UNFOLD THE FUTURE

'Unfold the Future' is the seventh album by The Flower Kings and was released 5 November 2002. This is the band's third studio double-CD. This is the first Flower Kings album to feature Zoltan Csörsz and Daniel Gildenlöw. The former is a Hungarian drummer who would drum on subsequent Flower Kings albums, including the following record, 2004s 'Adam and Eve,' and 2007s 'The Sum of No Evil.' I would characterize Czörsz as a powerhouse drummer with a jazz touch. Daniel Gildenlöw, who needs no introduction, is the frontman for Pain of Salvation and is a guest vocalist on 'Unfold the Future.' He sings backing vocals and lead vocals on the tracks "Fast Lane," "Rollin' the Dice," and parts of "Devil's Playground." Eventually, Gildenlöw became a proper member of the Flower Kings on 2004s 'Adam and Eve,' which was also the last Flower Kings album he was featured on. Believe it or not, it was 'Unfold the Future' that made me a fan of Daniel Gildenlöw, as I had heard of Pain of Salvation but had not actually listened to their music. After listening to 'Unfold the Future' for the first time, I quickly rectified that by purchasing 'The Perfect Element, Pt. 1' and 'Remedy Lane.' Both of those albums have changed my life, but that's for another review. 'Unfold the Future' is The Flower Kings' aforementioned foray into jazz fusion. Don't get it twisted, 'Unfold the Future' is still prog with a capital P, first and foremost. Three tracks on 'Unfold the Future,' including the special edition bonus track, are free-form jams: "Christianopel," "Soul Vortex," and "Too Late for Tomatoes." These improvisational jams remind me of the jams on 'Starless and Bible Black' by King Crimson. While The Flower Kings are a rock band, each musician is fully capable of improvising well, especially the rhythm section of Jonas Reingold and Zoltan Csörsz, who both have strong jazz backgrounds.

'Unfold the Future' opens with one of the most popular Flower Kings songs, "The Truth Will Set You Free." This 31-minute epic comprises five sections: "I. Lonely Road," "II. Primal Instincts," "III. From the Source," "IV. Uphill," and "V. The Stars the Sun the Moon." I have ambivalent feelings towards "The Truth Will Set You Free" that are controversial but nevertheless true to how I feel. "The Truth Will Set You Free" is one of the weakest Flower Kings epics, and I will explain. The refrain is repeated at least five times, which is repetitive. The melody of the refrain is decent, but nothing special. The music unnaturally stops and starts from section to section, creating a strange flow. I don't find there to be any outstanding moment in "The Truth Will Set You Free." Not once does the song reach a satisfying climax. The underwhelming finale sounds like it was shoehorned last minute at the end of the piece so that it could surpass the 30 minute mark.

"Monkey Business" is an upbeat, energetic song. "Black and White" starts as a beautiful ballad and then crescendos into a jazz fusion instrumental. The heavy riff in the beginning of "Silent Inferno" is a faster version of the riff in "A Crack in the Ice" by Arena. I like Jonas Reingold's inventive bassline during the verse, which at first is on a fretless and utilizes tapping and sliding. His playing during the verse reminds me of Tony Levin. Reingold's dexterous bass playing paired with Zoltan Csörsz's acrobatic drumming, particularly after the audio excerpt of the "I've fallen, and I can't get up!" television commercial, captures some of their best playing.

"The Navigator" and "Solitary Shell" are both essentially the same songs with different lyrics. "Vox Humana" is a reprise of the "From the Source" section of "The Truth Will Set You Free." It starts off with the guitar melody, this time played on mellotron, which is then sung by Hasse Fröberg. I like the pop twist "Vox Humana" puts on "From the Source," and I actually like it more. The sleigh bells during the coda is a nice touch. "Genie in a Bottle" is a straightforward rock tune with added Flower Kings quirks. "Fast Lane" is a song written by Tomas Bodin, and is the first song to feature Daniel Gildenlöw on lead vocals. Gildenlöw's vocals are theatrical, which is appropriate for this particular song. "Fast Lane" also showcases Gildenlöw's broad vocal range.

"Grand Old World" is a reprise of the beginning of "The Truth Will Set You Free," but this time it's played in a jazz context. Ulf Wallander plays soprano saxophone on "Grand Old World." "Rollin' the Dice" is a song written by Tomas Bodin. This song contains a groovy bassline and drumbeat as well as trading vocals between Fröberg and Gildenlöw. "The Devil's Danceschool" is a piece that was written by Jonas Reingold and Zoltan Csörsz, featuring wonderful playing from Swedish jazz trumpeter Anders Berggrantz. "Man Overboard" is an underrated Flower Kings song. It contains an interesting chord progression and melody as well as orchestral elements.

My favorite song on 'Unfold the Future' is the 25-minute epic, "Devil's Playground." The beginning of this piece is cinematic. Sinister guitar riffing in 5/4 sets "Devil's Playground" in motion. Ulf Wallander's saxophone augments the jazz fusion element of the music, reminding me of something off of 'Red' by King Crimson. Daniel Gildenlöw's vocal performance, especially during the climactic ending, is the emotional peak of the album. To top it all off, Roine Stolt plays a passionate guitar solo.

In conclusion, 'Unfold the Future' is a good, albeit bloated, album. Personally, I think 'Unfold the Future' would be better if the hour-and-a-half of superfluous fat were trimmed. But what we have here is the final product, so there's no point in hypothesizing. I like 'Unfold the Future' more than its insipid predecessor, 'The Rainmaker.' Nevertheless, 'Unfold the Future' is still worlds apart from the greatness of previous double-CDs such as 'Stardust We Are' or 'Flower Power.'