Love by The Flower Kings

Love by The Flower Kings, just released, is a beautiful album that marks a great return for Roine Stolt's band. It explores love in all its forms, from romantic relationships to the kind that has the power to liberate and save humanity (as per the cover image), in a time when countless wars and bitter social conflicts are more present than ever. It also explores friendship, a feeling that is being lost and is driven by an equally important form of love, and love for the things that make our lives beautiful. A message of hope in music, and what music!

The sound is what you'd expect from this great band of exceptional musicians, with their rich progressive rock that blends symphonic rock with jazz rock, taking on soft, melodic accents and occasionally more "heavy" influences, all driven by the great creativity in their compositions that is Roine Stolt's hallmark.

This album features an excellent mix of progressive rock and fusion, great work from Mirko DeMaio on drums and Lalle Larsson on keyboards, making it an overall great album. After the excellent Look At You, I had very high expectations, and they were fully met. One of the best albums from this glorious band and the best of its kind so far, in my opinion, in 2025.

The album leaves a positive impression, instilling a sense of hope, joy, and at times emotion... and isn't that what love does? A necessary album these days. The Flower Kings have hit the mark (again). Beautiful artwork!

Highly recommended!

The Tracks

1. We Claim the Moon (6:35)

2. The Elder (11:10)

3. How Can You Leave Us Now!? (5:56)

4. World Spinning (2:10)

5. Burning Both Edges (7:50)

6. The Rubble (4:23)

7. Kaiser Razor (2:32)

8. The Phoenix (3:40)

9. The Promise (3:59)

10. Love Is (6:06)

11. Walls of Shame (7:00)

12. Considerations (10:15)

Running Time: 71:36

The Lineup

- Roine Stolt - vocals, electric, acoustic, 6- and 12-string guitars, ukulele

- Hans Fröberg - vocals

- Lalle Larsson - grand piano, Rhodes piano, Hammond B3, synthesizers

- Michael Stolt - bass, moogbass, vocals

- Mirko DeMaio - drums and percussion

Featuring:

- Hasse Bruniusson - percussion

- Jannica Lund - vocals

- Aliaksandr Yasinski - accordion

- Jacob Collier - “choirs from the world”