The Flower Kings
The Flower Kings is a Swedish progressive rock band formed in 1994 by guita… Read Full Bio ↴The Flower Kings is a Swedish progressive rock band formed in 1994 by guitarist and singer-songwriter Roine Stolt. The group began as Stolt's touring band to support his third solo album The Flower King. They continued performing after the tour and have gone on to become one of the most prolific studio recording units in progressive rock, having released over twenty hours of music spread across fifteen studio albums. Their music is similar to early symphonic progressive rock groups such as Yes, marked by sharp dynamic changes, polyrhythms, heavy bass, vocal harmonies, abstract and occasionally nonsensical lyrics, and extended song lengths.
Formation
In early 1993, guitarist and singer Roine Stolt had written material for his third solo album The Flower King and sought for musicians to perform it. He had wanted to release a progressive rock-style album for a while and felt the time was right to pursue the project. The album features Stolt on vocals, guitar, bass and keyboards, Jaime Salazar on drums, and Hasse Fröberg on vocals, and was recorded in Sweden between May 1993 and January 1994.
In preparation for Stolt's concert tour to support the album's release, Stolt, Salazar, and Fröberg were joined by Stolt's brother Michael on bass and Tomas Bodin on keyboards. The five performed their first gig on 20 August 1994 at an outdoor festival in Uppsala, Stolt's hometown and the city where The Flower King was recorded. After they decided to become a full time band, they officially adopted the name The Flower Kings, named after Stolt's album. Stolt had produced a list of potential titles for the record, one of which was "The Flower King", and chose it because of its positive meaning and its reference to the hippie era of the 1960s.
Activity
After performing a series of concerts through 1994, the band entered the studio in December 1994 to record their debut album, Back in the World of Adventures. The recording process was gradual, finishing in September 1995.
In 2000, Michael Stolt was replaced by Jonas Reingold. Two years later, Salazar was replaced by Zoltan Csörsz. Daniel Gildenlöw of Pain of Salvation joined the band the same year as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist.
Other contributors have included Hasse Bruniusson (percussion) and Ulf Wallander (saxophone).
Stolt has written the vast majority of the material the band has recorded, with Bodin contributing most of the rest. The music is best described as symphonic progressive rock, bearing a strong resemblance to the music of Yes, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, and early Genesis, with jazz fusion and blues influences. The band's lyrics are almost uniformly positive and uplifting, affirming such values as love, peace, and spirituality, and furthering their association with Yes.
Their 1999 album Flower Power contains the eighteen-section, almost 60-minute "Garden of Dreams".
In June 2007, they released The Road Back Home, a compilation of remixed songs from 1994 to 2006, plus "Little Deceiver" (a previously unreleased track) and the full version of their cover of "The Cinema Show" by Genesis.
Zoltan Csörsz was replaced by new drummer Marcus Liliequist for one album, but returned for the 2007 album, The Sum of No Evil. He was subsequently replaced by Erik Hammarström in 2008.
In 2008, Ola Heden, previously of Reingold's side project Karmakanic, joined on guitar, vocals and keyboards.
In November 2008, the band were the opening act of the Ecco Prog Fest in Moscow.
After touring in 2008, The Flower Kings were inactive for four years. Stolt felt the band had varied levels of focus in their direction and had started to feel lost. They reunited in 2011 to work on new material after Stolt felt it was the right time and sensed eagerness from the other members to work together. This marked the arrival of German drummer Felix Lehrmann. Banks of Eden, the group's eleventh album, was released in June 2012 and was recorded with analogue recording techniques and styles reminiscent of the height of vinyl records. This was followed by Desolation Rose in October 2013.
The line up of Stolt, Bodin, Reingold, Fröberg and Lehrmann played together for the last time in 2015. 2016 and 2017 saw the bandmembers busy with other engagements.
