KAMELOT

ALBUM STRENGTH: I think it's the strongest Kamelot album since The Black Halo. The songwriting is a really good balance between being memorable and interesting.

ALBUM MIX: This is a very densely packed and busy album, but somehow they find room for everyone in the mix.

HOW PROGRESSIVE: The progressive thing that it achieves is being more symphonic then almost any symphonic (Prog) metal. Only Blind Guardian could claim to have integrated symphonic elements at this scale.

HOW UNIQUE: There's something about the mood of a Kamelot album that is always there. A certain melancholy or wistfulness. They really nail that here... some sort of ghostly vibe that's in every song, no matter how "metal" the song is.

PERFORMANCES: VOCALS - Tommy stills channels Roy Khan a bit, but he's far more his own singer than we've heard him before. High notes are really great when he does them. You can understand the lyrics pretty well.

GUITAR - This is the best Thomas Youngblood's guitar has ever sounded. Like everything else I've said, that's a matter of opinion... but I personally love his sound, especially the rhythm.

BASS - Good as always, but I need to listen to the album at louder levels to truly say what's different from the last album. He's just not playing Chris Squire riffs way up on the neck that stand out. When I saw Kamelot live, he really surprised me at how good and busy he was the whole time.

KEYBOARDS - Their are stretches of this album that don't feature a lot of keyboards, but when it is his time, they are gorgeous! If Oliver is doing the orchestration and subtle sound effects, then his combined role on the album is a huge influence on it.

DRUMS - Alex is new to Kamelot and this is his first studio album. He is up in the mix without crowding anyone else out... and it is super entertaining to listen to his parts. For most songs, you could listen to the whole track and just focus on the drums, and it would be pretty entertaining.

TRACKS - There are no weak tracks, but there are some stand-out "featured" tracks. I'll let others go track-by- track, but I'll say that it is an easy listen from beginning to end. I listened to it twice in a row on the first day.

OVERALL - This is not Dream Theater, but it is interesting and complex in it's own way. I think they've beat Nightwish at their own game. This album is fun, it's cool, it's epic.

COMMENTS - Before you decide you don't like Kamelot, spin the Black Halo and The Awakening. That will be the best example of Kamelot 1.0 and Kamelot 2.0. Thomas Youngblood to Kamelot is like Steve Harris to Iron Maiden: As long as he's there it's still the same band.

I totally agree, this is their best album by far . The story is based on the transcendentalist Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe's Faust. This is a sequel to "Epica" in every sense of the term ' both conceptual and compositional. Black Halo is just a wonderful journey in the world of Kamelot. There's a depth and texture to this music, the musicianship and the performances are meticulous, and the production is world class. The album full of musical nuances. Interludes and segues tie the album together masterfully. The prog elements abound here. Kamelot's sound is unique in a sense. Kamelot with the guest stars give you an interesting journey on'The Black Halo. Greatest Progressive metal album for me!!! A masterpiece. 5/5

'The Expedition', released in 2000, is a live album by power metal band Kamelot. It follows their forth studio album and rather than being one specific concert, features highlights from their tour of the same year, supporting power metal peers Stratovarius.

The band perform exceptionally, especially vocalist Roy Khan who can really belt out the high notes, and there's no doubting the energy of the music or the enthusiasm of the musicians, especially as there's a palpable chemistry between everyone involved. However, now the down side... I find Kamelot's first four albums range from okay to good, and while the songs here are some of the best of the bands earlier days, I'd still prefer to listen to their later material, which, conveniently, starts to really pick up with their next studio album.

But for what it's worth, this is still a decent enough release. The sound is spot on, giving everyone space to shine and stand out without drowning anyone else out. There are some cringe-inducing moments too, such as Roy Khan shouting "let's tear this place apart" between songs! I love his voice, and his energy is infectious, but this isn't the kind of music to mosh to.

Thankfully there's only eight live tracks, keeping the album fairly short and sweet, as there's then three new studio tracks included at the end, and this is where you really get your money's worth. 'One Day' is a nice enough ballad, but the key highlight for me is the rerecording of 'We Are Not Separate' from the bands debut album. With a much updated and richer sound, improved vocals and arrangements, this song is a true gem in Kamelot's discography and one of their finest works.

For that alone, this album is a great addition to any Kamelot fans collection, and at least worth checking out once by any casual listeners.

