The Flower Kings

Biography

The Flower Kings are 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 seventeen 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 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 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. It 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×Back in the World of Adventures25 October 1995 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1World of Adventures13:372Atomic Prince / Kaleidoscope7:493Go West Judas7:474Train to Nowhere3:505Oblivion Road3:486Theme for a Hero8:337Temple of the Snakes1:248My Cosmic Lover6:479The Wonder Wheel4:1710Big Puzzle13:35. The recording process was gradual, finishing in October 1995.
In 2000, Michael Stolt was replaced by Jonas Reingold. Two years later, Salazar was replaced by Zoltán 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×Flower PowerNovember 1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 35 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Garden of Dreams: Dawn1:332Garden of Dreams: Simple Song1:483Garden of Dreams: Business Vamp5:034Garden of Dreams: All You Can Save5:025Garden of Dreams: Attack of the Monster Briefcase3:046Garden of Dreams: Mr. Hope Goes to Wall Street1:477Garden of Dreams: Did I Tell You3:468Garden of Dreams: Garden of Dreams2:409Garden of Dreams: Don’t Let the d’Evil In3:1210Garden of Dreams: Love Is the Word2:5011Garden of Dreams: There’s No Such Night2:4312Garden of Dreams: The Mean Machine2:4213Garden of Dreams: Dungeon of the Deep4:2514Garden of Dreams: Indian Summer4:1415Garden of Dreams: Sunny Lane5:2616Garden of Dreams: Gardens Revisited2:5717Garden of Dreams: Shadowland2:0418Garden of Dreams: The Final Deal4:1019Captain Capstan0:4520IKEA by Night0:0421Astral Dog7:5922Regal Dinners3:1423Papercup Angels1:5024Butterfly Queen1:25Disc 21Deaf, Numb & Blind11:112Stupid Girl6:503Corruption5:554Power of Kindness4:245Psychedelic Postcard8:436Hudson River Sirens Call 19984:477Magic Pie8:208Painter6:509Calling Home11:2010Afterlife4:4011End of a Century2:01 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×The Sum of No Evil25 September 2007 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11One More Time13:052Love Is the Only Answer24:293Trading My Soul6:254The Sum of No Reason13:265Flight 999 Brimstone Air5:016Life in Motion12:34Disc 21The River5:432Turn the Stone5:073Regal Divers (demo)6:024Love Is the Only Answer10:475Bonusviews10:12. 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 at 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 lineup of Stolt, Bodin, Reingold, Fröberg and Lehrmann played together for the last time in 2015. 2016 and 2017 saw the band members 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×Unfold the Future4 November 2002 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 17 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11The Truth Will Set You Free31:022Monkey Business4:243Black and White7:404Christianopel8:175Silent Inferno14:226The Navigator3:397Vox Humana4:45Disc 21Genie in a Bottle8:102Fast Lane6:343Grand Old World5:264Soul Vortex4:385Rollin’ the Dice5:006The Devil’s Danceschool5:087Man Overboard3:458Solitary Shell2:519Devil’s Playground25:2710Too Late for Tomatos10:24. The second box set, titled A Kingdom of Colours 2 and covering the albums Adam and Eve through to Desolation Rose×Desolation Rose28 October 2013 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Tower One13:372Sleeping Bones4:173Desolation Road4:004White Tuxedos6:315The Resurrected Judas8:246The Silent Masses6:187Last Carnivore4:228Dark Fascist Skies6:059Blood of Eden3:1310Silent Graveyards2:52, 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 of 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 DeMaio. 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 lineup was now "The Flower Kings". The band went on to release the double albums Waiting for Miracles×Waiting for Miracles8 November 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 30 tracks · 4 discsDisc 1A1House of Cards1:56A2Black Flag7:40A3Miracles for America10:03B1Vertigo9:59B2The Bridge5:31B3Ascending to the Stars5:41Disc 2C1Wicked Old Symphony5:47C2The Rebel Circus5:50C3Sleep With the Enemy6:02C4The Crowning of Greed4:49D1House of Cards Reprise1:21D2Spirals5:06D3Steampunk6:31D4We Were Always Here7:35D5Busking at Brobank0:52Disc 31House of Cards1:562Black Flag7:403Miracles for America10:034Vertigo9:595The Bridge5:316Ascending to the Stars5:417Wicked Old Symphony5:478The Rebel Circus5:509Sleep With the Enemy6:0210The Crowning of Greed4:49Disc 41House of Cards Reprise1:212Spirals5:063Steampunk6:314We Were Always Here7:355Busking at Brobank0:52 in 2019 and Islands×Islands30 October 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 21 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Racing With Blinders On4:242From the Ground4:023Black Swan5:544Morning News4:025Broken6:386Goodbye Outrage2:207Journeyman1:438Tangerine3:529Solaris9:1110Heart of the Valley4:1811Man in a Two Peace Suit3:22Disc 21All I Need Is Love5:472A New Species5:453Northern Lights5:444Hidden Angles0:505Serpentine3:536Looking for Answers4:317Telescope4:428Fool’s Gold3:119Between Hope & Fear4:3010Islands4:12 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×Stardust We Are1997 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11In the Eyes of the World10:392A Room With a View1:263Just This Once7:544Church of Your Heart9:115Poor Mr. Rain’s Ordinary Guitar2:446The Man Who Walked With Kings5:007Circus Brimstone12:038Crying Clown0:589Compassion8:41Disc 21Pipes of Peace1:202The End of Innocence8:293The Merrygoround8:184Don of the Universe7:035A Day at the Mall0:456Different People6:207Kingdom of Lies5:488If 282:159Ghost of the Red Cloud4:3810Hotel Nirvana1:5011Stardust We Are25:04. By the end of 2021, Stolt explained that Jonas Reingold could no longer participate in the touring line-up due to his commitments with Steve Hackett's band, but Reingold still plays some of the songs in the studio.
On January 7, 2022, the band announced their 15th studio album By Royal Decree×By Royal Decree4 March 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11The Great Pretender6:562World Gone Crazy5:053Blinded7:464A Million Stars7:115The Soldier5:246The Darkness in You5:137We Can Make It Work2:488Peacock on Parade5:169Revolution5:59Disc 21Time the Great Healer6:132Letter2:253Evolution4:484Silent Ways5:015Moth4:316The Big Funk4:407Open Your Heart5:178Shrine1:089Funeral Pyres7:14 would be released on 4 March 2022, while also announcing that founding member Michael Stolt returned after more than two decades to contribute bass and vocals, splitting duties with current bassist Jonas Reingold.
During 2022 and 2023, the band's first nine albums all got re-released in remastered and slightly remixed versions, up to and including the album Paradox Hotel×Paradox Hotel24 March 2006 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 19 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Check In1:382Monsters & Men21:203Jealousy3:204Hit Me With a Hit5:325Pioneers of Aviation7:436Lucy Had a Dream5:297Bavarian Skies6:398Selfconsuming Fire5:549Mommy Leave the Light On4:4010End on a High Note10:44Disc 21Minor Giant Steps12:132Touch My Heaven6:093The Unorthodox Dancinglesson5:234Man of the World5:595Life Will Kill You7:026The Way the Waters Are Moving3:117What If God Is Alone7:008Paradox Hotel6:309Blue Planet9:43.
The 16th studio album, Look at You Now×Look at You Now8 September 2023 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 13 tracks1Beginner’s Eyes4:312The Dream4:313Hollow Man4:514Dr. Ribedeaux3:025Mother Earth4:156The Queen5:207The Light in Your Eyes5:418Seasons End5:229Scars5:2210Stronghold6:3711Father Sky3:0012Day for Peace3:1013Look at You Now11:50, was announced for an 8 September 2023 release, alongside a European tour about to take place in October 2023. In April 2023, Zach Kamins revealed he left the group due to complicating touring logistics and Daniel Lantz joined for the summer shows. In July, the group mentioned that Lalle Larsson will play for the rest of the upcoming European dates.
The 17th studio album, Love, was released in May 2025.

