THE FLOWER KING

The Flower Kings first, or for a more accurate phrase, Roine Stolt's best solo album! This is a masterpiece of symphonic prog! The title track is to me the best in the album with it's hippie-like theme and catchy melodies. Dissonata is also pretty good the title sounds like a play on words to ELP's Tocatta but it sounds nothing like that. The Magic Circus of Zeb is an excellent instrumental and Close Your Eyes is a beautiful typical Flower Kings ballad. The Pilgrims Inn is an instrumental with hefty guitar parts by Roine which makes it stand out. Sounds of Violence seems a little un-needed at first but in the end you realize why it's there. Humanizzimo is the epic track. It reminds me of the Yes classic Gates of Delirium not so much because of the music but because of the tempo. It finishs with the Flower King reprise Scanning the Greenhouse which is just as good as the first. This is the album that started all of the Swedish bands excellent work and yes, it is a masterpiece!