BANKS OF EDEN

After the release of the underwhelming 'The Sum of No Evil,' The Flower Kings took a hiatus in 2008. The band reunited in 2012 to create 'Banks of Eden.' This is the eleventh studio album by The Flower Kings, released on 18 June 2012. It is the first Flower Kings album with Felix Lehrmann on drums. 'Banks of Eden' is a relatively short Flower Kings album with a duration of 53-minutes. At the end of the album, there is a bonus disc of four songs: "Illuminati," "Fireghosts," "Going Up," and "LoLines."

The album opens with the 25-minute epic "Numbers." Right from the beginning, The Flower Kings' music sounds reinvigorated. The chorus vocal melody is catchy. The "Hoping and praying..." section is poignant. The section that contains the lyric "And then the numbers may not come up right" builds in tension. Then, the tension is released during the reprise of the chorus towards the end. The finale features phenomenal lead guitar work from Roine Stolt. "Numbers" has its fair share of bombastic moments, as well as subdued sections. Overall, "Numbers" is a well-crafted epic with an impeccable flow that doesn't feel like 25-minutes in duration. "For the Love of Gold" was written by Tomas Bodin, and is a pleasant track with good melodies. Roine Stolt uses a strange vocal affect on "Pandemonium" during the verse. Stolt's guitar playing and Bodin's moog synth work makes "Pandemonium" a highlight on 'Banks of Eden.' "For Those About to Drown" is probably my least favorite song, as I don't find it particularly memorable or interesting. My favorite song on 'Banks of Eden' is "Rising the Imperial," which was written by Jonas Reingold. The "Tripping the world imperial" theme is reprised, but in a melancholic context. The instrumentation starts with just piano, vocals, bass, and slowly builds as the song progresses. Roine Stolt plays an emotional guitar solo towards the end.

I was shocked to see that 'Banks of Eden' contained a bonus disc, as I never thought the words "The Flower Kings" and "bonus disc" could be used in the same sentence until I bought this album. I say that because The Flower Kings are notorious for filling up their CDs to its maximum duration, and have released numerous double-CDs prior to 'Banks of Eden.' Don't let the bonus label fool you into thinking that everything on this separate disc is weaker by any means. "Illuminati" is a slow instrumental that reminds me of the tender moments on 'Flower Power.' The music intensifies as Roine Stolt plays a climactic guitar solo. "Fireghosts" is forgettable. The aptly titled "Going Up," like "Rising the Imperial," was also written by Jonas Reingold. Everything about "Going Up" evokes pure elation in me. The chorus is so joyous and makes me genuinely smile with glee. "LoLines" is a straightforward rock song with an interesting guitar and bass riff. In conclusion, 'Banks of Eden' is an excellent reunion album. I can imagine that this was a fun album for the band to write and record, and the energy is palpable.