Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Flower Kings, The
Label: Inside Out Records
Released: 2006
Runtime: 126:54
Rating: 4.5/5
Workaholic guitar master Roine Stolt is back with his modern prog rock monolith The Flower Kings. For good measure, it’s a double album again, already their fourth, and it comes with yet another ambitious concept, which is apparently turning into something of a band tradition. This time the concept tackles nothing less than the existence of humankind, with all its highs and wrong turns. Sounds simple enough, right? This is, of course, a band of extremely ambitious musicians who, with their exceptional playing chops and their knack for composing grand, varied pieces, mostly of epic proportions, keep proving album after album that symphonic prog rock, in the tradition of the best bands of the ’70s, is still alive and kicking in this century too. Anyone who knows The Flower Kings’ basic philosophy and their art of weaving the traditional prog rock palette of layered, shifting melodies, reversals and twists can therefore more or less guess what “Paradox Hotel” brings at its core. In recent years the band has earned a reputation as the positive, “evergreen painters” of modern symphonic prog rock, preaching the beauty of existence through their compositions and lyrics (in the style of their obvious role models Yes). But that has its downsides too. As a big fan of classic progressive rock who takes the adjective “progressive” very seriously, I was often bothered by the band’s sometimes excessive preoccupation with the sound and motifs of legendary bands like Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant and so on (whenever I recognized some obviously “borrowed” classic motif in a given part of a composition). Their work was also almost always marked by big inconsistency in the compositions (alongside the top-notch pieces, the albums usually had a bunch of shorter “filler” tracks that more than obviously served only to pad out the running time). So I often felt it would have been better to release just a single album rather than let those shorter “filters” kill the flow of individual records. With “Paradox Hotel” they have, for now at least, apparently solved that problem and finally made an album that’s a pleasure to listen to from start to finish, with no “filler” or superfluous tracks. The one remaining problem, as usual, is the band’s preoccupation with the legacy of the legendary progressive bands of the ’70s and the occasional shortage of ideas of their own, although this is noticeably less of an issue than on previous albums. That alone makes “Paradox Hotel” a positive and encouraging step for a band that now also has a second drummer, since Zoltan Csörsz has been replaced by Marcus Liliequist. Daniel Gildenlow (Pain Of Salvation) has also decided, for personal reasons, to end his collaboration with the band.
“Paradox Hotel”, like most of their work, is admittedly not an easy bite for the “everyday” listener who hasn’t got at least a few top-shelf prog rock records under their belt and doesn’t already know what to expect from their music. Still, there are plenty of shorter, less complex and highly melodic pieces on it that can win over even those who don’t like too much “complicating.” The album offers more than two hours of good music. The mostly “evergreen” mood keeps shifting from track to track, as do the structures of the individual compositions, so traditional fans of the band will be more than thrilled. And through the lyrics and moods of the individual pieces, the band presents one “excerpt” after another from human existence: from turning points in the history of humankind to purely everyday life problems.
The first disc opens with the intro “Check In”, which is nothing but a recording of NASA’s countdown. And then, right away, we’re face to face with the 20-plus-minute epic of gigantic proportions, “Monsters & Men”! Well, the band has created quite a few gigantic epics in the past, some of them better than “Monsters & Men”, but this is still another truly special epic masterpiece from them, one that opens the way it’s meant to go on: in grand style. With its shifting rhythms and numerous transitions, and above all the band’s trademark first-rate melodic, spacey melodies, the composition thrills and never loses its flow from start to finish. Once again, especially in the instrumental parts, the masters Stolt and Bodin impress with their exceptional technical skills (Stolt has always been one of the best on his instrument). A listener who isn’t thrown by this kind of epic piece will fall in love with “Monsters & Men” easily after a few spins. Others will need a bit more time. It’s definitely a track that works as a kind of “litmus test”, where the listener decides right then and there whether to continue the “journey” or not. Even though it’s not particularly original (the rhythm obviously recalls Yes), it’s still a magnificent, inspiring composition with which the band proves once again that this kind of work lives on successfully in the 21st century. It also keeps bringing me back to an interesting theory: The Flower Kings would probably be one of the biggest bands in prog rock today if they’d appeared some 35 years earlier. After the longest composition on the album comes the shortest, “Jelaousy”. It’s a perfectly ordinary, simple ballad that isn’t really anything special at heart. But it does have a good central piano motif. “Hit Me With a Hit” may sound forced from the title, and in places it also sounds slightly forced on purpose because of the funky rhythm. But the title turns out to be brilliant once the listener realizes its message is aimed at a critique of the music industry. At heart it’s a very good