Kamelot Album: “Karma”

I bought Kamelot's Karma CD yesterday...and I've been listening to it virtually non-stop since. I'm nearly speechless.

Where do I begin to sing the praises of Kamelot?

Khan's voice is astounding. He's a combination of Geoff Tate and John Schlitt (a highly underrated rock singer, most recently of Petra), with a bit of Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius) thrown in for good measure.

Guitarist Thomas Youngblood isn't a shredder the way Symphony X's Michael Romeo or Stratovarius' Timo Tolkki are, but he has a powerful, melodic style that I like very much nonetheless. Best of all, he's a true renaissance guitarist, equally at home on an electric, classical or acoustic guitar. Very few guitarists these days are that accomplished.

The songs on Karma are deep, creative, beautiful and sometimes complex without being overpowering the way Symphony X or Dream Theater can get.

I wouldn't call this prog metal. Symphonic metal is more like it. Or symphonic power metal. Whatever label you care to give it, this is extremely moving music.

It's hard to pick a favorite song, but I like the melody and brisk pace of "Across the Highlands."

Other favorites include "Forever," "Requiem for the Innocent," "Fall from Grace" and even "Ne Pleure Pas," the U.S. Bonus track, sung in French (with beautiful strings and classical guitar accompaniment).

Another surprise: This isn't a European power metal band. These guys are from Florida! Unbelievable. I had no freakin' clue that American bands were this good. Aside from Symphony X, I really didn't know any symphonic power prog/metal bands hailed from the States.

I'm going to waste no time ordering Kamelot's back catalog (I think they have five other CDs)...and keeping a watch on the concert circuit for a gig close to Michigan. This is truly a must-see band!

Kamelot is a band that has grown on me the past few years. When I first heard their last cd, I was not blown away. However, upon subsequent listenings, I started to hear that they really are one of the better bands around. They have an exquisite refined sound that really shines through on this cd. They don't shred or play really intricate time signatures yet you can tell they are all very talented musicians. Their music is not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but they are also not quite as crazy as Dream Theater or Symphony X. Khan is a great singer and Thomas Youngblood has some really great, tasteful leads to complement some solid rhythm work. The other musicians are quite good too, especially keyboard whiz Miro. Standout cuts are Wings of Despair, the three part Duchess of Blood tracks, and the Highland song.

Kamelot – Karma

It’s fairly simple; if you haven’t listened to Kamelot then you are missing out on some of the best power metal today. This band mixes power, melodic, symphonic, and progressive elements seamlessly. While not sticking to the same sound of their previous effort “The Fourth Legacy”, they made what many fans consider their best album to date.

Song by song review

1. Regalis Apertura (01:57) - Instrumental intro leading to….. 5/10

2. Forever (04:08) - One of the best songs in the album. This is an instant classic. Great vocals by Roy, great drumming, great guitar work, great bass work and the beauty of it all is how it all blends together perfectly. 10/10

3. Wings of Despair (04:32) – A mid-to-fast-tempo song keeping the same momentum from the previous song. A great track. 9/10

4. The Spell (04:21) – Kamelot slows it down a notch here into another great song. Khan’s vocals shine again here as well as Casey’s drumming. You’d think this song might not work too well live but it does and surprisingly well. 9/10

5. Don't You Cry (04:18) - One of the many reasons I like Kamelot is because they can do ballads without being cheesy. An emotional song about the loss of a loved one. 8.5/10

6. Karma (05:13) – Te band speeds it up again for the title track and what a track it is! Another one of my favorites… So halfway through the album and still not a weak song yet! 10/10

7. The Light I Shine On You (04:15) – Another favorite. Once again Khan’s vocals are great and the lead is awesome too. 9/10

8. Temples of Gold (04:12) – Another ballad, another great track. No surprise, great emotion throughout and Khan shows how talented he is with emotional vocals 9/10

9. Across the Highlands (03:46) – And we speed it up again…. Another well balanced track. One of the faster songs in the album too. 8/10

10. Elizabeth Part I: Mirror Mirror (04:23) – First part of the trilogy..very emotional first track 9/10

11. Elizabeth Part II: Requiem For the Innocent (03:46) – Great lyrics in this one. I like how the song trilogy starts slow, in here it goes midtempo, and then the next song is fast. 9/10

12. Elizabeth Part III: Fall From Grace (11:02, but actually about 4:30) THEY TRICKED US! =] While the cd says its 11:02 it’s actually about 4 minutes but it doesn’t take away from being one of the best songs in the album. I will be redundant yet again: This track is great! 10/10

One of the best Kamelot albums as well as one of the best power metal albums. Kamelot shows they can play anything… fast, slow, midtempo, ballads, melodic, aggressive, epic, and progressive songs and excel in all. Intelligent lyrics, great vocals, awesome guitar playing, aggressive drumming, and grooving bass work, what more would you want in an album? I know! An album centered on Goethe’s Faust… This would be a 10/10 album if and only if they wouldn’t have released their next masterpiece… Epica.

Final: 9/10

At this point, Kamelot has riched a level in quality of compositión that only could go up. The songs are pretty nice, and once again the balad ones are amazing, but this time I belive the best song it's "forever" a very melodic power song.

But the most interesting thing of the album is the high level of production that translates in a great sound and very interesting arrengments and ideas, thanks to the cooperation of Milo and Sasha Paeth (also Luca Turilli and Rhapsody producers).

Kamelot is since Siege Perilous - 1998 a very good metal band that has rich a very identificable sound and a standar level that would please any metal fan that likes certain level of technique and performance, but in this album (2001)the band still shows a grade of evolution making us think that the next will be also better than the previous ones. Highly recomended album.

Right. I bought this album to give to my boyfriend - it's his type of music - but it ended up that not only was it definately his type of music, but mine as well. Normally we don't agree. He likes thrash and power metal, but I like doom and gothic metal. Or at least that's how it normally goes. I love this disk. I absolutely love this disk. Nothing like what I normally listen to, but in this there is finally something that he and I can agree on.

Kamelot rocks.

For a random pick, I think I picked a winner.