PARADOX HOTEL

Well, I musty say I liked this album very much when I first heard it. Like all TFK albums, it seems that they can´t really release a bad CD. They are simply too talented for that. But it does not mean they are all masterpieces either. Paradox Hotel is clearly an album without focus, ragged and lacks power. Individually, the songs, except for the inevitable filler stuff, are quite good. But surely they lack some kind of spark. This is particularly true with the two epics, which seemed to be written mostly for the sake of it.

The line up changes also did some harm. Founder member Hasse Brunnisson plays only on a couple of tracks and new drummer Marcus Liliequist is good, but not par to his predecessors. Also missing is Daniel Gildenlow, but, considering his busy work schedule with Pain Of Salvation and also with Transatlantic, that was to be expected.

The album seems a bit forced in some aspects too. Almost like they decided to prove they are really a ´rock´ band, with silly tracks like Life Will Kill You and the title track. Fortunately those are not the majority here.

If you´re a Flower King fan, go for it. It has a fair amount of decent songs on it and their musicianship is as awesome as ever. However, this is not for the newbie. It is a transitional album that will satisfy only the devoted fan, who has bought all their major albums already and want to get their latest stuff too,no matter what. Compared to much stuff that´s being released nowadays I think Paradox Hotel is still a strong effort. But when you put it side by side with their best work, I´m afraid this one suffers a lot. Clearly, they were not in their prime.

Rating: Something between 2 and 2,5 stars really.