from Elverum. The band had already recorded a lot of material from their first album, The Last Sunset. Following rehearsals, the band returned to the studio to finish the album with vocal recording and recording the title track of the album. Hans Christian Gjestvang was hired by the band to record the keyboards. When the album was finished, they established their own independent record label "Conception Self-Financed". Following its 1991 release, the title track entered at number three on the Norsktoppen charts in 1992 for three weeks, as well as the album having receiving praise from European reviewers. In 1992, the band recorded a song titled "Black on Black" for a compilation CD of Norway's metal scene. The band was later discovered and signed by German label Noise Records in 1993, where they recorded their second album Parallel Minds, released the same year. The following year Noise also reissued their debut album. In 1995, the band released their third album, In Your Multitude and their fourth album, Flow, in 1997. The band was characterized by a unique sound in the power/progressive metal genre, notable for Østby's occasional integration of elements of flamenco (which he would continue in his later work with Ark) and Khan's unique, operatic vocals. Breakup and reunion Conception disbanded in 1997, and after that Roy Khan was invited to join American symphonic power metal band Kamelot as their new lead singer. He went on to release several albums with the band, before departing in 2010 due to health issues, and retiring from music indefinitely. Østby devoted his focus to Ark, a progressive metal band he had formed in 1999 along with Jørn Lande and John Macaluso. They disbanded in 2002 and reunited from 2009 to 2011. Ingar Amlien formed the death metal band Crest of Darkness, who have released six studio albums as of 2018, and remain active. Drummer Arve Heimdal retired from music in 1999, making a one-off return for the band's 2005 reunion. Conception reunited in 2005, playing the important American prog metal festival ProgPower USA on 16 September and Norwegian Scream Magazines 15 Years & 100 Issues Festival on 1 October, bringing the final five-man line-up together again. Return to music In April 2018, rumours began circulating that the band were planning a comeback, after reports of rehearsals in Gjøvik, followed by fan photos of the band together. Just a few days earlier, lead