THE FLOWER KINGS: Islands - October 30

**Progatron** · 09-02-2020

I'm in! No epics this time, interesting...

cd.jpg

On October 30th, 2020 progressive rockers THE FLOWER KINGS will release their new double album “Islands” on InsideOutMusic, just a year after the group’s much celebrated “Waiting For Miracles”.

Due to the Covid-19-pandemic, the album comes out quite a bit sooner than originally planned as the band’s creative mastermind Roine Stolt explains:
“All shows and festivals were cancelled and the future didn’t really ‘unfold’ itself like we had hoped. To sit out the pandemic with no activities was not an option for us! We can’t be stopped by an evil virus! So, with members living in the USA, Italy, Austria and Sweden, the only way to realize this album, was to use the magic of the ‘net’, sending files around the globe and start building what now has become a mammoth-sized double album of 21 songs.”

The 92 minutes long “Islands” features artwork by legend Roger Dean (Yes, Asia, Gentle Giant, Greenslade, Uriah Heep) and all trademark sounds and melodies, the band is renowned for. From vintage keys to epic guitar solos, from odd drum patterns to symphonic elements, THE FLOWER KINGS present a dynamic and complex record that is bold, bombastic and beautiful.

Stolt reveals the following about the concept of the record:
“The theme of the album is isolation - so the title ‘Islands’ felt like a most relevant title - as much of it circulates around isolation, loss, and the fear of being disconnected. Having to face this unexpected pandemic will leave marks on each one of us for a very long time and to lose loved ones forces us to soldier on, learning and growing a stronger version of ourselves in this fragile cycle of life.
Musically; the aim has been to create a bigger grand epic piece out of 21 songs - so they are all connected with themes that weave in and out - like the way ‘Sgt Peppers’ or ‘The Lamb’ were built on shorter songs, but yet linked. So view it as one mega song or as 21 separate pieces, it is all tailored to be listened to as one piece - like a cinematic 90min long ride.”

Disc One (49:40)
1 - Racing With Blinders On 4:24
2 - From The Ground 4.02
3 - Black Swan 5:53
4 - Morning News 4:01
5 – Broken 6:38
6 - Goodbye Outrage 2:19
7 – Journeyman 1:43
8 – Tangerine 3:51
9 – Solaris 9:10
10 - Heart Of The Valley 4:18
11- Man In A Two Peace Suit 3:21

Disc Two (43:01)
1 - All I Need Is Love 5:48
2 - A New Species 5:45
3 - Northern Lights 5:43
4 - Hidden Angles 0:50
5 – Serpentine 3:52
6 - Looking For Answers 4:30
7 –Telescope 4:41
8 - Fool’s Gold 3:11
9 - Between Hope & Fear 4:29
10 – Islands 4:12

“Islands” will be available as massive Limited 3LP & 2CD box set with slipcase and 180 gram vinyl housed in two gatefolds, one single sleeve; as Limited Edition 2CD Digipak and Digital Album. Presales will start September 11th, 2020.

Line-Up:
Roine Stolt - Vocal, Ukulele, Guitars, Additional Keyboards
Hasse Fröberg - Vocal & Acoustic Guitar
Jonas Reingold - Bass, Acoustic Guitar
Zach Kamins - Pianos, Organ, Synthesizers, Mellotron, Orchestrations
Mirko DeMaio - Drums, Percussion
Guest: Rob Townsend - Soprano Saxophone

https://www.roinestolt.com/
http://www.facebook.com/TheFlowerKings
https://www.instagram.com/roinestolt8112/
https://www.facebook.com/pale.rider.127

**thedunno** · 09-02-2020

I am in for this

**aith01** · 09-02-2020

Oh snap! I didn't see this one coming.

I'm in!

**Kcrimso** · 09-02-2020

They got cover art from Yes and album name from King Crimson. How bad can this be?

**thedunno** · 09-02-2020

Originally Posted by Kcrimso

They got cover art from Yes and album name from King Crimson. How bad can this be?

A mix of yes and KC? Sounds like a typical FK album!

**dgtlman** · 09-02-2020

Oh wow! And only 1 barely epic on the whole thing.

**calyx** · 09-02-2020

Originally Posted by Kcrimso

They got cover art from Yes and album name from King Crimson. How bad can this be?

Too bad they're no longer releasing their albums on Foxtrot Records like they used to !

**Soc Prof** · 09-02-2020

In addition to the CDs and LPs, there should be a hi res release since Inside Music did this with their last album. But I might have to pick up the CD also just for the artwork!

**progfan915** · 09-02-2020

Ooh, a bunch of short yet inter-connected songs....kind of like Flower Power maybe? Sounds very positive!!

Am I the only one not impressed with the Roger Dean cover? I mean it's nice enough but I just feel that it's become a prog cliche to have something like that. At least they didn't use his typical "jagged" letters that usually adorn the Yes album covers.

Can't wait!!

**aith01** · 09-02-2020

Originally Posted by progfan915

Ooh, a bunch of short yet inter-connected songs....kind of like Flower Power maybe? Sounds very positive!!

I was thinking the same thing.

**tonissive** · 09-02-2020

Great! cant wait for the new album..and now I hope for reissues on vinyl of all TFK albums that have never been edited in that format.

**Steve983** · 09-02-2020

Another album where the Roger Dean sleeve is likely the best thing about it

**JKL2000** · 09-02-2020

Originally Posted by progfan915

Ooh, a bunch of short yet inter-connected songs....kind of like Flower Power maybe? Sounds very positive!!