In December 2017, the first part of a career-spanning box set titled A Kingdom of Colours was released. This first box, with 10 discs, covers the period from 1995 to 2002 and includes the studio albums from Back in the World of Adventures to Unfold the Future. The second box set, titled A Kingdom of Colours 2 and covering the albums Adam & Eve through to Desolation Rose, was released in June 2018.
In September 2018, Stolt announced a new album named Manifesto of an Alchemist. The album did not feature long-time keyboardist Tomas Bodin, and as such it is credited to "Roine Stolt's The Flower King" rather than "The Flower Kings"
In August the same year Roine Stolt presented a new band called "Roine Stolt and friends play The Flower Kings". The band featured Stolt, Fröberg and Reingold with new keyboard player Zach Kamins and new drummer Mirko De Maio. Roine Stolt stated that he was done being in a group and wanted to tour as a solo artist like Roger Waters or Steven Wilson. Tomas Bodin was not a part of this group and made his displeasure quite public. The band toured with Spock’s Beard in November and December 2018 and continued to do shows in 2019, this time under the name "The Flower Kings Revisited".
In July 2019, "Revisited" was removed from the band name, making it clear that this line up was now "The Flower Kings". The band went on to release the double albums Waiting for Miracles in 2019 and Islands in 2020, the latter having been recorded entirely remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 24 March 2021, Roine Stolt announced two big projects. The Flower Kings are working on a brand new album "in the same innocence" of Stardust We Are. On 19 April 2021, Roine officially teases that Stardust We Are is getting a brand new vinyl remaster.
On April 8th 2022, InsideOut and Roine Stolt announced that Back in the World of Adventures and Retropolis were getting "remastered and partly remixed". The release date for both was placed on May 27th 2022. Also Stardust We Are and Flower Power are getting remixes and remastered in June.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flower_Kings
Studio albums
The Flower King (1994)
Back in the World of Adventures (1995)
Retropolis (1996)
Stardust We Are (1997)
Flower Power (1999)
Space Revolver (2000)
The Rainmaker (2001)
Unfold the Future (2002)
Adam & Eve (2004)
Paradox Hotel (2006)
The Sum of No Evil (2007)
Banks of Eden (2012)
Desolation Rose (2013)
Manifesto of an Alchemist (2018)
Waiting for Miracles (2019)
Islands (2020)
By Royal Decree (2022)
Formation
In early 1993, guitarist and singer Roine Stolt had written material for his third solo album The Flower King and sought for musicians to perform it. He had wanted to release a progressive rock-style album for a while and felt the time was right to pursue the project. The album features Stolt on vocals, guitar, bass and keyboards, Jaime Salazar on drums, and Hasse Fröberg on vocals, and was recorded in Sweden between May 1993 and January 1994.
In preparation for Stolt's concert tour to support the album's release, Stolt, Salazar, and Fröberg were joined by Stolt's brother Michael on bass and Tomas Bodin on keyboards. The five performed their first gig on 20 August 1994 at an outdoor festival in Uppsala, Stolt's hometown and the city where The Flower King was recorded. After they decided to become a full time band, they officially adopted the name The Flower Kings, named after Stolt's album. Stolt had produced a list of potential titles for the record, one of which was "The Flower King", and chose it because of its positive meaning and its reference to the hippie era of the 1960s.
Activity
After performing a series of concerts through 1994, the band entered the studio in December 1994 to record their debut album, Back in the World of Adventures. The recording process was gradual, finishing in September 1995.
In 2000, Michael Stolt was replaced by Jonas Reingold. Two years later, Salazar was replaced by Zoltan Csörsz. Daniel Gildenlöw of Pain of Salvation joined the band the same year as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist.
Other contributors have included Hasse Bruniusson (percussion) and Ulf Wallander (saxophone).
Stolt has written the vast majority of the material the band has recorded, with Bodin contributing most of the rest. The music is best described as symphonic progressive rock, bearing a strong resemblance to the music of Yes, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, and early Genesis, with jazz fusion and blues influences. The band's lyrics are almost uniformly positive and uplifting, affirming such values as love, peace, and spirituality, and furthering their association with Yes.