Power metal has always been the ginger-haired stepchild of metal. It's cheesy, and full of corny lyrics about mythical lands and beings going on wondrous adventures. Lame, right? But occasionally, a band comes along who does away with the speed-metal roots and wailing vocals of the genre, and releases something with a bit more depth and substance.

Enter Kamelot, with their fifth studio album, 2001's 'Karma', the group have really hit their stride, with a refined sound and more polished song writing, this is where the band truly begin a streak of strong releases that establishes them as one of symphonic metals true champions.

Building upon what they'd started with 1999's 'The Forth Legacy', 'Karma' has a very rich sound that gives the band an amazingly fantastical feel. Brimming with lavish orchestrations and exotic musical influences, Kamelot have slowly stepped away from the medieval themes of past albums and gone for a more varied, worldly sound, and it works well with their upbeat and energetic performances. Special mention must go to vocalist Roy Khan, who's incredible voice works very well with the music and gives it a warm and wholesome sound.

With highlights such as 'Forever', 'Across the Highlands', 'Wings of Despair', all three parts of a trilogy entitled 'Elizabeth', and the beautifully emotional 'Don't You Cry', it's clear that here is a band who, after a few albums tweaking their sound, have finally found their identity and established a style befitting a band named after the home of the legendary King Arthur. Kamelot may not be for everyone's tastes, but if you're okay with a bit of fantasy and majesty in your music, then this is definitely worth checking out.

Released in 2000, 'The Fourth Legacy' is the album which saw Kamelot rise to prominence as one of power metals most popular bands of the new millennium. Following on from 1998's 'Siege Perilous', which saw the debut of vocalist Roy Khan, the band's sound was starting to incorporate a heavy use of keyboards, which added some exotic and middle-eastern touches to the music.

The production has been massively improved upon as well, and it's this which has ushered in a new era for Kamelot. With a polished sound which does justice to the atmosphere and sense of storytelling the band are trying to set, 'The Fourth Legacy' is their best release to date. The musicianship is also much more confident than before. With faster, galloping riffs intertwined with some interesting keyboard melodies, the group are certainly headed in the right direction in all aspects but one...

Unfortunately, the compositions themselves are still a mixed bag. While there's some instant classics in the form of 'Until Kingdom Come', 'The Fourth Legacy', 'The Shadow of Uther' and 'The Inquisitor', the rest are fairly average at best. Certainly not anything overly memorable when compared to the bands later output.

'The Fourth Legacy' is a huge leap forward from the bands prior work, and while it still has its flaws, they're mostly overshadowed by the huge improvements in production and musicianship. At best, I could only say it's a decent album, but better things are definitely on the horizon.

With Kamelot's third studio album comes a major turning point in the bands history for two reasons. Number one being that with 'Siege Perilous', keyboards started to play a more pivotal role in the music, as opposed to previous releases where it was used sparingly in the background. And number two, of course, is the addition of former Conception frontman Roy Khan, a man who's distinct voice would go on to give Kamelot the identity they needed in order to stand out from the other power metal bands.

Unfortunately, these changes didn't instantly bring huge success upon the band, and while this is a good effort, it tends to feel more like a transitional period for the band as they begin to truly develop their own style.

Of course, that doesn't make this a bad album. Although there are a few rather forgettable tracks here, there are others that ooze of Kamelot's medieval-inspired charm. Songs like 'Providence', 'Parting Visions' and 'Irea' are all up there as some of the bands most memorable moments.

The addition of Khan and more prominent keyboards have laid down a path for where the band are headed in the future, but this still remains as nothing more than a good album. The symphonic elements are starting to materialize, though they're simplistic compared to future releases. Still, 'Siege Perilous' is a step in the right direction for Kamelot.

Kamelot play a style of symphonically-inclined power metal that in principle hits all the right notes but in practice leaves me cold. I think the problem for me is that tonally speaking it falls between two stools; it's a little too cheesy to be taken as a more sober artistic statement, but not quite cheesy enough to be taken as goofy, gonzo fun. It's modern Hollywood blockbuster power metal, where it's hardly worth paying attention to what movie you're walking into because it'll be the same general characters shot with the same general CGI aesthetic and offering the same general Joss Whedony/JJ Abramsy quips whichever you go to see. The Black Halo is as palatable as it gets for me but that is literally all it is: palatable.

Vocalist Roy Khan's has departed, but power/prog metal steadfast Kamelot continue on their path of solid releases with Silverthorn, this time with new singer Karevik. The result is a predictable, but enjoyable, release from a guilty-pleasure metal group that plays to their strengths well, creating a competent collection of songs that drip with drama-club theatrics, excellent instrumental performances, and artistic energy.

