Filmed in Tilburg, 013 in The Netherlands in April of 2006, Instant Delivery is a great live document of the current incarnation of Sweden's The Flower Kings. Touring in support of their latest release Paradox Hotel, the band rips through 17 songs here, many of which come from the brand new CD, plus a host of classic songs from their past. With a loving audience in front of them, the band plays a spirited set over the course of 2 DVD's that will certainly have longtime fans jumping for joy.
Band leader Roine Stolt (guitar, vocals) is joined here by keyboard ace and right hand man Tomas Bodin, bassist Jonas Reingold, Hans "Hasse" Froberg on guitar & vocals, and new drummer Marcus Liliequist. The band plays a host of selctions from Paradox Hotel here, including the title track, "Hit Me With a Hit", "Jealousy", the endearing "Mommy Leave the Light On", "End On a High Note", "Pioneers of Aviation", "What If God is Alone", "Touch My Heaven", and "Life Will Kill You". While the style of the latest album features a looser and more jamming style, it's still trademark Flower Kings. Classics like the heavy rock of "Last Minute On Earth", the melodic gem "Love Supreme", the Yes flavored epic "The Truth Will Set You Free", and close with the final encore of "Stardust We Are", one of the band's older classics and long a staple in their live set. Stolt's sinewy yet melodic guitar solos are sprinkled throughout all the songs here, and it's been great to watch just how good he has gotten over the years. As always, Tomas Bodin mixes it up from subtlety to bombast on the keyboards, and the rhythm duo of Reingold & new guy Liliequist hold down the bottom end with plenty of fusion firepower. Just as important to the sound of The Flower Kings is Froberg, who along with his solid rhythm guitar work adds in plenty of wonderful classic hard rock styled vocals, which makes for a unique pairing with the more traditional prog rock vocal attack from Stolt. Together the two give the band a very rich sound from a vocal standpoint, especially live.
While it's only been three years since the last live DVD from The Flower Kings, Instant Delivery is a great way to experience the way the band sounds here in 2006. There's a little more jamming than in the past, and the songs are a little looser with less reliance on overblown symphonic arrangements, but the band is still evolving and showing why they have been one of the pioneers of the modern progressive rock movement over the last decade.
Track Listing
- Paradox Hotel
- Hit Me With a Hit
- Last Minute on Earth
- In the Eyes of the World
- Jealousy
- What If God Is Alone
- Pioneers of Aviation
- Love Supreme
- The Truth Will Set You Free
- Touch My Heaven
- Mommy Leave the Light On
- End On a High Note
- Life Will Kill You
- I Am the Sun
- Blade of Cain
- A King's Prayer
- Stardust We Are
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