BACK IN THE WORLD OF ADVENTURES

Having been pleased with the results of the recording sessions for his solo album The Flower King, Roine Stolt decided to take the musicians who had contributed to them and forge them into a new band. The Flower Kings' debut album finds them drawing on a wider range of progressive rock traditions from the past than many other bands who, rightly or wrongly, have earned the retro-prog moniker over time.

True, the music of the likes of classic-era Yes and Genesis are a particular focus, particularly when it comes to the cosmic atmosphere of the former and Steve Hackett's weeping guitar from the latter. But occasionally the band will surprise me with an extended passage in a jazz-influenced vein, in which I can occasionally here a hint of the mellower end of the Canterbury scene - the early Caravan sound in particular. On top of that, the blend of all of these influences the band come up with isn't particularly nostalgic this time around - instead presenting a bold vision of what the future of symphonic prog could be, and slipping in a few influences here and there from contemporary material.

In the past I wasn't so keen on the Flower Kings, seeing them as a group who leaned too heavily on revisiting past glories of the prog scene, but I can clearly see from this album I've done them a disservice and I'd be well-advised to give them a closer look. Certainly, this album seems to be an excellent gateway to their music.