The Book of Hours by Agropelter

Fully instrumental album with clear, strong and fine classical influences, a very high-caliber line-up with some absolute standouts, a progressive rock that comes from Norway but that, of Scandinavia, lacks that typical dark, melancholic vibe; compositions ranging from electrifying and energetic to sweet, passionate and romantic, with quality and intensity always at the top at every stage. Exceptional line-up in all its parts, together with the compositions.

The band's biography is as follows, taken from their official website: 

"Agropelter is a Norwegian progressive rock project. It is the creative outlet of Kay Olsen, a new promise of the thriving Norwegian prog scene. The music draws inspiration both from classic prog bands such as Genesis, Camel, King Crimson and Eloy, and from classical composers Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Bach, Vangelis and Terje Rypdal.

On the debut album you will find Mellotron, Hammond organs, harpsichord, ARP and Moog synthesizers and bass pedals. Kay Olsen played all guitars, bass, Hammond and church organ, and the lead keyboards.

Also contributing:

Jonas Reingold (Steve Hackett, The Flower Kings) on fretless bass.

Mattias Olsson (Änglagård, White Willow, Molesome) on percussion, Mellotron, overdubs and atmospheres.

Andreas Sjøen (Umpfel, VÅDE, Sean Ashe) on drums, along with numerous classical musicians playing strings and winds.

The record is mixed and mastered by Jacob Holm-Lupo (White Willow, Donner, Solstein) at Dude Ranch Studios."

Already from this read, we see something very, very interesting:

This is the project of a multi-instrumentalist with great compositional and performance skills, especially on keyboards and organ—where there are exceptional parts—Kay Olsen, who relies on major collaborations, and two stand out (without taking anything away from the others): the great Jonas Reingold on bass (Steve Hackett, The Flower Kings) and Mattias Olsson of the immense Änglagård and also White Willow. Even the mixer comes from White Willow, with Jacob Holm Lupo. 

The other string and wind players are very strong, but a special mention goes to the extraordinary piano of Jordi Castella, a central instrument throughout the record, and to the drums of Andreas Skorpe, a discovery for me, but absolutely magnificent.

Beyond the illustrious influences both in the Prog world and in classical music, we read that this is "Norwegian progressive rock": maybe someone besides me is starting to identify this as a genre of its own, what I have more than once defined in countless posts as Northern Prog.

The album consists of 7 tracks, four of which make up a title track split into 4 parts for a total duration of over 30 minutes, taking up the last track of side A and the entire side B; the three tracks at the beginning of the album are shorter, for a total album length of about 45 minutes.

Flute Of Peril has beautiful flutes and keyboards in the opening section, then leaves the stage to a splendid synergy between keyboards and a beautiful guitar. Bucolic, almost pastoral track, short but very, very beautiful, without drums, slow and engaging. Beautiful.

Levitator has a very atmospheric beginning with keyboards sketching a fine introduction, then the piece starts and grows in intensity with a modern prog style and some psychedelic passages. The keyboard figure, then doubled by the guitar, is catchy; a driving and overall very enjoyable track. The guitar solo is beautiful. An ambient section with keyboards and a nice drum tempo heralds a really beautiful keyboard solo that intertwines with great off-beat guitar accents, until the organ arrives, imposing and majestic, to close the track, fading into electronic synth sounds. Another beautiful track.

Burial Mound has a slow, sustained keyboard intro; the light drums play over this long sound bed with hints, touches, fleeting interventions, and then an astonishing bass solo starts—melodic and intense—moving between long tones and quick chords. This mood dominates the track. Drums and bass are the absolute protagonists. Great piece.  

The first part of the suite, The Book of Hours Part I, begins with piano, strings and winds in an operatic manner, performed with absolute excellence; over it the keyboards lay a sound carpet that transforms the piece, giving it an absolutely prog mood, with powerful drums and bass tracing a syncopation over which the keyboards draw a fantastic melodic solo. Great atmosphere and time changes. The bass here, as in the other tracks, is absolutely fantastic. The piece accelerates into a rock gallop and the guitar also becomes rhythmic with a pressing riff in the epic moment of the track. Beautiful keyboard solo and then the guitar one. Great taste in the variations, followed admirably by the drums which once again are protagonists with the bass; a section that grows more and more in intensity until, under light rain and a thunderstorm, the magical piano returns: beautiful performance, intense, passionate, engaging, full of nuances, growing and becoming ever more thrilling and powerful, showing exceptional pianistic skills. Then the prog phase starts again, a triumph of everything I (we?) like: a tension-filled intro of keyboard and drums, then a fantastic keyboard solo over an overwhelming rhythmic base, pressing, energizing, and then it changes again, when the drums become light, the synth traces a loop while the bass launches into a new beautiful solo over the sound bed. Astonishing the complexity and beauty that merge on the monstrous fretless bass. The piano returns with an unsettling figure and the beautiful strings, a great cello part, deep timpani and the choral ending of this splendid track. ABSOLUTE TOP.  

The Book Of Hours Part II opens side B with intense freshness, with a rhythm that has something exotic, emphasized by all the instruments—something Arabic—in a concert of keyboards and piano, strings and winds. Beautiful composition, which manages to move and touch you, so passionate it is. More driving and more atmospheric phases alternate.  As do the solos, including the very long guitar one that grows as the piece grows. Beautiful the synth loop that accompanies the whole track, the metronomic bass, and drums always precise. Great composition.   

In The Book Of Hours Part III the piano briefly returns between the close of Part II and the opening of Part III; drums and bass lay down a powerful time over which the keyboards, on the same main theme of the whole suite, give us a stunning solo. Another variation, again traced by a piano solo, and then the keyboards join for a kind of classical piano intermezzo enriched by the modernity of the synths. The guitar joins in, replacing the keyboards in the reworking of the theme with the piano. Now it is the moment of the keyboards and organ that open the next phase, in which drums and bass return. The epic phase of the piece starts again. Great emphasis, great build, great energy once more, and a great guitar solo. This track excels for the alternation of virtuosity, and there is a beautiful drum intermezzo that marks the boundary between this energetic phase and the next one, where an interlude of piano and winds and strings returns, and the splendid harpsichord with incursions of drums and guitar. The suite continues in grandeur.

The Book Of Hours Part IV reinterprets the same central theme of the entire suite with different shades: a more linear rhythm for much of the track, a very long section in which the splendid guitar takes the lead. It feels like a symphonic rock jam; the nuances and changes are meticulous, careful and precise, played with different emphasis and taste. The album closes with a splendid organ that lingers for many endless seconds…

My Copy

Label: The Laser's Edge – LE1084LP
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 25 Jul 2025

Tracklist

A1        Flute Of Peril
A2        Leviator
A3        Burial Mound
A4        The Book Of Hours Part I
B1        The Book Of Hours Parts II. III. IV.

Lineup

Kay Olsen: Guitars, electric bass, keyboards, Hammond organ, ARP synthesizers, pipe organ (church organ)
Andreas Skorpe Sjøen: Drums
Mattias Olsson: Percussion, overdubs, Mellotron, ambient effects
Jonas Reingold: Fretless bass (unfretted bass)
Jordi Castella: Grand piano

Classical contributions and winds/strings

Eli Mine: Harpsichord
Norlene M: Cello
Aileen Antu: Double bass
Luis Vilca: Alto flute
Hannah Danets: Concert flute
Zhivago: Bassoon
Edgar Asmar: Duduk