Their 1999 album Flower Power contains the eighteen-section, almost 60-minute "Garden of Dreams".
In June 2007, they released The Road Back Home, a compilation of remixed songs from 1994 to 2006, plus "Little Deceiver" (a previously unreleased track) and the full version of their cover of "The Cinema Show" by Genesis.
Zoltan Csörsz was replaced by new drummer Marcus Liliequist for one album, but returned for the 2007 album, The Sum of No Evil. He was subsequently replaced by Erik Hammarström in 2008.
In 2008, Ola Heden, previously of Reingold's side project Karmakanic, joined on guitar, vocals and keyboards.
In November 2008, the band were the opening act of the Ecco Prog Fest in Moscow.
After touring in 2008, The Flower Kings were inactive for four years. Stolt felt the band had varied levels of focus in their direction and had started to feel lost. They reunited in 2011 to work on new material after Stolt felt it was the right time and sensed eagerness from the other members to work together. This marked the arrival of German drummer Felix Lehrmann. Banks of Eden, the group's eleventh album, was released in June 2012 and was recorded with analogue recording techniques and styles reminiscent of the height of vinyl records. This was followed by Desolation Rose in October 2013.
The line up of Stolt, Bodin, Reingold, Fröberg and Lehrmann played together for the last time in 2015. 2016 and 2017 saw the bandmembers busy with other engagements.
In December 2017, the first part of a career-spanning box set titled A Kingdom of Colours was released. This first box, with 10 discs, covers the period from 1995 to 2002 and includes the studio albums from Back in the World of Adventures to Unfold the Future. The second box set, titled A Kingdom of Colours 2 and covering the albums Adam & Eve through to Desolation Rose, was released in June 2018.
In September 2018, Stolt announced a new album named Manifesto of an Alchemist. The album did not feature long-time keyboardist Tomas Bodin, and as such it is credited to "Roine Stolt's The Flower King" rather than "The Flower Kings"
In August the same year Roine Stolt presented a new band called "Roine Stolt and friends play The Flower Kings". The band featured Stolt, Fröberg and Reingold with new keyboard player Zach Kamins and new drummer Mirko De Maio. Roine Stolt stated that he was done being in a group and wanted to tour as a solo artist like Roger Waters or Steven Wilson. Tomas Bodin was not a part of this group and made his displeasure quite public. The band toured with Spock’s Beard in November and December 2018 and continued to do shows in 2019, this time under the name "The Flower Kings Revisited".
In July 2019, "Revisited" was removed from the band name, making it clear that this line up was now "The Flower Kings". The band went on to release the double albums Waiting for Miracles in 2019 and Islands in 2020, the latter having been recorded entirely remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 24 March 2021, Roine Stolt announced two big projects. The Flower Kings are working on a brand new album "in the same innocence" of Stardust We Are. On 19 April 2021, Roine officially teases that Stardust We Are is getting a brand new vinyl remaster.
