The Chronicles of Father Robin: the Fantastic Trilogy

The Chronicles of Father Robin: the story and the band

The Chronicles of Father Robin is a Norwegian progressive rock "supergroup" formed in 1993, comprising members of other prominent bands in the Scandinavian prog scene, including Wobbler, Tusmørke, Jordsjø, and The Samuel Jackson Five. The band has been a project spanning three decades.

The band was formed by a group of friends who had known each other for years and had grown up listening to similar music. Inspired by the giants of 1970s progressive rock and modern Scandinavian bands such as Änglagård, Anekdoten and Landberk, they founded the band Fangorn in the early 1990s.

In 1995, during a year in Norwegian high school, core members Andreas, Jon, and Henrik began developing the concept for the Father Robin trilogy, in which the character of Father Robin was created as a mythical being who embodied all the band members.

The band spent the next three decades developing the concept and music for the narrative. The long writing process was guided by their shared interests in folk tales, mythology, fantasy literature, and philosophical ideas.

The band's lineup includes:
- Andreas Wettergreen Strømman Prestmo (Wobbler, Les Fleurs du Mal) Vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, keyboards, and percussion.

- Thomas Hagen Kaldhol (The Samuel Jackson Five, Mt. Mélodie, Macho Savant): Electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, and electronics.

- Jon André Nilsen (The Few): Bass and backing vocals.

- Aleksandra Morozova (Oslo Philharmonic Choir, Mt. Mélodie, Oslo Vocalis): Backing vocals.

- Henrik Harmer (Les Fleurs du Mal, The Few): Drums, percussion, and backing vocals.

- Regin Meyer (Tusmørke): Flute, piano, and organ.

- Kristoffer Momrak (Tusmørke, Alwanzatar, Les Fleurs du Mal): Flute and synthesizer.

Other great musicians have also contributed as guests:
- Lars Fredrik Frøislie (Wobbler, In Lingua Mortua, White Willow): Keyboards, including Hammond, Mellotron, and Minimoog.

- Håkon Oftung (Jordsjø): Keyboards, including Hammond, clavinet, and Mellotron.

- Martin Nordrum Kneppen (Wobbler, Black Magic, Wudewuze): Drums and percussion

This fantastic lineup, which includes artists from many of the bands I listen to and which I consider to be  Northern Prog, gave birth to the impressive trilogy of concept albums, The Songs & Tales of Airoea, released in 2023 and 2024, which tells the story of Father Robin and his travels through the mythical world of Airoea.

The trilogy consists of three albums:

- The Songs & Tales of Airoea Book I: The Tale of Father Robin (State of Nature) - 2023
- The Songs & Tales of Airoea Book 2: Ocean Traveller (Metamorphosis) - 2023
- The Songs & Tales of Airoea Book 3: Magical Chronicle (Ascension) - 2024

The sound is an eclectic progressive rock deeply influenced by the progressive music of the late '60s and early '70s, featuring vintage analog keyboards, Mellotron, Hammond organ and Fender Rhodes, electric and acoustic guitars, flute, and mandolin.

The song structures are complex, featuring long jams and intricate, multi-part songwriting sessions, with folk influences alongside heavier prog passages and symphonic moments.

After three decades, the release of The Songs & Tales of Airoea finally brought the project to fruition. A unique and ambitious work, created while the members pursued other successful musical projects. A magnificent story of friendship, music, passion, and art, and also a piece of modern Scandinavian musical history.

A new "Canterbury," kids who meet at school, sharing the same passions and sensibilities, and who begin to converse and imagine epic sagas and complex compositions. For thirty years, despite working in other prestigious, even highly successful, bands with different sounds and experiences, perhaps influenced by those first meetings and youthful discussions and research, they brought their project to fruition, without ever truly distancing themselves from each other or from the desire to realize it. Fascinating, almost moving for those who believe in art and friendship, I find it simply magnificent.

The graphic style of the artwork reflects the albums' fantasy and surreal atmosphere.

