Three years after the publication of the bulky "Ghost Opera" -Opus Kamelot autumn 2010 were back. This is the longest time span between two Kamelot albums since the very first album in 1995 (then with Mark Vanderbilt on vocals).
The ninth album by the international panel exceptional band turns out to be less anthemic, but experimental and darker than the earlier works. As on each of their albums create Kamelot is to create a unique atmosphere. So above this plant poetic melancholy. As a dark veil which really only thins out when the guitar played the last note, and the disc has rotated a final round. Despite its dense atmosphere and complexity never lack the catchiness. Many songs ignite already the first time to hear what the Wiederhörfaktor increases. Nevertheless, the songs will not be boring because it both lyrically and musically, always is something to discover - a feature of Kamelot.
Just like the guitar work of Thomas Youngblood, the mastermind behind the formation. Since time immemorial, he composes and writes the songs of the band, and its high-speed rhythm guitars run like a red thread through the band's history. Unfortunately, these have fallen into the production of the album too much into the background and not act quite as dominant as even in "The Black Halo".
Roy Khan sings now in deeper pitch and dispensed with - probably for reasons of age - to the siren-like singing of "Epica" -Epoche. In every song he slips into a different role and expresses different emotions, is sometimes a vampire and even a serial killer, and convinces consistently with his (apparently innate) Charisma. In his sinister performance he is supported by three guest vocalists, including Kamelot guest veteran (and girlfriend of keyboardist) Simone Simons of Epica.
Casey Grillo still stomps like a champion. The double-bass figures form a quivering bottom among the tempo choruses. Again proves his talent of the drummer in a plethora of time changes, for example, in the verses of "The Hunter's Season".
Sean Tibbetts replaced bassist Glenn Barry, who was already on the debut album before Khan's time there. He left the band in order to have more time with his family. As on most Kamelot albums is the bass despite a good performance in the background. For those who do not know yet: Tibbetts bassist was in Kamelot, even before they released an album.
That leaves the new data from 2007 Oliver Palotai, who takes over the orchestral parts with his keyboard. These are definitely present, but in contrast to Ghost Opera scaled back and less bombastic.
The artwork of the album is top notch, so I recommend it to buy the physical version of the album, not just the files. Very nice also the presentation of the Limited Edition. While this provides up to a successful music video and some nice interviews not very interesting, but is not much more expensive than the standard edition.
Also positive appreciably I find the texts. Once again, succeeds Mr. Youngblood to create fantastic worlds. In this work, but they are advised amazingly dark. Most of the time they are inspired by gothic mythology, which is by the mainly fabulous and / or religious themes of previous works but a (quite pleasant) surprise. At the same time there is also one or the other song that is lyrically created so cryptic that it is probably a matter of what you as a listener out there reads. I am thinking primarily of "Seal Of Woven Years".
The album starts very untypical of the band. Electronic sounds, oriental melody, then the shredding riffs and gloomy breathy verses of Khan, who slips here in the role of an exiled prince of darkness, waiting to ascend from hell (maybe Mephisto?). "The Great Pandemonium" appears as the hitherto darkest song the band's history and can be even exceeded again on this album. It has opted for a suitably fearsome guest singers: Soilwork front animal Björn "Speed" Strid are in short inserts his growls so. Khan himself said that they had opted for a guest screamer, because he does not "have the balls" for something.
I'm certainly very sure to hear Simone Simons' unmistakable voice after the second chorus, it is in the booklet but not listed for this song. After that you get to hear a brilliant guitar solo 'very great, what Youngblood delivers there. At the end of the song increases in a short final, where one has the feeling that everything falls apart, while Khan and Strid engaged in a slugfest - a pandemonium halt. So the song forms an almost reminiscent already on the newer Symphony X opener.
"If Tomorrow Came" begins aptly with distorted bass and First comes heavy over, but the pace slows already in the stanza. The chorus is again typical Kamelot with superb double bass thrashing. I find very interesting this effect gimmicks that come especially in the Bridge to use. The lyrics are, as often on the album to a succubus.