On April 8th 2022, InsideOut and Roine Stolt announced that Back in the World of Adventures and Retropolis were getting "remastered and partly remixed". The release date for both was placed on May 27th 2022. Also Stardust We Are and Flower Power are getting remixes and remastered in June.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flower_Kings
Studio albums
The Flower King (1994)
Back in the World of Adventures (1995)
Retropolis (1996)
Stardust We Are (1997)
Flower Power (1999)
Space Revolver (2000)
The Rainmaker (2001)
Unfold the Future (2002)
Adam & Eve (2004)
Paradox Hotel (2006)
The Sum of No Evil (2007)
Banks of Eden (2012)
Desolation Rose (2013)
Manifesto of an Alchemist (2018)
Waiting for Miracles (2019)
Islands (2020)
By Royal Decree (2022)
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The Flower Kings Lyrics
A King's Prayer Goodnight It seems that it won't be the last goodbye How s…
A Kings Prayer Good night, it seems that it won't be the last…
A Vampires View I am back at the beginning, I have a crust…
Adam & Eve Adam & Eve they looked for sensations, young ¨notorious, Let…
Agent Supreme /* Empty */…
Bavarian Skies Goodnight, goodbye, auf wiedersehen Now time has come for s…
Big Puzzle Face to face with the iconized picked me up when I…
Black And White Days of black & white are here again leave it's mark…
Blood Of Eden We're the 3rd from the sun we're a beacon and a…
Blue Planet Got a perfect view From here in the voyage window room Blue…
Calling Home If I was a tree, if I was another flower,…
Check In /* Empty */…
Chicken Farmer Song I could use a day on my own, make it…
Church of Your Heart Don't believe in matter, so please don't fence me in Don't…
Cinema Show Home from work our Juliet Clears her morning meal. She dab…
City of Angels The sun is up, the early morning flavours once more set…
Compassion For the weak, wounded hearts For the nameless, fallen stars…
Corruption Now, I'm not sure if you wanna know what's going on…
Cosmic Circus From the ragged fence To the cosmic bends We have paved our…
Cosmic Lover Give me your time I'll give you the message Go for a…
Dark Fascist Skies Here's the news for your king and the nation: There's an…
deaf numb & blind Opened the door, let me into your secret garden I wanted…
Desolation Road Be sure to meet your enemies with open eyes When you…
Devil's Playground Chaos in the galaxy of hate, pick 'em out your…
Different People I saw them coming from the mountains. I saw them coming…
Dream On Dreamer Dream on dreamer, starchild Open your mind carefully Dream…
Drivers Seat An observation from the greenhouse A nifty cluster of insan…
Elaine Here she comes again, smiling like a horse God he was…
End on a High Note The world is open The world is alive It's technicolor and th…
Fast Lane Try to see a new way! You say; "Life can be…
For the Love of Gold The beat goes on and on but we build on…
For Those About to Drown The Queen behind the veil is mindless Depraved and without …
Garden of Dreams Puppets & Prunes in the world of Ballons, where all…
Garden of Dreams: All You Can Save I'll conduct a Circus out of nowhere I'll create a Kingdom…
Garden of Dreams: Business Vamp Up with business, close your hearts Once a Tribe, now worlds…
Garden Of Dreams: Love Is The Word Peace is the word dreamers dreaming / pacing the word…
Garden of Dreams: Simple Song Life was simple in the primal days, we just found…
Genie in a Bottle He's shaking like a Cuban shaker just dying now to meet…
Ghost Of The Red Cloud Images of twilight becomes real Help me spell it out…
Go West Judas You left with a promise and sealed with a kiss Remember…
Grand Old World Standing in the sun, gazing at a new day Filling in…
Hit Me With a Hit If you really wanted to You could write a hit You could…
I Am The Sun Been around for a while Grown my beard, I'm still a…
In the Eyes of the World If I don't wake up by tomorrow If I don't work…
Jealousy How I love it when you're down I love when your…
Just This Once Shut up just this one Let's go where the river runs Maybe…
Kingdom Of Lies They came to look for paradise, a better life, a…
Last Carnivore Like a nightmare becomes real You have fallen from your tow…
Last Minute On Earth Last minute on earth what would you do, who would you…
Lazy Monkey I thought that I was out of my head I'll find…
Life In Motion You can call me dreamer - You can call me…
Life Will Kill You Winter, no leaves on the trees Sky is turning red Silence, I…