Personnel

Current members

Roine Stolt – vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass guitar (1994–present)
Hasse Fröberg – vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, tambourine (1994–present)
Michael Stolt – bass guitar (1994–1999, 2021–present)
Mirko DeMaio – drums (2018–present)
Lalle Larsson – keyboards (2023–present)
Former members

Jaime Salazar – drums (1994–2001)
Tomas Bodin – keyboards (1994–2015)
Jonas Reingold – bass (1999–2021)
Felix Lehrmann – drums (2011–2015)
Zoltán Csörsz – drums (2002–2004, 2007–2008)
Daniel Gildenlöw – vocals, guitars, keyboards (2002–2004)
Marcus Liliequist – drums (2005–2006)
Zach Kamins – keyboards (2018–2023)
Guest musicians

Hasse Bruniusson – percussion (1995–present)
Ulf Wallander – saxophone (1995–present)
Håkan Almqvist – sitar (1997)
Pat Mastelotto – drums (2007)
Erik Hammarström – drums (2008)
Ola Heden – vocals, keyboards, guitar (2008)
Aliaksandr Yasinski – accordion (2022)
Marjana Semkina – vocal (2023)
Daniel Lantz – keyboards (2023)

Studio albums

Live albums

Alive on Planet Earth (2000)
Meet the Flower Kings (2003)
Instant DeLIVEry (2006)
Tour Kaputt (2011)
Live in Europe 2023 (2024)
Official bootlegs

Édition Limitée Québec (1998)
Live in New York – Official Bootleg (2002)
BetchaWannaDanceStoopid!!! (2004)
Carpe Diem – The Flower Kings Live in USA (2008)
Fan Club albums

Fan Club 2000 (2000)
Fan Club 2002 (2002)
Fan Club 2004 (2004)
Fan Club 2005 / Harvest (2005)
Compilations

Scanning the Greenhouse (1998)
The Road Back Home (2007)
Box sets

A Kingdom of Colours: The Complete Collection From 1995 to 2002 (2017)
A Kingdom of Colours II: The Complete Collection From 2004 to 2013 (2018)