me, originally by their compatriots A-HA. Played to strict Leprous specifications, of course, where the melancholic development of the verse in the Leprous arrangement nearly erases all trace of the original. Clever.
The spotlight play adds its own dimension, generously creating an extraordinary atmosphere of a parallel world that you find yourself in when you’re with Leprous live. They create their own world — and that magic is over far too soon. Few concerts unwind with such intensity and speed. Leprous are the definitive creators of that kind of magic. They are incapable of a false step, and every move they make during the performance radiates the immense passion with which they approach absolutely everything. That is what loving the live performance looks like. And once again they delivered to their loyal audience exactly what it came for — their own brand of musical perfection that stuns and never stops inspiring wonder.
Authors: Edita Klemen & Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Ihlo – setlist:
1. Legacy
2. Haar
3. Wraith
4. Source
5. Cenotaph
6. Union
Leprous – setlist:
1. Silently Walking Alone
2. Illuminate
3. I Lose Hope
4. My Specter
5. Take On Me (orig. A-HA)
6. Below
7. Alleviate
8. Passing
9. The Price
10. Like a Sunken Ship
11. Slave
12. Castaway Angels
13. From the Flame
—encore—
14. Atonement
15. The Sky Is Red (Outro)
16. Your Blood (orig. Nothing But Thieves, recorded outro)