Structurally intelligent is the placement of an interlude in third place to treat the listener to the two slightly harder entry numbers a break. "Dear Editor" is the short distance and forms a big city backdrop an unusual atmosphere. Khan reads with alienated voice before a letter, then it starts:
"The Zodiac" 's start coming in like a storm over the phone and opened the my opinion pechschwärzesten Kamelot song of all time. He tells a very own version of the story of "Zodiac Killer" who did his worst in the 70's in Los Angeles and was never in focus - implemented in a progressive midtempo Stampfer. Here the killer acts like a kind of Frankenstein's monster.
Dollar question: Who should read a tape when you need a guest vocalist for a pitch-black, nasty piece of musical metal history? There are two possible answers, and since Alice Cooper is too expensive, it is even more impressive Bergkönig Jon Oliva. His unmistakable voice crowbar shredded the second verse absolutely. I love this man!
"The Hunter's Season" is a more leisurely number. Youngblood wrote it as a tribute to his recently deceased mother disease. This has been implemented in a typical Kamelot-tempo number that bridges the gap between knotless power metal and balladry, heartbreaking melodies. Even for fans of the older CDs absolutely worth hearing. Towards the end there Flink finger Gus G (Firewind, Ozzy Osbourne) added a magnificent solo.
How it is to expect from Kamelot, comes the obligatory ballad in the middle of the album. In this case, the "House On A Hill", which in my opinion his predecessor from the Opera Ghost, "Love You To Death" surpasses. The duet, the Khan and Simons afford here, need not hide from "The Haunting". Just insane, as the two voices harmonize. The two singers rays both from this majestic charisma - you act as king and queen.
After these two something more epic digressions the band of "Necropolis" goes back into darker realms, more precisely even directly into the underworld, the "city of the dead". This reminds Stampfer (especially in the chorus) to "March of Mephisto" and proves after repeated listening to be extremely complex.
As usual on the strip on the second half down a gear. "Train Of My Thoughts" is a title of the first moves unobtrusively in the background, but is out for several runs as stunt. If you close your eyes, you can almost see the winter wonderland on a rush by. Extremely atmospheric track.
"Seal Of Woven Years" I have already mentioned above as pretty cryptic song, and also affects his mood from. He is dark and mystical, begins with a long orchestral intro that builds up quietly. Then the band uses and conveys a right in the treibendste number of the album, which will be more insistent with each song part.
The finale (which personally I missed on "Ghost Opera" a little) is the four-part title track, composed a 10-minute epic. He is a successor of the revered "Elizabeth" -Monsterwerkes kind of 2001's "Karma" album. Again, a continuous story is told. It goes well the album summary, vampires, and so proves the band that they can tell a more enthralling bloodsucker history in 10 minutes than others in five films.
The first part is, as with Elizabeth, rather an introduction to the subject. At its end there is a short speech Part through a loudspeaker, which acts a little inappropriate, but there can be overlooked. The second and longest part, "So Long," is a piece balladesque with another appearance by Simone Simons. The Bitten itself provides a duet with Khan, which culminates in a vocally impressive finale. "All Is Over" is then a very short, mostly instrumental piece before it is again quite calmly in "Dissection". At the end of the epic is then placed the crown. According to the booklet this last part of Khan and Palotai was written. They wanted Youngblood apparently busy for a long time because at the end waiting for the solo, which can glow the guitar neck.
The conclusion then labeled the up-tempo number "Once Upon A Time", comparable with "Serenade" or "Silence Of The Darkness" (the latter of the chorus sounds very similar). Sandwiched between the 10-minute epic and the end of the CD-playing time, has the song to make it not easy to attract attention and remains the most insignificant number on the album. But still is nice to listen and refreshing catchy relative to the rest of the album.
The Limited Edition extends the album nor a cover of "Where the Wild Roses Grow" by Rick Cave. Presented by Khan and an unfamiliar guest vocalist named Khanty wonder the narrated story here is breathed into the necessary drama. I like Khan's voice here especially, he sings very deep. Really miss a nice side dish, about which one can not complain, I would also not.
Conclusion: All in all, I like this album but still a good deal more than "Ghost Opera". It's bleak, experimental and complex, very bulky, so it takes quite a long familiarization period. Nevertheless, it holds still catchy enough to motivate the bye. Another pearl, which "Karma", "Epica" and even "The Black Halo" be ashamed second to none.
As for Khan, I encountered exactly on this album an all too appropriate quote:
So far astray ..
When all comes to all
You'll never be satisfied
You Might As Well Let Go ...