Little Deceiver /* Empty */…
Love Is The Only Answer I was there in the beginning, I will be the…
Love Supreme Waterfall, a midnight monsoon in a moonlit tropical station …
Lucy Had A Dream Lucy had a dream last night Lucy dream in black and…
Magic Pie Blue skies above me, sun is all around Flowers surround me,…
Man Of The World Trainride, dreaming the day away Slowride, (go) passing the…
Man Overboard Some work hard to pay their dues where as some just…
Minor Giant Steps Now imagine, can you, can you, if you will See the…
Mommy Leave The Light On Mommy leave the light on Tell me that the monster is…
Monkey Business I'm not a monkey anymore I've built a new house –…
Monster Within So you say that you cannot sleep, you're not into…
Monsters & Men Can we meet 'round the bend Will you listen my friend I'm…
My Cosmic Lover Give me your time I'll give you the message Go for a…
Numbers Tripping the world imperial (Look inside her) Leaving the …
One More Time It's the beginning of the end - or just the…
Painter Angel paint my world in gold, justify the world, behold Sta…
Pandemonium Watch your back when the sun goes down The dark duke…
Paradox Hotel We've got guests, plenty, they come and they go I'm the…
Rising the Imperial Sit by the brook that sings your name The voice of…
Road to Sanctuary Walk with me as long as we're together Get your tickets…
Rollin' the Dice (The Devil) Don't be too sure You know, You can have more! D…
Runaway Train I can't stay, now I have to get away, right…
Selfconsuming Fire She's waiting for the early tide She turned back where the…
Serious Dreamers Now you tell me that you can't afford the dreaming Serious…
Silent Graveyards In silent graveyards - they look for saviors In silent grav…
Silent Inferno Quarter to four & the hours keep draggin' tonight Nothing is…
Silent Sorrow I wish that I could see The state of things that…
Slave To Money I know it open doors, carry the weight, so many…
Sleeping Bones We're the 3rd from the sun We're a long way from…
Solitary Shell Shiny minstrels of worn out time look down upon you and…
Stardust We Are Part I Look for no tears in my eyes Sing me no…
Starlight Man I can be your guardian angel I can be your starlight…
Stupid Girl Now you think that you're so bright running smooth when thi…
Sword Of God It takes no muscle, it takes no mind to see it…
The End Of Innocence And now, you're a soldier of fortune and fame They say,…
The Flower King Falling out of the sky, falling into a dream. All I…
The Judas Kiss Mother, what's it all about Tell me, what's that scream and…
The Merrygoround Come on get your tickets, step up to the merry…
The Navigator A time of learning from time again Uncover the past mistake…
The Resurrected Judas Moon is at the window Ice upon the lake Calling from the…
The Rhythm Of The Sea Traffic lights says go, go, go but my destination is, I…
The Road Back Home Down to the crossroad with an open mind Tails out tapes…
The Silent Masses So you think you can rule all the fools Stayin' cool…
The Sum Of No Reason Red sails in the morning - Black smoke's here to…
The Truth Will Set You Free [I - Lonely Road] If you walk down that lonely road Realizi…
The Way The Waters Are Moving Summer is gone, memories long We're afraid and hold on desp…
There Is More To This World Run brother hide if you can Take these words from the…
Thru The Walls From your singular secret eye watch the neighbourhood passi…
Timelines Time is a thief and timelines invisible Embedded them years…
Touch My Heaven Should I stay here on the floor? I can't get up...…
Tower ONE She'll walk me slowly thru burning spears She'll be my shel…
Trading My Soul Don't tell me I'm dying... got no time for grief Don't…
Train To Nowhere No expressions on their faces in the rain We ain't going…
Truth Will Set You Free The [I - Lonely Road] If you walk down that lonely road Real…
Underdog 10,000 riding the sky, big league passing by Set to defend…
Vampire View I am back at the beginning, I have a crust…
Vox Humana See the children playing in the evening sun See them riding…
What If God Is Alone What if God is alone? He really needs someone to talk…
White Tuxedos Silence & cries - of far away laughter Dead eyes of…
World of Adventures I'm back in the world of adventures in grand new adventures,…
World Without A Heart When you turn away and lock all your doors When it's…
You Don't Know What You've Got I'll stay forever true to you Your velvet touch makes me…