The Flower Kings - A Kingdom Of Colours II [2004-2013] (2018)

Dreams are an essential part of the musical world. Despite having been firmly involved in Sweden's highly fertile prog rock scene in the '70s, Roine Stolt was still harbouring dreams of maximum creative fulfilment when he arrived in the '90s, guitar in hand and a head full of sublime musical ideas. The end result was a solo album, The Flower King, which struck such a resounding chord with a small but growing number of prog fans around the planet. It also proved to be one of a handful of albums that helped to kick-start and underpin a worldwide resurgence for adventurous, symphonic rock music that is still gaining momentum over two decades later. You can find the proof of what happened next within this lavish, generously proportioned box set containing the second half of The Flower Kings' extraordinary catalogue of immersive, immaculate studio albums. From the outstanding Adam & Eve (feat. Daniel Gildenlöw) to the dark reinventions of Desolation Rose, Stolt and his merry prog rock men have continued to be an unwavering force for artistic good: symphonic rock warriors waging a war against mindless trends and the dark forces of boring music. Their mission was to create the most wildly imaginative and absorbing music possible. Their success is undeniable. As we continue our conversation (see the first of these box sets for details!), Roine is typically laidback about the secrets behind his band's enduring appeal