Am I the only one not impressed with the Roger Dean cover? I mean it's nice enough but I just feel that it's become a prog cliche to have something like that. At least they didn't use his typical "jagged" letters that usually adorn the Yes album covers.

Can't wait!!

Who cares? I get the wibblies in my progloins when I gaze at it!

**chalkpie** · 09-02-2020

They forgot to show the track-listing for the 3rd bonus disc:

1. "Formentera Lady"
2. "Sailor's Tale" (instrumental)
3. "The Letters"
4. "Ladies of the Road"
5. "Prelude: Song of the Gulls" (instrumental)
6. "Islands"

**aith01** · 09-02-2020

Originally Posted by Steve983

Another album where the Roger Dean sleeve is likely the best thing about it

No one's going to make you listen to it.

**Progatron** · 09-02-2020

Originally Posted by JKL2000

Who cares? I get the wibblies in my progloins when I gaze at it!

This is the best sentence I have seen in months.

**profusion** · 09-02-2020

Originally Posted by Kcrimso

They got cover art from Yes and album name from King Crimson. How bad can this be?

Not to mention that the artwork itself reminds me a little of Hawkwind's Warrior on the Edge of Time.

**Paulrus** · 09-02-2020

Anyone else see that artwork as them standing on a gigantic LP with the tone arm/stylus hovering menacingly over their heads?

I know -- I've always had an "eccentric" imagination.

**SRS** · 09-02-2020

Super exciting to now have a name, artwork, song titles and release date for this! Anticipation is building!!

I like the song cycle approach and yes "Garden of Dreams" comes to mind and so does Desolation Rose.

I know most people seem to be really loving on the Roger Dean cover but for me he is just too identified with Yes. TFK is their own entity so I'd rather they had used their last artist (Waiting for Miracles) or give another newer artist a shot, or even have Roine use one of his own paintings like in the early days! But it is all good and the cover is cool. I suspect it has been a long time dream or wish of Roine to have Roger Dean do one of his album covers considering how much those Yes albums meant to him growing up.

**SRS** · 09-02-2020

All the band members are certainly excited about this one and seem to think it is indeed a special one - I'll put some quotes below.

If you aren't on Facebook you should know that when Roine talks about the concept of this album and says "Having to face this unexpected pandemic will leave marks on each one of us for a very long time and to lose loved ones forces us to soldier on, learning and growing a stronger version of ourselves in this fragile cycle of life." He is speaking very personally here as he lost his Mother to Covid early in the making of this album.

MirkKo has been the most expressive in describing his feelings:

“To be honest when the damn virus has hit us I had just a week to be worried about my plans, well, our plans together, indeed Roine immediately took the chance to propose us to make new music for an eventual new album. I was happy, but at the same time I was worried that it would be too soon for a new release; I mean, yes, we had a beautiful tour in Europe and some concerts in Japan supporting “Waiting For Miracles” album recorded last summer and released during the fall, but I felt we didn’t played that music enough (I still think that).
I was worried that music this time would happen almost in a forced atmosphere, because the lockdown, but then a week passed after the decision we made to create new music and BAM I got the first demo song from Roine which has smashed all my worries. I even didn’t listened that for its all length that I had to run to the drum kit and started to play along it, and let me tell you, IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST INTENSE MOMENTS OF MY LIFE, I’ve started crying while I was playing that song.
I understood that we would play our asses and heart off this new music, nor that we didn’t do that in the past, but this time has been something really different.
In some ways I’ve personally played with a different mind setting, I guess the most observants will notice that.
Being said that I’ve listened all the songs that everyone were proposing day by day and some of them were perfect to me, some were just ‘different’ from what I would expect and it’s incredible how those songs (that didn’t impressed me in the beginning) are now some of my favourites ever and I couldn’t stop singing them around
I know I’m not the only one to feel very emotional and excited, the all band at one point exposed their heart talking about the new songs.
It hasn’t been an emergency plan, this has been and still is a great way to do amazing art.”

“The songs, the playing, the vocals, the lyrics, the solos are the probably the most inspired ever in the band’s history.
This album will be special, it’s different, varied, complex, technical, emotional. It will leave you with a huge smile on your face, I know!"

Here are some thoughts from Hasse:

“This time we’ve really walked that extra mile when it comes to creativity and deliverance. This is NOT a predictable album. Of course you’ll hear it’s TFK but to me it’s like I’m listening to a “new band”. I’ve never heard my fellow singer Roine as soulful and “hearty” as he does here, the songs as colourful and the band in such a good spirit as we do on this recording. To my ears it’s been a very long time since we released music as beautiful and brave as this, if ever?”

**aith01** · 09-02-2020

^ Thanks for sharing, SRS. I didn't realize that Roine had lost his mother to the coronavirus. Very sad.

Hopefully he has found some catharsis in making music during this time.

**SunRunner2** · 09-02-2020

Originally Posted by profusion

Not to mention that the artwork itself reminds me a little of Hawkwind's Warrior on the Edge of Time.

Yes! "Flowers on the edge of time, on the edge of time, on the edge of time..."

I like the cover, however, if they wanted to really shine with a concept/suite collection of shorter songs, I would have preferred that they transition seamlessly into one another, rather than cut off in silence and then start another "short" song. Sort of a Moody Blues approach, if you will.