BACK IN THE WORLD OF ADVENTURES

Here we have The Flower Kings' debut under the name (Roine Stolt's The Flower King is widely recognized as the group's first album). Of the ten songs, five are instrumentals, and two 13+ minute pieces are placed on each end. Much of this material could haven easily fit in with the 70's progressive movement. Roine bears a distinguishable accent and a voice full of strength and passion, as he unveils his visions of peace and harmony. The songs with vocals have an advantage, but the instrumentals, for the most part, keep up well. The instrumentals range from jams to sonic excursions. It may have been better off if one or two of the instrumentals were substituted with more vocalized pieces; a couple of the instrumentals really don't add much to the album, and could even be seen as filler. At the same time, they do add a little extra flavor. Well rounded for sure.

Though all of the songs fit in with each other, and it is surely not a daunting task to listen to this straight through, each piece can be appreciated as their own entity. The highlights are the end pieces: "World of Adventures" and "Big Puzzle," as well as "Go West Judas," and "Theme for a Hero."

With an accessible sound, but still having a few of their own quirks, and a good, positive message, this album is a great start for the band, and a worthy addition to any prog collection.