piece with splendid guitar riffs, an interesting funky rhythm and an excellent instrumental passage that even includes a mellotron. The central melody leans deliberately toward pop, and in the middle section the motif deliberately takes aim at the modern musical garbage pushed by today’s corrupt music industry. The experienced listener will also pick up some elements of the classic progressive bands here for the first time. “Pioneers of Aviation”, after Bodin’s spacey keyboard intro, is another catchy track, at heart a classic prog rock instrumental with the emphasis on Stolt’s electric guitar. Bodin plays superb synthesizer solos both in the middle and at the close. In this track the listener can enjoy the technical skills of the band’s two main creative forces. The central melody is strikingly reminiscent of the one from “Power of Kindness” (Flower Power, 1998). Is there perhaps a connection between the two? A few darker pieces follow. The dark, melancholy and mysterious “Lucy Had A Dream” is at heart psychedelic rock, obviously recalling the kind The Beatles practiced in the late ’60s (heh, the name Lucy clearly wasn’t picked by accident). It really sounds like some kind of black version of a Beatles hit. The closing instrumental part, with its synthesizer and rhythm, reminds me of something out of a horror movie. Next comes the darkest piece on the album. That’s the sneakily sinister “Bavarian Skies”, where Stolt deliberately sings (more like recites) through a distorted effect to mimic the famous rabble-rousing Austrian house painter with the little mustache in his speeches. The creepy, grotesque mood builds throughout the whole track, which ends with an ambient outro where you can hear the grotesque wheezing of the strings of a “Bavarian orchestra”, to which the mustachioed human beast also bids farewell from the stage with his acid “aufviedersehn”. Of all the tracks on the album, this one is by far the least catchy, but at least it’s original. Still, the listener is rewarded in the very next moment with probably the peak of the first half of the album, the outstanding “The Selfconsuming Fire”, which contains some of the band’s best elements and will make the listener quickly forget the nightmarish mood of the previous composition. It’s actually one of the band’s most beautiful and most complete pieces ever, proof that despite the abundance of retro elements that otherwise dominate their work, they’re capable of creating a wonderful composition with a soul all its own. Gorgeous acoustic guitars, pleasant and majestic melodies, brilliant fretless bass playing, a chorus that sticks in your head, “old school” mellotron and an excellent hard rock climax via a guitar solo are a feast not only for fans of the band but for any lover of good (prog) rock. The lyrics, though, are quite dark. “Mommy Leave The Light On” has a dark, melancholy mood about a dying child who fears saying goodbye and senses the loneliness ahead. The ambient keyboards are excellent again, while the acoustic guitar carries the central melody. As expected, the band closes the first half of the album in its traditional “evergreen” (you could also say “Yes-like”) way. “End On A High Note” is the real “dessert” and truly an “ending on a high note”. It’s a lovely, cheerful and optimistic mini epic where the band’s traditionally super-positive mindset bursts out once more. Happy choruses backed by ultra-melodic keyboards and acoustic guitar, plus tasteful instrumental parts with interesting solos, close out the first part of the album in fine style.
The band’s “retro” elements come through more strongly in the second part of the album, on the second disc. That doesn’t mean it’s worse than the first. It only means it’s a bit less “progressive” (at least the way I understand the term). As I mentioned at the start of the review, it was precisely these “retro” elements that bothered me and often put me off, so I haven’t (yet) given The Flower Kings’ music the credit it might otherwise deserve. I could never tell whether they deliberately borrow elements from the oft-mentioned legendary bands, or whether it’s just accidental inspiration and the band’s commitment to carrying on traditional prog rock in this century too, “enlightening” younger generations of listeners who missed the golden age of this kind of music. The latter certainly doesn’t add to the band’s progressiveness. Still, all these “accidental” motifs get a modern interpretation and bow to the band’s increasingly recognizable sound, which is still not quite defined. Despite these “retro” elements, the second disc is a lot less demanding for the “ordinary” listener, maybe because it has no super-long epic in the style of “Monsters & Men”. The intro to “Minor Giant Steps” sounds like a kind of tribute to Yes, as it more than obviously recalls their masterpiece “The Gates Of Delirium” (Relayer, 1974). Besides Bodin’s keyboards, it’s especially the sound and playing style of Roine’s guitar that clearly leans toward Steve Howe. The main chorus and the ending are the same, though it’s far from imitation, it’s just that the spirit of good old Yes pervades the track (I actually doubt they’re still capable of creating anything this good today), alongside instrumental parts where the band’s own ideas come through more. The slow “Touch My Heaven” has a good chorus and a divine Stolt solo in the style of David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), backed by female choir vocals. Evidently there’s no getting through this one without at least one “inspiration” from Pink Floyd, but if we forget that for a moment, we can enjoy the otherwise excellent instrumental part. The brilliant but more than obviously “retro” instrumental “The Unorthodox