HFMC - 2012 - Powerplay

(69:00; Freia Music [2026 Edition] )






















Alongside Roine Stolt, lead singer Hasse Fröberg has been the only constant in the long The Flower Kings journey, even appearing on the ex-Kaipa guitarist’s solo album ‘The Flower King’ which started it all. When Roine decided to do something different in 2008, Hasse also looked for something new and he formed Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion with Anton Lindsjö (lead & rhythm guitar, twin lead guitar), Kjell Haraldsson (keyboards), Thomas Thomsson (bass) and Ola Strandberg (drums), releasing their debut, ‘Future Past’ in 2010 and then following it up with this one in 2012.

Originally credited to Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion, it has now been reissued with two live bonus cuts by Freia Music with a new cover and a revised credit to HFMC, which is what they have been calling the band since 2015. It was co-produced by Hasse and Tomas Bodin, who was then still keyboard player of The Flower Kings, but there is no doubt this is a very different band indeed. I have often thought that TFK would benefit from an outside set of ears and some judicious editing, yet here we have an album which mixes together prog, melodic rock and pop with luscious harmonies and a laid-back approach which feels much more like a classic band as opposed to one who was still relatively new at the time.

This is one of those albums which get better the more one listens to it as it is only then that one appreciates just how much is going on here, how much space and differentiation there is between the layers, and how it all gels in a way which leaves the listener with a smile on their face. The two bonus live cuts, “Venice CA” and “White Butterfly” (the originals of which are on this album) are a revelation as they could be coming to us straight from the Eighties with loads of polish, and somehow, they also remind me of Talisman. I didn’t hear this release when it first came out, and it has long been unavailable, so it is good come across it now as it is well worth hearing for fans of melodic rock/prog/pop. 

Kev Rowland, April 2026

Links:
https://www.hfmcband.com/
https://dutchmusicworks.bandcamp.com/

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