First up were the fellow Norwegians of Kalandra. And while at first glance, they might be a bit of a weird choice to open on a night like this, their artistry and approach to their music fits like a glove with the other bands on the bill. The Nordic folk infused alt-rock is rather easy-going, but was absolutely captivating from start to finish. With an atmospheric sound and every band member clearly being as swept away by their music as we were, it was a magical way to start the night. With the addition of some interesting instrumentation like at some point one of the guitarists using a bow to play and vocalist Katrine’s small keyboard/sampler, it was a fascinating display of musicianship. Talking about Katrine her hand movements, dances and reaching out to the crowd lifted the performance even more, easily creating a connection with all who showed up early enough to catch the opener. I truly hope to see these lovely people on a stage again in the nearby future!

And then it was time for the heaviest bit of the night! I was really looking forward to seeing Monuments on a stage again, especially with a quite different line-up than last time I caught them live, and with their pretty massive latest album ‘In Stasis’ to present. If there were any worries that they wouldn’t be kicking some serious ass now that they have one less guitarist and a totally new bassist, that doubt was swept away pretty fast. The only remaining original member and now only guitarist John Browne killed it as usual, drummer Mike was a beast behind his kit yet again, vocalist Andy was his impressive self showing off how much he’s grown as the band’s frontman throwing his all into his performance, and newly added bassist Werner looked like he’d always been a part of Monuments. The whole show was bursting with energy and everyone was seeking connection with the fans in front of them. I feel that the gig maybe could have been a touch better if they had been playing at a smaller club show where the crowd was right up there at the stage, but that’s only a minor complaint really. The majority of the setlist consisted of tracks from their latest album of course, but we also got a taste of some older stuff like ‘I, the Creator’, ‘Leviathan’ and ‘Empty Vessels Make the Most Noise’. These guys have a massive sound both on record and live, and deserve even more recognition than they already get. Can’t wait to be able to catch them live again some time in the hopefully nearby future.

And last, but definitely not least, it was time for the band everyone was here for. I’ve honestly only seen Leprous at festivals before, so I was really curious to see how the vibe was going to be like at a concert that was purely dedicated to them as the headliners. The room had filled up really nicely, and an elated kind of feeling was radiating from the crowd. As soon as the band started to come on stage, they were met with the sheer excitement of the fans in front of them. Kicking off with ‘Have You Ever?‘ from their much praised latest release ‘Aphelion‘ was the perfect move and set the bar high immediately. Besides that, we got a handful more tracks from that album to enjoy live like ‘Out of Here‘, ‘On Hold‘, ‘Castaway Angels‘ and ‘Nighttime Disguise‘. But of course there was plenty of room for some fan favorites and good old classics like ‘The Price‘, ‘The Flood‘, ‘Below‘ or ‘The Sky Is Red‘. And honestly, I enjoyed seeing Leprous on a stage way more than I have ever before. There’s just something about them playing in a nice setting like Vanha Ylioppilastalo with their stage production and a room filled with dedicated fans that simply elevates their performance. Not saying that any show of theirs I’ve seen has been bad, because all of them are stellar musicians, Einar‘s voice is immensely impressive and having a talented musician like Raphael Weinroth-Browne (cello, keyboards) as an additional live band member is a recipe for a serving of exceptional music.