Chosen by Monk
The Leprous frontman presents the second taster from his just announced second solo album, which will see him summon a deeply personal ‘Vox Occulta’ at the end of April.
Speaking about the track, Solberg says:
‘Medulla’ started with a riff. I had just picked up an eight-string plugin, and it immediately led me to that main idea. As soon as it came together, I knew it had weight.
It felt physical — like something you feel in your bones rather than just hear. That’s where the idea of marrow came in. The song is about the part of me that stayed strong through everything I’ve been through. No matter what happened around it, the core held.
There’s no full orchestra on this track, but it still has a cinematic edge. Chris Baum added real strings, and Keli, Pierre Danel, and Jed Lingat bring the song to life on drums, guitar, and bass.
As well as the beautiful orchestration, Einar is joined by drummer Keli Guðjónsson (Agent Fresco), violinist Chris Baum (Bent Knee), guitarist Pierre Danel (Novelists) and bassist Jed Lingat, as well as guitarists Ben Levin (ex-Bent Knee) & John Browne (Monuments). The album was mixed by Adam Noble (Nothing But Thieves, Biffy Clyro) & co-produced with David Castillo.
The album sees Solberg taking a deeply personal approach, having been an avid fan of classical music and soundtracks for more than 20 years. The lyrics are personal as well, and they make ‘Vox Occulta’ something of a thematic follow-up to 2023’s ‘16’. Where Solberg’s solo debut revisited the death of his father and his past struggles with anxiety, this set is a warts’n’all portrait of himself and how he views the world in 2026.
- ‘Vox Occulta’ will be released as a limited CD digipak, gatefold white/black 2LP and a very limited gatefold transparent red 2LP, as well as digitally.
Solberg has also announced the first tour dates in support of the album, starting at The Garage in London on 18 September:
