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Taken from the official Flower Kings website:
They are regarded by many as one of the leading, if not THE leading, progressive rock outfit of the new millennium. TheFlower
Kings are ledby progrock icon, guitarist, vocalist, composer, producer Roine Stolt into a world of unlimited musicalfantasy and
flair. Playing it's first everlive date in August 1994 as a result of the interest in Stolt's solo album "The FlowerKing", the band
quickly became somewhat of aphenomenon in the progressive rock community for everyone that once lovedbands like Pink
Floyd, Genesis, Zappa, UK, Utopia, Yes, ...read more
Taken from the official Flower Kings website:
They are regarded by many as one of the leading, if not THE leading, progressive rock outfit of the new millennium. TheFlower
Kings are ledby progrock icon, guitarist, vocalist, composer, producer Roine Stolt into a world of unlimited musicalfantasy and
flair. Playing it's first everlive date in August 1994 as a result of the interest in Stolt's solo album "The FlowerKing", the band
quickly became somewhat of aphenomenon in the progressive rock community for everyone that once lovedbands like Pink
Floyd, Genesis, Zappa, UK, Utopia, Yes, ELP,King Crimson or Focus.
The band quickly finished the first proper band recording "Back In The World Of Adventures" released 1995 on it's own
label"FoxtrotRecords" and played shorter tours in Europe the same year, the ball started rolling...just a bit. Building on the
successof albums like"Retropolis" & the already classic double CD's "Stardust We Are" and "Flower Power" they toured Europe,
Japan &South America andstarted to build a worldwide following.
Successful tours resulted in the recording of the live album, "Alive On Planet Earth", which was compiled from shows in
boththe USA andJapan -98 & -99.
It shows the essence of the textural and emotional offering that is now the trademark of The Flower Kings and shows
thatthis is a band thatprobably has as much in common with Mozart, Debussy, Andrew Lloyd Webber or Miles Davis as with
PinkFloyd, Beatles, Bowie or Yes.There is always an element of soulfulness and drama and the richness of moods
andinventiveness has to be heard to be believed. FlowerKings signed to German label in 1999.
Roine Stolt is keeping himself busy with numerous sideprojects around the world like TransAtlantic (alongside Mike
Portnoy,Neal Morse &Pete Trewavas), plus the reunion of Swedish progrockers KAIPA, his 70's band, Another one is he new
highlyacclaimed "Tangent" CDfeaturing Van Der Graaf Generator saxman David Jackson and the obscure "Flying Food
Circus"project.
With the albums "Space Revolver" 2000 and "The Rainmaker" released in September 2001 The Flower Kings sound shifted to
amoreaccessible level but maintains all the elements that have established this band as one of those most colourful
exponentsof progressiverock in the world today.
In November 2002 Flower Kings released yet another astonishing and adventurous musical statement : "Unfold The Future".
Adouble CDcontaining everything from classic symphonic rock in pure 70's fashion ( read Yes, Crimson, ELP, Genesis) to
weirdZappaesque or MilesDavis like early 70's fusion, there's even the odd pop song.
Flower Kings are no simple copycats that merely try to relive the glorious 70's, they rather fuse their sound with a
remarkableknowledge oftheir past but still containing elements contemporary music and of all music history, still looking into
the future,always ready to point outnew directions and new possibilities, where to take progrock next, always ready to take
risks !!!With this comes of course a healthy portionof criticism from the more conservative progfan or prog metal lovers, but
FlowerKings still go the way they find most fruitful and rewardingand taylored to stand the test of time, may it be pop
orexperiment.
Not unlike bands like, Phish or Greatful Dead, by incorporating jamming and new twists to every show Flower Kings have builta
devotedfanbase of "Flowerheads"that follow them all over the globe, Europe, USA, Japan, Canada, South America. Thereeven
seem to be anelement of what is "more than music" a way of life that resound the positive music and thoughtful
lyrics.Depending more on the soulfulelements Flower Kings have left audiences raving for weeks about what seemed to be
ahighlight of their concertgoing life, EVER !!!
With a relatively fresh rhythm section of Hungarian prodigy Zoltan Csorsz and bass madman Jonas Reingold and alsopresenting
labelmates"Pain Of Salvation's " Daniel Gildenlow as a keys, guitar, percussion and vocal sideman together withfrontline;
leadsinger / guitarist RoineStolt, keyboardist Tomas Bodin and guitarist /leadsinger Hasse Fröberg they did allembark on the
initial leg of a European tour in Nov2002. Since then they have all continued to florish and blossom in the mostspectacular
ways, doing another USA tour in June 2003,playing a memorable set at the No.1 US progrock festival "Nearfest".
October 2003 saw them embark on the "part 2" of Unfold The Future Tour in conjunction with the release of their first
DVDand a Live CDtitled "Meet The Flower Kings".
The DVD have done remarkably well for the band and there are already plans for another DVD, focusing on interviews with
allbandmembersand live sequences of the non-epic songs.
A new CD, ADAM & EVE is in the finishing stages for release in July 2004, followed by a European tour.
In the meantime everyone in the band keep busy with side projects including a new Tangent CD a new Karmakanic CD
"wheelOf Life" and anew project including Roine Stolt and drummer Doane Perry(Jethro Tull), vocalist and bassman Ellis
Hall(Tower OfPower/Ray Charles) andkeyboardist & LA movie soundtracker Vince DiCola.
A new CD by the group "Swedish Family" led by Tomas Bodin is in the making for release late summer 2004, a record of
70'sprog inspiredby Swedish folkmusic.
Roine Stolt is also working on 2 new solo projects, a guitar album and a pop/prog album. « hide |
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