These are the albums in the Trilogy:

The Songs & Tales of Airoea Book I: The Tale of Father Robin (State of Nature)

Book I tells the story of Father Robin's travels through the lands of Airoea, through hills, valleys, and forests.

 

- Prologue introduces the album's concept and atmosphere, a calm and mysterious beginning.
- The Tale of Father Robin is another brief introduction, introducing the main character and, along with Prologue, a prelude to the longer, more epic songs that follow.
- Eleision Forest, an epic piece lasting about 12 minutes, a splendid composition with beautiful flutes, synthesizers, and keyboards in a pastoral atmosphere.
- The Death of the Fair Maiden, a beautiful piece with folk-rock influences and an acoustic background that builds towards a dramatic and powerful finale, featuring beautiful vocals and choral parts.
- Twilight Fields is one of the album's top tracks, about 15 minutes of complex prog with bass and keyboards in an eerie atmosphere, great guitar solos, and powerful riffs.
- Unicorn closes the album, with a pastoral start featuring gorgeous flute before building in intensity with jazz-rock accents, with a great vocal part at the center.

 

The synergy between the band members' diverse styles is remarkable, enriched by their experiences with individual projects and other bands.

 

An album absolutely recommended for fans of progressive and symphonic rock. Fantastic.

The Songs & Tales of Airoea Book 2: Ocean Traveller (Metamorphosis)

Book II moves from land to water, taking the protagonist from "Over Westwinds" to the underwater city of Oriasaleah and across the Sea of ​​Ayrouhr to the Great Barrier Reef, where he encounters danger from the island's inhabitants.

 

"Over Westwinds" is the opening track, a dark and melancholic, atmospheric piece featuring beautiful acoustic guitar, flute, church organ, and vocals.
- Orias & the Underwater City, a rockier track with beautiful organs and synths, has a dark, slow, and relaxing atmosphere that gives the feeling of floating in a deep ocean, a mysterious atmosphere that makes us see "Father Robin" approaching a submerged city.

- Ocean Traveller has more powerful arrangements and beautiful choruses.

- Lady of Waves begins with a beautiful pastoral atmosphere with big acoustic guitars and gradually builds into a beautiful instrumental section.
- Green Refreshments is one of the top tracks, a fast-paced track with great flute, bass, and Mellotron.
- The Grand Reef is a majestic close to the album, a bright and energetic piece where the flute and organ are at their best and contains a spectacular synth solo.

 

An excellent album for fans of prog and especially symphonic rock, this atmospheric concept album is a must-have for any collection.

The Songs & Tales of Airoea Book 3: Magical Chronicle (Ascension)

What can I say? If a prog fan wasn't influenced by the genre's greatest musicians, I'd be absolutely amazed. I find their sound absolutely original, influenced by Scandinavian folk and the band members' diverse musical sensibilities.

The album concludes the story of the fantastic character of Father Robin, as he explores the "cloud lands" of the sky with a dense, intense sound, characterized by great creativity, fantastic ideas, and vocals layered with deep harmonies.

- Magical Chronicle opens the album with rich vocal harmonies and a spectacular rhythm section.
- "Skyslumber" is a very atmospheric, soft track with an ambient intro, a change I personally appreciated in the mood of the trilogy.

- "Cloudship" is a beautiful crescendoing prog ballad, with rare spoken word and beautiful percussion, a symphonic rock-style piece with beautiful vocals.
- "Empress of the Sun" is a decidedly psychedelic rock-oriented piece with beautiful vocals, organ, and keyboards.

- "Lost in the Palace Gardens" begins with a splendid acoustic guitar. The bass lines are strong, and the mandolin adds a noteworthy folk touch.
- "Epilogue" is the brief closing of the album and the trilogy, with synth sounds simulating the sounds of nature and the sea. It's a very atmospheric closing of the album and the trilogy.

A must-listen for fans of classic progressive rock, symphonic rock with a folk and pastoral feel in the style of the 70s, with compositions and arrangements of great impact, making it a perfect conclusion to this splendid trilogy.

Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.