1. Numbers - 25:262. For the Love of Gold - 7:25
3. Pandemonium - 6:09
4. For Those About to Drown - 7:06
5. Rising the Imperial - 7:52
Bonus Disc:
1. Illuminati - 5:56
2. Fireghosts - 5:50
3. Going Up - 5:10
4. LoLines - 4:26
Without the bonus disc, this is the shortest Flower Kings album on record (pun intended), clocking in at just around the 53-minute mark with only five songs. Another solid offering with melodic guitar, swirling synth and organ, mind-blowing bass, nimble drums, and soaring vocal harmonies, Banks of Eden's only flaw might be its familiarity. But what's wrong with a visit from an old friend, even if you talk about the same things you talked about the last time you got together?
The opening epic "Numbers" is the main event - it goes through various permutations, starting with a classical flourish then navigating several successive movements and styles. Gorgeous balladry, metallic attack, chill zoning, delicate harmonies, and creative instrumental interplay are all bound together seamlessly by a few well-chosen motifs (including the main theme from "Rising the Imperial"). Lyrically, it deals with war, inflation, and dim prospects for the future, all sugarcoated by musical luminosity. It's one of the band's more successful epics, coming on the heels of the self-conscious, pasted-together "Love is the Only Answer" from 2007's The Sum of No Evil.
The disconnect between sunny music and gloomy lyrics continues through the rest of the album. Well, it's not really a disconnect - the two warring moods are combined by passionate performance. The second half of the album offers four solid mid-length progressive rock songs. Each has its own special character, though they may not add much uncharted territory to the Flower Kings' (admittedly massive) body of work. Jonas Reingold's expansive bass guitar on "For Those About to Drown" stands out, as does bandleader Roine Stolt's evocative guitar solo at the close of "Rising the Imperial." Hasse Froberg sings his heart out, and Tomas Bodin adds ever-delightful color and virtuosity with his array of keyboards. The only misstep for me is the robo-vocal on "Pandemonium," but the boys have to have a little fun. It can't all be serious "save the prog" standard-bearing.
At first I wondered why the songs from the bonus disc hadn't been added to the album proper, but they really don't fit. They're just some nice little songs the band enjoyed. "Illuminati" is a tasty jazz waltz with some sweet guitar. "Fireghosts" and "Going Up" are solid rock songs that the Kings have fiddled with in their trademark way. Sadly, "LoLines" is a weird throwaway, with lots of bizarre noise and aggression to no purpose. All told, this is a welcome new offering from the reigning monarchs of modern progressive rock. Long live the Kings!
Arbitrary rating (album): 4.5 out of 5 well-chosen motifs
Arbitrary rating (bonus): 4 out of 5 nice little songs
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