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The Flower Kings: Love
The Flower Kings: Love
Melodic Progressive Rock
5.0/5.0
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InsideOut Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 05.05.2025 | Released: 02.05.2025
Three decades on and still going strong is the iconic progressive rock band, The Flower Kings, founded by veteran multi-instrumentalist and composer Roine Stolt. Since 1994, The Flower Kings have been known as contemporary purveyors of classic melodic progressive rock made prominent in the 1960's and 1970's by bands like Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant, and many more.
The Flower Kings
The quintet arrives with their 17th studio album, Love, which features the arrival of new keyboard player Lalle Larsson from Karmakanic. As I've said elsewhere and often about any Flower Kings album, I'm a huge fan of the Roine Stolt, the band, and classic melodic prog rock as a genre. Ergo, expect no impartial objectivity or opinions here. Love is classic Flower Kings and a fine listen.
That is to say, you can expect creativity, intrigue, and accessibility in the arrangements, then made alive and lively by superb and deft musicianship. You'll also find that traditional TFK trademark of tag-team intertwining play between guitar and keyboards within most every song. Then there's Stolt's fine stand alone guitar solos, which will please every fan of lead guitar. Then all things are wrapped in effortless song melody and harmony, exact, yet playful, rock rhythm and groove, and delightful vocal harmony.
Love features several longer pieces indicative of classic prog: Considerations, The Elder, We Claim The Moon, and Burning Both Edges (videos below for the latter two). But also some more shorter compact songs under five minutes: The Rubble, The Promise, and How Can You Leave (video above). Common to most any TFK album are instrumentals including World Spinning and Kaiser Razor.
All in all, and simply, Love is classic and iconic Flower Kings: delivering equally classic, creative, and terrific melodic progressive for our contemporary music universe. If you like the band and the genre, you will definitely dig it. Easily recommended.
Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.
The Take Away
All in all, and simply, Love is classic and iconic Flower Kings: delivering equally classic, creative, and terrific melodic progressive for our contemporary music universe. If you like the band and the genre, you will definitely dig it. Easily recommended.
Support the artist, click the link below to buy the album at Amazon (US site) in your favorite format.
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Three decades on and still going strong is the iconic progressive rock band, The Flower Kings, founded by veteran multi-instrumentalist and composer Roine Stolt. Since 1994, The Flower Kings have been known ... [ Read More ]
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