{"product_id":"vox_occulta","title":"Vox Occulta","description":"\u003cp\u003eVox Occulta is the second solo album from Einar Solberg — best known as the frontman of Norwegian progressive metal band Leprous — released on April 24, 2026 via InsideOutMusic. Spanning eight tracks and nearly 55 minutes, the record is a bold, cinematic statement co-produced with David Castillo (known for his work with Opeth and Katatonia) and featuring an impressive ensemble: drummer Keli Guðjónsson (Agent Fresco), violinist Chris Baum (Bent Knee), guitarists Pierre Danel, John Browne, and Ben Levin, and, most strikingly, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. Solberg has been explicit about his ambitions: \"I want to be seen as the cinematic person in prog. I want to completely own that,\" as quoted by Century Media. The album's Latin title translates to \"hidden voice,\" and the orchestral grandeur is deliberately positioned as a counterpoint to the more stripped-back direction Leprous took on their recent releases.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLyrically, Vox Occulta functions as Solberg's most unguarded self-portrait to date, exploring themes of envy, the fragility of life, inner conflict, and finding peace after hardship, as noted by The Prog Report. The title track specifically addresses his \"worst impulses and worst feelings.\" Musically, the album moves fluidly between orchestral bombast, heavy metallic riffs, and delicate, introspective passages, with each track maintaining its own distinct character while the record holds together as a cohesive whole. Standout moments include the near-12-minute epic \"Grex,\" where the orchestral and progressive metal elements fuse most compellingly, and the opening \"Stella Mortua,\" which sets the cinematic tone immediately with Solberg's voice hovering over classical strings before electric guitars surge in. Reviewers at Betreutes Proggen describe the album as operating in a state of \"permanent tension between intimacy and overwhelm\" — technically brilliant, emotionally maximalist, and structurally pushed to its limits.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Record Store","offers":[{"title":"CD \/ Album - Limited Digipak","offer_id":53532731998522,"sku":"38097","price":18.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Vinyl \/ 2LP - Limited White\/Black Vinyl","offer_id":53532732064058,"sku":"38098","price":46.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/2041\/0682\/files\/Screenshot_2026-05-28_at_2.57.11_PM.jpeg?v=1779994865","url":"https:\/\/recordstore.ca\/products\/vox_occulta","provider":"Record Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}