The Swedish quintet The Flower Kings was founded in 1994 and then effortlessly rose to the forefront of neo-prog. Leader, guitarist and singer Roine Stolt (1956) learned the tricks of the genre, but at an early age in the seventies as a member of the group Kaipa. On previous albums such as Flowerpower (2000) and Paradox Hotel (2006), The Flower Kings mainly linked the legacy of groups such as Pink
… Floyd, Genesis and Yes to an unbridled pleasure in playing that almost spilled off the discs. It is striking that after that last album the sound became increasingly grim and Stolt's world view increasingly pessimistic. That line continues on the twelfth studio album Desolation Rose with self-explanatory titles such as Dark Fascist Skies and Silent Graveyards. On this record, the complex and unbridled of yesteryear has definitely made way for a dark and more reserved sound, with dominantly dark vocals and ghostly vocal harmonies. With that, Stolt, with his band in tow, sounds more rooted in the seventies than ever. (MR)more
