The fourth album from this Swedish band.
These legends, lead by the ex Kaipa member Roine Stolt, needs no introduction. They are without any doubts one of the best post 1970s prog rock bands. They were one of the bands who blew the prog rock scene into life again after the horrible 1980s.
Roine Stolt is still the flower king here. He has got help from five other musicians, including Thomas Bodin, Hasse Froberg and three other musicians. All of them are doing a great job.
Roine Stolt has never been a fan of the "less is more" mantra. Hence this 143 minutes long album. Yes, that is almost two and a half hour. 2 CDs and God only know how many LPs if this album sees the light on LP. Taking the current trend into consideration, eight LPs ?
This is one heck of a mouthful to chew over. One heck of a mouthful to review. Hence, my review of the The Flower Kings albums is sporadic as these albums requires a lot from me.
The music here is the usual fare from The Flower Kings. Very flowery symphonic prog with a the typical Swedish sound which is rooted in Swedish folk music. A sound I really love.
The songs are long with lots of details and great vocals. This album takes us through various landscapes. Not all of them are that interesting.
The material here is somewhere between great and good. Not everything here is great though. But most of the material is great. This album is an album you simply need to have as it showcases The Flower Kings on their best and on their less interesting side. Get it.
3.5 points
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