RETROPOLIS

The Flower Kings gained rapid success with each release, and 1996s 'Retropolis' was another step closer to prog stardom. As the title of the album suggests, The Flower Kings were imitating the progressive rock sound of the 70s on 'Retropolis.' Hasse Fröberg is more present on this album than the debut, 'Back in the World of Adventures,' as he only sang backing vocals on one song on that album. On 'Retropolis,' Fröberg started to become more integrated in The Flower Kings, though he still wasn't a member of the band yet. Fröberg sings lead vocals on "There Is More to This World" and backing vocals on "Rhythm of the Sea," "Silent Sorrow," and "The Road Back Home." Tomas Bodin started writing songs of his own for The Flower Kings on 'Retropolis,' and would later co-write with Roine Stolt.

The opening track of 'Retropolis' is a 30-second audio excerpt of miscellaneous sounds entitled "Rhythm of Life," which is rather superfluous. The first proper song is the 11-minute instrumental title track. Roine Stolt's lead guitar soloing shines on "Retropolis" along with his brother Micheal Stolt's fat basslines. This song shifts from 6/8 to 5/8. The middle section is subdued and atmospheric. The band explode back into a reprise of the first section of the song. As the music progresses, I hear a Celtic influence. The ending piece of "Retropolis" is stunning, with the beautiful timbre of an acoustic guitar and its lush, open chords and harmonics. The 12-string acoustic guitar and mellotron during the beginning of "Rhythm of the Sea" reminds me of "Entangled" by Genesis. Roine Stolt's vocal performance on "Rhythm of the Sea" is phenomenal.

"There Is More to This World" is a classic Flower Kings track and the highlight of 'Retropolis.' If the previous track sounded like Genesis, "There Is More to This World" reminds me of something lifted from 'Wind & Wuthering.' Tomas Bodin's piercing Hammond organ and Jaime Salazar's powerful drumming both drive "There Is More to This World." However, the climax occurs when Hasse Fröberg makes his debut lead vocal performance on a Flower Kings album, and it is one of Fröberg's best vocal performances. The music during this section sounds more like Yes, particularly songs like "Soon." The melodies are exquisite. When the drums enter, it's impossible to not get chills while listening. In many ways, one could regard "There Is More to This World" as the precursor to "Stardust We Are." The lyrics are also one of Roine's best. The lyrics, as the title implies, are about the supernatural forces that manifest in our world that go beyond physics. "Romancing the City" is a piano piece written by Bodin and is the prelude to the following track, "The Melting Pot." This is an instrumental that features lovely soprano saxophone melodies from Ulf Wallander. Roine Stolt shreds on "The Melting Pot" like he does on "Go West Judas" from the debut album. I love Tomas Bodin's church organ playing on this song.

The instrumentals on "Silent Sorrow" and "The Judas Kiss" strongly indicate the direction The Flower Kings will go on the following album, 'Stardust We Are.' I hear bits of "In the Eyes of the World," "Circus Brimstone," and "The End of Innocence" in both songs. "Retropolis by Night" is a piece written by Bodin, and is an amalgamation of interesting synth textures, reminding me of a subdued version of "On the Run" by Pink Floyd.

"Flora Majora" is an instrumental that is a bit forgettable. The final track, "The Road Back Home," is a 9-minute ballad that unfortunately, like "Flora Majora," is also forgettable. In conclusion, 'Retropolis' is an average Flower Kings album that isn't as strong as the debut that proceeded it. Nevertheless, there are strong indications of the greatness to come.