THE FLOWER KINGS

Unfortunately (for me) this album is being true to The Flower Kings tradition and therefore features a rehash of an uneven set of tracks were some are good while others are forgettable but non is really that progressive. I think that recruiting Daniel Gildenlöw was a failed idea since his vocals don't fit the bands overall sound and makes Adam & Eve more dark and pretentious, that is if the title isn't pretentious enough.

I'm definitely a much bigger fan of Pain Of Salvation's music and in a way this album can be considered a lite version of a Pain Of Salvation-album which lacks both instrumentally and composition-wise in comparison to their regular output.

This is once again an album that I can't really hate and although I totally agree with Sean Trane and his reviews of The Flower Kings catalog I'll still give it a good but non-essential rating. Having said that I doubt that there is any reason for me to hear any other titles from this bands rapidly expanding discography.

**** star songs: Love Supreme (19:50) Cosmic Circus (3:00) Babylon (2:41) Days Gone By (1:10) Adam & Eve (7:50) Drivers Seat (18:22) The Blade Of Cain (5:00)

*** star songs: A Vampires View (8:50) Starlight Man (3:30) Timelines (7:40)

My choice fell between Unfold The Future and Space Revolver and I went for the latter due to a recommendation from a friend who shares many of my musical tastes. But once again I felt underwhelmed by what I've heard.

I remember that during that same period of me trying to get into this album I also heard the second Transatlantic album which I really enjoyed so this made my Space Revolver-experience even more frustrating since I just couldn't make the connection between those two Roine Stolt albums.

Space Revolver follows the same pattern as Retropolis although this one has the I Am The Sun-suite that kicks off and eventually ends the album which is a definite nod at Pink Floyd's Shine On You Crazy Diamond. I think that most Flower Kings-fans are pleased with this release because it isn't really pushing any new boundaries and is a safe bet which can be considered to be a good thing. Personally I get frustrated when I listen to a progressive band that has no intention of being progressive in the songwriting department. Yes, I agree that the early symphonic prog bands had it much easier doing something new with every new release but I really get the feeling that The Flower Kings enjoys the place they occupy in the progressive rock community and have no intention of going anywhere else.

Musically this album works but due to the issues that I've mentioned I just can't see how it can be considered an excellent addition to a progressive rock music collection.

**** star songs: I Am The Sun - Part One (15:03) Dream On Dreamer (2:43) Rumble Fish Twist (8:06) Monster Within (12:55) You Don't Know What You've Got (2:39) A Kings Prayer (6:02) I Am The Sun - Part Two (10:48)

*** star songs: Chicken Farmer Song (5:09) Underdog (5:29) Slave To Money (7:30)

At the time I still haven't heard of Mike Oldfield's Amarok so a 60-minute composition seemed like a very ambitious idea. Although I didn't really like The Garden Of Dreams as much as I wanted to it gave me a taste for the band that I just had to follow up. Retropolis was the first album I managed to pick up at one of the bigger music stores in central Stockholm and it became my album introduction to The Flower Kings!

What I like the most about Retropolis is its consistency and that there aren't any very long tracks that overshadow the rest of the album which becomes somewhat of a problem for me on some of their other releases. I've never been too enthusiastic about Roine Stolt's vocal style which makes me think more about blues than progressive rock but it doesn't ruin the music for me. What does on the other hand get tiring and becomes even more apparent on the band's other releases is the lack of creativity. It's almost as if Roine Stolt decided to write the same kind of tunes for the rest of his life and although it does work here the album can hardly be called ambitions in its songwriting.

After listening to two more releases I guess it's safe to say that Retropolis is my personal favorite but they aren't that far apart. Still I consider this band somewhat overrated in comparison to many other fine acts so this particular album is good, but non-essential.

**** star songs: Rhythm Of Life (0:32) Retropolis (11:10) There Is More To This World (10:15) Romancing The City (0:57) The Melting Pot (5:45) The Judas Kiss (7:43) Retropolis By Night (3:18) Flora Majora (6:50) The Road Back Home (8:55)

*** star songs: Rhythm Of The Sea (6:12) Silent Sorrow (7:42)

4(-) category, as good one, but not full of exceptional pieces (most of their albums aren't that way), but offers good deal of interesting songs, two of epic proportions, jazz fillings into empty spaces and overall quite good mood that shines from this album. Nice cover art and I was fortunate enough to get bonus disc that offers another experience in similar tone/ style, again, nothing that steps out of row. However, TFK are able to do this on every album they release, so it's more like surprise that they're so good-above god for so long.

