THE FLOWER KING

Roine Stolt, famously known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for The Flower Kings, had been involved in the music industry long before he formed The Flower Kings. Over twenty years, in fact. He started his music career in his teens as the lead guitar player for Kaipa, one of the great Swedish progressive rock bands of the 70s. He appeared on the first three Kaipa albums: the self-titled debut, 'Inget Nytt Under Solen,' and 'Solo.' Stolt later regrouped with the original members of Kaipa and formed a group under the name Kaipa Da Capo in 2014. In May 1979, Stolt left Kaipa to pursue a solo career. He released some Hall & Oates-sounding albums in the 80s that weren't well received. It wasn't until the release of 'The Flower King' in 1994 that Roine Stolt achieved great success. It was on this record where Stolt returned to the genre that he excels at most, which is progressive rock. Due to the title, the personnel, and the overall sound of the album, many people, including myself, regard 'The Flower Kings' as the first Flower Kings album. The only critical Flower Kings musicians who are absent on 'The Flower King' are keyboardist Tomas Bodin, who was a longtime friend of Stolt, and original Flower Kings bassist and brother of Roine, Micheal Stolt. Both musicians were the missing pieces of the jigsaw that would eventually fall into place on the first proper Flower Kings album, 'Back in the World of Adventures.' Despite their absence, I appreciate that Stolt filled their roles, as it is his solo album. While Stolt is known primarily for his virtuosic guitar playing, he is also a fine keyboard and bass player, as evidenced by his performance on 'The Flower King.' As for the rest of the musicians featured on this album, Jaime Salazar plays drums (along with legendary percussionist Hasse Bruniusson) and Hasse Fröberg sings lead vocals on the first and last track, the title track and "Scanning the Greenhouse," respectively. Soprano saxophone from Ulf Wallander is featured on "The Pilgrim's Inn" and "Humanizzimo." Stolt is credited under two pseudonyms on 'The Flower King': Dexter Frank Jr. and Don Azzaro.

The album opens with the The Flower Kings anthem, the title track. "The Flower King" is pure joy and happiness, something we need more of in this world, and now more than ever. The title track is comprised of three parts: (1) The main pop song in the beginning, (2) an extended guitar and keyboard solo section, and (3) a reprise of the pop song. Roine Stolt's lead guitar playing throughout is tasty. The guitar and keyboard interplay during the solo section demonstrates Roine Stolt's incredible talent as a multi-instrumentalist. Hasse Fröberg's contrasting high vocals are pleasing, especially when he riffs at the end. His voice reminds me of a ballsier Jon Anderson, especially when he sings during rockier contexts. "Dissonata" is the antithesis of the opening title track. The music is in 7/8 and is dark and dissonant, which is probably why the song is titled "Dissonata," which means "dissonant" in Latin. "Dissonata," like "The Flower King," contains an interesting jam that acts as the centerpiece of the song.

"The Magic Circus of Zeb" is an instrumental piece that allows Stolt to demonstrate his guitar, keyboard, and bass prowess. The first couple minutes of the track are fast-paced, whereas the improvisational midsection has a half-time feel. Stolt's guitar soloing is emotive during this particular section. I've always felt that Roine Stolt never got enough recognition as a guitar hero, because (as a guitarist myself) the virtuosity of his playing is unbelievable. Unfortunately, because he's in a progressive rock band, that seems to have hindered him from the success I think he deserves.

"Close Your Eyes" is the most subdued song on 'The Flower King.' It provides a pleasant foil to what came before and what will come. In a vacuum, "Close Your Eyes" doesn't affect me much. However, I see its value in the context of 'The Flower King.' The interplay between Stolt's lead guitar and Ulf Wallander's saxophone is sonically complementary on "The Pilgrims Inn." Stolt's guitar tone is piercing and sustains each note beautifully. The brief acoustic guitar piece at the end of "The Pilgrim's Inn" is soothing as it transitions the listener into the heavier coda.

"The Sounds of Violence" is an aptly titled piece, for the music is belligerent. The coda is reflective, ushering the listener into the 20-minute pièce de résistance of 'The Flower King,' "Humanizzimo." "Humanizzimo" consists of six parts: a. "Twilight Flower," b. "The Messenger," c. "The Nail," d. "Only Human," e. "This is The Night," and f. "The Flower of Love." The vintage mellotron during "Twilight Flower" creates a haunting atmosphere for the music to crescendo over. The music shifts to a ragtime feel during "The Messenger." The music and lyrics of "The Nail" are emotionally moving as it describes the mindlessness of war with allusions to the crucifixion of Christ. I love the verse and chorus juxtaposition during "Only Human," though I do love Daniel Gildenlöw's vocal contributions on the 'Meet the Flower Kings' DVD a bit more. "This is The Night" has a gothic quality and revisits themes from "Twilight Flower." "The Flower of Love" starts subdued, and then the music climaxes with Roine Stolt's passionate vocals and guitar soloing. The last minute of "Humanizzimo" is hauntingly ambient. The closing track, "Scanning the Greenhouse," acts as the end credits if 'The Flower King' were a movie. The chorus of the opening title track is reprised. I'm glad Roine Stolt decided to reprise that theme, as I can't get enough of it. In a way, it's The Flower Kings' mantra before they properly formed.

In conclusion, 'The Flower King' is a beautiful pseudo-debut Flower Kings album. Because it's a Roine Stolt solo album, there are more guitar solos and jams than one would find on a Flower Kings album. I'm not complaining, but others may prefer the tightly structured pieces Stolt would go on to write with The Flower Kings. Nevertheless, 'The Flower King' is basically a Flower Kings record, more so than any other Roine Stolt solo album. Without this, who knows if The Flower Kings would even exist. Now that's a terrifying thought. If I did have one minor complaint, while "Humanizzimo" is a solid epic with spectacular moments throughout, it does sound disjointed. This is an aspect of Roine Stolt's writing that would significantly improve over time. The first 20+ minute Flower Kings track, "Stardust We Are," has a perfect flow that "Humanizzimo" somewhat lacks. I also think that the jamming on 'The Flower King' aren't as strong as the jamming on The Flower Kings' records. However, that's a matter of taste, as 'The Flower King' is more improvisational than the meticulously written-out Flower Kings albums.