THE FLOWER KING

If only this spectacularly expressive, creative, virtuosic, and thoroughly powerful guitarist didn't record albums which put that vomit taste in your mouth with spiritually trite lyrics and syrupy thick evangelization. Nothing ruins a soaring, two-minute Roine Stolt solo like the rest of the album.

Harsh, but I acknowledge that Roine and co. are some of the best instrumentalists around. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I like the purely instrumental passages of this album quite a bit. They have solid, bluesy grooves, Roine's guitar obviously taking center stage. Yet, I get headaches from grinding my teeth whenever he starts singing about the master plan, the message from the king of kings, or the blood of Jesus on the nail... come on!

I can take optimism in my music, and I can certainly take beauty... but The Flower King[s] is neither-- it's slop dredged from the bucket of Christian rock disguised as something progressive, then slapped against the ears until one finally breaks down and joins the Flower Kings bandwagon. Be forewarned! If you equate musical elegance and class as patronizing morality-- then Stolt's collective body of work is for you!

Me, I'll take brooding cynicism and forward thinking creativity any day over this sugary-sweet bombast. I am off the wagon and loving it!

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 3 Lyrics/Vocals: 1 Style/Emotion/Replay: 2

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