I enjoyed Khan's vocals quite a bit; they were a significant element of Kamelot's sound, and his loss is noticed. However, Karevik is no slouch. His overall timbre is consistent with Khan's, though each singer has his strengths. In Silverthorn, Karevik shows great proficiency in creating varied phrasing that adds an even higher (!) sense of drama. He is best when he's belting out the exciting stuff. However, the ballads and down-tempo moments throughout this album are not as engaging as we've heard Kamelot deliver before. Still, fans of the band won't be turned off by inclusion to the group's roster.

Musically, Silverthorn is very song-oriented. Tracks are 4-5 minutes, loosely connected, and generally accomplish what they set out to do. The standout is, not surprisingly, the extended "Prodigal Son," which is opened up enough for the group to explore more ideas than can be crammed into the shorter songs. The songwriting is standard power-metal fare though Kamelot's execution always seems to come off with more nuance and class than some of their contemporaries. The heavy synth work and inclusion of symphonic elements adds a touch of style (or cheese, your choice), that makes the album feel like it is offering more than it really is.

This, and the band's generally quite good instrumental work makes me wish they strive for more ambition and experimentation. This is especially true for guitarist Thomas Youngblood, whose consistency and energy are unflappable, but never elevates his presence in the songs to anything more than fast riffing and solos which come and go so quickly that they don't leave an impression. Come on Thomas... give me a 2-minute epic closing guitar solo I know you would nail!

Kamelot's albums are routine experiences, and without a strong narrative or vision to grab hold onto, which Silverthorn does not have, we're sort of left with these bite-sized tastes of what could be a very cool metal experience. The sort of Victorian, psuedo Goth-ghost stories that the band has stewed in for the past several albums are trite and predictable. So, while fun, Silverthorn is an average prog-metal release that will definitely satisfy fans of the genre.

Songwriting: 2 - Instrumental Performances: 3 - Lyrics/Vocals: 3 - Style/Emotion/Replay: 3

Kamelot is a band that is often criticized for remaking the same album with each release. I recently reviewed an album of theirs from 2000, and would be hard pressed to think of how the band has matured in these 15+ years! Think of how much bands like Rush or Dream Theater have changed in that time frame! If you're in to power metal then this isn't a bad thing, because the band hits all the right beats when it comes to making theatrical, energetic, romantic, and rousing music... it's just the same music over and over again. For years I haven't really cared, but there's something about a Haven that rubs me the wrong way, and makes me think that the band has crafted a release that makes the criticism of sameness not only accurate, but something that holds the band back.

Haven is for the most part pretty good. It's hard to knock that band's instrumental chops or energy level. Youngblood is an under rated guitarist who handles lead and backing duties, and sounds great. The rhythm section is very competent, and do a fine job driving the momentum of the album as Palotai's keyboards give us a consistent palette of textures and solos. So what's the problem?

It's the songs and the overall tone of the album, which is mired in melodrama that doesn't work this time around. The songs lack the creative "umph" and energetic spark that makes Kamelot's sound get under the skin to make one's head rock and toes tap. Even Ghost Opera, one of the band's 3-star releases immediately grabbed your attention and kept it; Haven's songs come and go. We don't have any extended pieces, a sense of crescendo throughout the album, nor a narrative thread to carry us through the music - just song after song of Karevik singing about lost love, regret, and other touchy-feely stuff. Kamelot's music always has a few soft-spots to heighten the drama and dynamics, but Haven uses it excessively, and because the exciting parts are just OK, the album is weighted down by bathos.

A few standout songs and good musicianship doesn't overcome the power metal cheese this time around, so Haven will be one for fans for whom Kamelot's style of drama-metal can do no wrong.

Songwriting: 2 - Instrumental Performances: 3 - Lyrics/Vocals: 2 - Style/Emotion/Replay: 2

The band's debut 'Eternity', despite being nothing more than standard 90's power metal, had some pretty cool moments in there. Unfortunately their follow-up album, 'Dominion', is more-or-less the same thing, only with all- round weaker and less memorable songs.

However, with that said, there are two highlights for me, which is 'Song of Roland' and 'We Are Not Separate'. At this point both of these songs are stronger than anything else Kamelot recorded on this album or its predecessor. Sadly they're just not enough to save the whole album from being anything more than "good".

An all-round good power metal album, not really for anyone other than Kamelot diehards though. The best is yet to come.