ROINE STOLT (THE FLOWER KINGS) 'Waiting for Miracles' - Video Interview

Renowned prog musician Roine Stolt (Transatlantic, The Sea Within, The Tangent, Agents of Mercy) discusses the return of Swedish Prog-Psyche royalty 'The Flower Kings' with their new album 'Waiting for Miracles', released via InsideOut on 8Nov19. He reflects on last year's successful tour alongside label-mates Spock's Beard and the creative process that culminated into this latest suite of songs and his imminent touring plans.
Following swiftly on the heels of last year's 'Manifesto of an Architect', the new album sees Stolt on a continued rich vein of form with a smorgasbord of fifteen new songs recorded in classic symphonic prog style at RMV, a vintage studio space in Stockholm owned by Benny Andersson of ABBA.
“We have gone back to the joyful and playful style that made the band famous in the late 90’s. At the same time, the lyrics have a bit of a serious concern about the state of our world, but overall the theme is full of joy and colour. It's pure prog rock - with boatloads of vintage keyboards - odd time drumming and long guitar solos, elements of pop, prog, rock, symphonic and cinematic music!”
Indeed, the album plays-out like an epic movie. It starts with the anthemic 'Black Flag' that combines the fairground bombast of Queen and the lush instrumentation of Yes, followed-by the Kansas-meets-ELP magic of 'Miracles of America'. This segues into the expansive instrumental 'Ascending to the stars', with Roine's lithe guitar weaving exotic and evocative melodies. The second half of the album reveals broader soundscapes with the creative use of sound samples on 'Spirals' and eclectic drum patterns on 'We were always there' providing a refreshing coda and stunning counterpoint to the gorgeously Floydian and symphonic 'Sleep with the enemy' that is one of the many highlights of this sprawling yet deeply satisfying release.
VIDEO: 'Miracles for America': • THE FLOWER KINGS - Mir...
VIDEO: 'Waiting for Miracles (trailer): • THE FLOWER KINGS - Wai...
Alongside Roine's loyal floral lieutenants, bassist Jonas Reingold and vocalist Hasse Fröberg, the album features keyboard player Zach Kamins and drummer Mirko DeMaio, all of whom convene in December for a month-long European tour, accompanied by Dutch prog legends, Kayak, as special guests.
1st December - Bahnhof St. Pauli, Hamburg, Germany
2nd December - Musikzentrum, Hannover, Germany
3rd December - OK Andaluzia, Piekary Slaskie, Poland
4th December - Klub U Bazyla, Poznan, Poland
6th December - Burgerweeshuis, Deventer, Netherlands
7th December - De Borderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
8th December - Scala, London, UK
9th December - Piano, Dortmund, Germany
10th December - Columbia Theater, Berlin, Germany
11th December - Amager Bio, Copenhagen, Denmark
12th December - Brewhouse, Gothenburg, Sweden
14th December - Kraken, Stockholm, Sweden
www.roinestolt.com
@TheFlowerKings
www.insideoutmusic.com
/ insideoutmusictv
@InsideOutMusic
@insideouteu
#TheFlowerKings
#RoineStolt
#WaitingforMiracles
ALBUM AVAILABILITY:
“Waiting For Miracles” is available as 2CD, Gatefold 2LP + 2CD featuring beautiful artwork by American artist Kevin Sloan from 8th November 2019: theflowerkings...
Disc 1:
1. House Of Cards
2. Black Flag
3. Miracles For America
4. Vertigo
5. The Bridge
6. Ascending To The Stars
7. Wicked Old Symphony
8. The Rebel Circus
9. Sleep With The Enemy
10. The Crowning Of Greed
Disc 2:
1. House Of Cards Reprise
2. Spirals
3. Steampunk
4. We Were Always Here
5. Busking At Brobank

[@stewartchristie3408]

Best prog band since the seventies bar none. Nuff said. Roine is an incredible guitar pla composer. Amazing lyrics in a second language. Talent like his needs a bigger audience!

[@julio_scissors]

Roine always looks so cool

[@Minotauro_di_Chieti]

Roine: "Waiting for miracles" 2020: yes 2021: hold my beer

[@vascomunista]

Please come to Brazil again... i can't die without see this band live...

[@kristos7581]

roine, give to us another album with jon anderson !!! svp !!

[@sergegolden2918]

I like Kings because of their message, their peaceful and loving attitude and bright optimistic mood. At the same time i think, that Roine's too reckless on his creative process and he's proving me right from his own words. There's a lack of carving in his craft, he often doesn't care about melodic and atrractive singing, about cohesive song structrures and making interesting charismatic or catchy moments in his music. It sounds like he's simply extracting his raw stream of conscience into songs which is clearly not enough even if you're Mozart. Therefore the end product tends to be overblown, hollow and vapid sometimes. There's no taste in it, no spice. Like an extraharsh post-cardiac diet. There's a little edge to his solos, just a drifting, flowing cliche. The lisping is killing nanoparts of me.) At the same time, I've learned to love this group for its drawbacks. At least they're totally free in their creative ways. Maybe that was the masterplan.