Dancing Lesson” contains elements familiar to every fan and connoisseur of King Crimson (guitar solos and rhythm) and Gentle Giant (mainly the rhythm, especially the percussion). In plain words, it’s a mix of that familiar mischievous rhythm that recalls the swaying of a sleepy (friendly) giant and a sawing, schizoid solo that, precisely because of that, leans slightly toward “Larks’ Tongues In Aspic-Part 2” (King Crimson: Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, 1973). It’s a real cataclysm, the opposite of most of the pretty, tuneful pieces that dominate the album. “Man Of the World” is an exceptionally nostalgic and romantic piece with virtuoso solos and good vocals. On “Life Will Kill You” the band tries its hand at rhythm & blues too. And surprisingly successfully. The vocals of second guitarist (and singer) Hans Froberg are among the best on the album. I hardly doubt that if the band were more commercially known, this could be (despite its length) a radio hit. “The Way The Waters Are Moving” is a pretty but still slightly boring ballad about the recent tragedy caused by the tsunami raging through Southeast Asia. “What If God Is Alone” is easily one of the best pieces on the second part of the album. It has everything the band does best: plenty of wonderful melodic choruses, tasteful instrumental passages, thrilling rhythmic transitions and excellent, intelligent lyrics. Well, if I had to pick my favorite track on the second disc, it would probably be the title track “Paradox Hotel”, which is an extremely atypical piece for The Flower Kings. It’s basically a hard rock song with a funky rhythm that most resembles recent Deep Purple, with an extremely catchy structure, main chorus, transitions and solos included. Froberg’s very good, strong vocal is a surprise again (especially for a band that is by no means known for technically polished vocals). The closing mini epic “Blue Planet” once more serves up all the band’s best musical elements on a platter: a wonderful chorus, first-rate melodies, plenty of good orchestral arrangements and the obligatory excellent finale. The whole mood (and lyrics) of this track sounds like a final revelation and a positive message from the band to everyone living on this planet, without the needless, often pathetic preaching in the style of the Americans Spock’s Beard. Even though it’s brimming with retro elements, the second part is a logical complement to the first and together they form an excellent whole as a double album. For the first time ever in the band’s history.
I have to admit that The Flower Kings pleasantly surprised me this time and finally made an exceptionally mature album. “Paradox Hotel” is, in both mood and composition structure, a consistent and flowing enough (double) album, which makes it in many ways better than all their previous work, including “Space Revolver” (2000) and “Unfold The Future” (2002). I’m not exaggerating one bit when I say it’s their best and most mature album to date. The band has finally made an album where you won’t find any “filler tracks” that kill its flow and water it down, as so often happened in their past. The album is also a positive step forward in terms of intensity and the sequencing of the individual pieces. Still, in the future I’d hope for a bit more attention and progress in the direction of innovation, because as long as their work keeps teeming with recognizable motifs from classic bands (there are noticeably fewer this time), the band (which undoubtedly plays symphonic prog rock of top quality) will have a hard time justifying its reputation as a serious progressive band in the true sense of the word “progressive”. It’s true that the band has proven it’s more than capable of superbly interpreting first-rate motifs, which the listener can also take as a wonderful tribute to the legends of prog rock, but innovation is still the key element that defines “progressiveness”. That’s why The Flower King, even after the release of “Paradox Hotel”, still remain a controversial band in a way, since they’ll apparently keep dividing prog rock fans for a long time to come (the champions of innovation versus the champions of keeping the genre alive within its familiar boundaries). Still, an unburdened listener won’t easily get enough of their wonderful music of “evergreen” melodies, which have the biggest effect in summer, when the sun is high above the clouds, the flowers are in bloom and the little birdies are happily chirping. Besides, few of today’s prog rock bands, aside from the traditional technical superiority, have as much intensity and positive vibes as the members of The Flower Kings bring to their work. For all of the above, “Paradox Hotel” is the band’s best album and a step in the right direction. Anyone who doesn’t know the band should definitely start with it.
Lineup
Roine Stolt – vocals, guitar
Tomas Bodin – keyboards, backing vocals
Hans Froberg – vocals, guitar
Jonas Reingold – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Marcus Liliequist – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Hasse Bruniusson – marimba & assorted percussion
Production
Roine Stolt
Track List
CD 1 – Room 111 (64:50)
1. Check In (1:37)
2. Monsters & Men (21:21)
3. Jealousy (3:22)
4. Hit Me With A Hit (5:32)
5. Pioneers Of Aviation (7:49)
6. Lucy Had A Dream (5:28)
7. Bavarian Skies (6:34)
8. Selfconsuming Fire (5:49)
9. Mommy Leave The Light On (4:38)
10. End On A High Note (10:43)
CD 2 – Room 222 (62:04)
1. Minor Giant Steps (12:12)
2. Touch My Heaven (6:08)
3. The Unorthodox Dancing Lesson (5:24)
4. Man Of The World (5:55)
5. Life Will Kill You (7:03)
6. The Way The Waters Are Moving (3:12)
7. What If God Is Alone (6:58)
8. Paradox Hotel (6:29)
9. Blue Planet (9:42)
