I gave Islands another listen. I've had no issue letting it ride after the first disc. I rarely actually listen to the actual CD but generally still treat individual discs as their own, queuing up 2nd discs separately, but Islands is just a little longer than one full 80 minute CD so for me it's not that long. I'm slowly starting to get into more of the individual tracks, but it's still a lot to digest. Going through the last few TFK/Roine releases has made me realize how much I love the first half dozen TFK/Roine albums from the 90s so much more than anything that's come out since after Jonas joined, though I love his playing. I like almost everything the band has been putting out but that sweet spot for me is anything released from 93-00, but of course, I think Unfold The Future is their best album overall, so there's that, so maybe everything since UtF has been really good, or just kind of so-so for the band generally. With Islands, I feel more like we have one foot in the Modernized Classic Prog "rawk" TFK sound, with the other foot in the modern 'mature' and jazzier, slightly experimental, slightly darker TFK sound. I think it's a great combo, they kind of drop the dark overtones on this one so that really gives it a brighter sound. I still don't put it in their top 5, but it's very good for this late in the game.
I think I can give TFK a ranking now, I will include relevant Roine Stolt albums in bold. I took some liberties with Flower Power, because the first disc, to me, is the best single disc of Flower Kings music out there, and to me both discs are different enough on their own, unlike other double albums by TFK where each feel like one half of a whole. Otherwise, UtF is the best album IMO. I like all these albums except the last one.
Flower Power (disc 1)
Unfold The Future
Stardust We Are
Back In The World of Adventures
The Flower King
Space Revolver
The Sum Of No Evil
Hydrophonia
Retropolis
The Rainmaker
Islands
Flower Power (disc 2)
Paradox Hotel
Banks of Eden
Adam & Eve
Waiting For Miracles
Manifesto of an Alchemist
Desolation Rose