When I review albums, I usually compare a band's work with their other stuff, as I'm sure others do. I don't quite understand how this album is rated as one of their lowest. I see this album as their last excellent piece of work. (Superior to Paradox Hotel and The Sum of No Evil)

Adam and Eve has everything I love about this band- great melodies, vocals, and musicianship. There are no slow, tedious moments on this album, and its diversity and range works perfectly. Every band has its weaknesses, and I would say that TFK's tend to drag a bit here and there, trying to fill the max capacity of a single disc (and sometimes 2) But Adam and Eve does not do this at all- it's length is satisfying and tasteful. If you are new to this band, I recommend you start with Space Revolver, and then move onto Adam and Eve or Unfold the Future.

1/11 Last Minute on Earth: Groaning vocals in the beginning made me wonder about where this song was going. But it saved itself by going into an awesome chorus with drums and guitar. One really cool thing about this song is that it keeps the same kind of riff, but it changes a little bit each tome they play it. That offers this track a very different feel. There were some very good instrumental parts in the middle and end that transfer into piano to round out the song. It is easily the best song on the album, and a very classic TFK song.

2/11 World Without a Heart: An acoustic guitar opens the song but it soon goes to Roine Stolt on the electric. The vocals are pretty good and the harmonies really add to it. The lyrics actually relate to the title, unlike many of the of the songs The Flower Kings put out. Vocals fade out than come back in, but they are distorted a bit and it detracts from the total of the song.

3/11 Road to Sanctuary: Starts with keys and drums that slowly flow into a good instrumental chorus. Synths start in, and the chorus alters slightly giving the track the same kind of feel from "Last Minute on Earth". This song relies more on synths than the other ones but the guitars bring it up. Vocals in the middle aren't the best and their sense is lost on me. Then the piano comes back in along with a varied chorus. Two thirds of the way through the song they totally switch it up to the point that it doesn't even resemble the beginning. Near the end of the song everything drops out except for piano and the riff appears again. Although I really enjoyed it the song seemed to drag on.

4/11 The Rainmaker: The title track to this album disappoints majorly. It is an instrumental, but I am not sure if you can even call it that because it lacks skill and sound quality. The song would be okay if it weren't the title track, but title tracks are supposed to be the center piece.

5/11 City of Angels: Synth guitar starts right out than it lowers and the vocals take part. It has a good riff and instrumental chorus. The voice chorus is very catchy too. Tomas Bodin plays a very important part in this song especially in the instrumental outro. Definitely the second best song on this CD.

6/11 Elaine: Vocals start off the song with guitars in the background. It tells the story of a boy who wants a girl and shows his life. The vocal harmonies are very good and sax is present on almost this entire track.

7/11 Thru the Walls: An organ makes its presence heard in this song, but other than this new instrument this song is a disappointment. The vocals are a bit lame, but they go along with the simple drumming.

8/11 Sword of God: Gospel singing gives this song a change of pace in the beginning. The guitaring from Mr. Stolt sounds a bit slippery sounding but it goes good with the changing vocals. Vocals fade into an instrumental part to end the song.

9/11 Blessing of a Smile: A trumpet blares in the beginning which really jolts you out of yourself. The trumpet soon dies away giving you an eerie feeling, but it is taken away when more classical instruments join in. the end saves the song from being totally lost.

10/11 Red Alert: A very happy song contrasts majorly from "Blessing of a Smile". It sounds like it is an add on from "Road to Sanctuary" with the same type of riffs and instruments.

11/11 Serious Dreamers: This song is very pop sounding which is a major change from the other tracks. The chorus has a syncopated rhythm and sounds really good with Roine singing. The harmonies blend in really well and Mr. Bodin is showcased in the ending.

It's a classic Flower Kings album that is very synth driven and has some very catchy vocals. If you really want to get into this album I would listen to the first and fifth songs first since these are the best. Overall it is good, but some of the songs aren't needed. The Rainmaker earns a 3.5.

While, Love Is The Only Answer is the longest song here, it is hardly the best. It's a bit too diverse and lacking in focus for my tastes, and despite my usual desire for longer pieces, I find myself tiring of this one at about the fifteen minute mark. The best song here is the title track. Heavy and dark, with the usual Flower Kings moments of lightness, this is one of the band's best.

And while the bonus disk is nice to have for completionists, the songs are not up to par with the main disk, but not bad.