CONCEPTION - the band that arouse, conquered, took a break and came back to conquer more

Who are they?

Norwegian metal band presenting a mix of heavy groove, musical excellence and influences from flamenco, jazz and modern electronica. This became their signature and earned them cult status and a large and loyal fanbase around the world.

Formed in 1989, Roy Khan, vocals, Tore Østby, guitar, Ingar Amlien, bass, and Arve Heimdal on drums, Conception as a band and collective is still intact all these years later, since 2018 with the addition of touring members Aurora Heimdal on backing vocals, and keyboard player Lars Andre Kvistum.

Albums: 

1991 The Last Sunset

1993 Parallel Minds

1995 In Your Multitude

1997 Flow

2018 My Dark Symphony

2020 State Of Deception

2022 State Of Deception (Deluxe Edition).  

2022 BMG rereleased extended versions, including previously unreleased tracks, of their first four albums from the 90s.

In 2018 Conception came back with the highly acclaimed mini album «My Dark Symphony» which marked a new era for the band. It was followed by the album «State of Deception» in 2020, which followed their tradition of constant development, and also proved to be a success with both fans and critics. They later released a Deluxe Edition which included additional studio and live recordings. These successful releases sparked a new interest in the band, and BMG decided to rerelease their nineties back catalogue including previously unreleased tracks. They have since toured Europe, Latin America and USA headlining festivals and club shows.

In 2025 Tore and Roy also took to the stage with cellist Kjell Magne Robak, performing acoustic versions of Conception songs. They will continue to perform in this format alongside the full band. 

Conception are now in songwriting modus for a new album, and are playing occasional shows. Next performance is co-headlining US Prog Power 2026.