Flower Kings, The: "Tour Kaputt" Live

I have reviewed music for about a decade now and this is my first review of a Flower Kings disc. That is hard to believe given they have been such a prolific band over the last two decades. The legendary band has an impressive twelve studio albums to their credit and no less than four live discs including their latest "Tour Kaputt", originally released in 2011 and rereleased in 2015. It is billed as an "Official Bootleg" but doesn't sound like one as the sound quality is excellent. The concert took place on November 15, 2007 at De Boerderij-Zoetermeer, The Netherlands. There must have been some magic in the air that night as the band sounds fantastic. The players that night were Roine Stolt (guitars, vocals), Hasse Fröberg (guitars, vocals), Tomas Bodin (keyboards), Jonas Reingold (bass, vocals) and Pat Mastelotto (drums, percussion).

The tour supported The Sum Of No Evil album so it should come as no surprise five of six tracks are taken from that disc. The first track is the epic "Love Is The Only Answer" clocking in at a whopping twenty-seven plus minutes. The serene beginning keyboards and vocals eventually lead to Stolt's crunchier guitar rhythms and biting tones. The bass is thick and powerful and the melody lines are ear catching. One of the more creative tracks has to be the mind blowing rendition of "Retropolis" where Mastelotto's drums and percussion and Reingold's inventive bass playing come to the fore. Eventually Stolt provides a fiery solo backed by raging organ and more outstanding bass followed by some nice synth work. Another highlight has to be the classic and uplifting prog of "I Am The Sun" featuring melodic lead guitar, Bodin's keyboard freak-outs and patented organ lines. In some of the heavier parts I even detect a little Deep Purple. Highlights of the second disc include the optimistic symphonic prog of "Life In Motion" with its creative use of keyboards, melodically soaring guitar work and warm drum tones and the massive epic "The Sum Of No Reason" where moments of heavy prog collide with softer instrumentation creating a light versus dark motif.

"Tour Kaputt" is an excellent live album and the sound quality is befitting of such a great band. The evening was charged with emotion which comes through loud and clear in the band's performance.

Track Listing:
Set One:
1. Love Is The Only Answer
2. There is More To This World
3. Retropolis
4. Trading My Soul
5. Hudson River Sirens Call
6. I Am The Sun
Set Two:
7. Life In Motion
8. Brimstone Flight 999
9. Babylon
10. Stardust We Are
11. What If God Is Alone
12. Blade Of Cain
13. The Sum Of No Reason

Added: June 19th 2016
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 1829
Language: english

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