The Flower Kings
The Rainmaker

"Last minute on earth, in the rapids of time
A story on wheels without rhythm(or rhyme)
Racing the memory lane, high and low
You own the world but got nowhere to go"

This album came into my hands last Christmas. At first, I looked at it with skepticism because I had never had the chance to listen to these "The Flower Kings," and I wasn't particularly encouraged by what I had read about them. But the moment I thanked for the gift, got into the car, and started the CD, my opinion immediately changed: this album captivated me from the very first listen, with its melodies sometimes solemn and sometimes very cheerful, with the sound complexity that distinguishes it, with its meticulously detailed arrangements both instrumentally and vocally.

There are truly beautiful songs on this album. To mention a few: "Last Minute On Earth" is the long opener, captivating for the theatricality of its atmospheres, with a highly impactful chorus that will linger in your mind for a long time. "City Of Angels" has a more progressive taste but does not shy away from airy openings to the sweetest and most catchy melodies around. "Elaine" is an excellent ballad made more charming by the curious lyrics that humorously but tenderly talk about a girl teased by everyone for her ugliness. "Sword Of God" is a much more rock-oriented piece, especially in the main riff, yet it does not hesitate to travel on the wave of the usual beloved progressive, in a quite "unexpected" middle section when you listen to the song for the first time.
Oh, I almost forgot!: the highest moment of the album is reached in the third track, the splendid "Road To Sanctuary," thirteen minutes and fifty seconds of expression of the band's creativity and flair of Roine Stolt, which gives us a mix of "exotic" and peculiar sounds, continuous changes of time and "mood" in a wonderful composition that draws from sacred monsters of the '70s like Genesis and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

The musicians are excellent, starting with Roine Stolt (also part of Transatlantic) who demonstrates great skills both as a composer and guitarist, in addition to a voice that impresses more for personality than technique. The keyboard is very present, but never cumbersome. The bass is somewhat understated, yet it draws interesting melodies. The drums help the album recreate a very "seventies" atmosphere, both for the style and for the sounds used by Jaime Salazar.

If you are a Progressive Rock enthusiast, don't miss this album. However, if it’s not really your genre, give it a chance anyway, you might start to change your mind.
Curious.