Any Kamelot new CD reviews?

[Mardoch]

I like it. It didn't grab me like The Black Halo did. The only thing that actually disappointed me though, was the lack of prominence of Strid's guest vocals on the opening track. Strid is possibly my favorite metal vocalist, so I was hoping for something kind of in your face there.

It's kind of taking its time, but I can't really say anything negative about it.

 

[edgeofthorns]

I finally picked this latest effort up by Kamelot about a week ago. I've listened to it in its entirety several times and have found myself disappointed. I do like the Zodiac, mainly due to Jon's appearance. Ghost Opera fell flat for me as well. I think the problem is for me that Kamelot seems to have lost the capability to combine speed with catchy hooks and melody. They use to be really good at combining the three elements!

~Brian~

 

[Riceloft]

I finally picked this latest effort up by Kamelot about a week ago. I've listened to it in its entirety several times and have found myself disappointed. I do like the Zodiac, mainly due to Jon's appearance. Ghost Opera fell flat for me as well. I think the problem is for me that Kamelot seems to have lost the capability to combine speed with catchy hooks and melody. They use to be really good at combining the three elements!

~Brian~

Agreed.

 

[axehomeyg]

So, I'm a total Kamelot n00b. I had never heard them until this last ProgPower with Mike singing. They are like one of my new favorites now after Poetry. BEFORE I realized that Jon Oliva was on the album and that they were from Florida, I was noticing that they have that same vibe that I get from Savatage. Songs that sound deceptively simple but are completely filled with nuance, top-to-bottom. I couldn't believe my ears when Jon comes in on Zodiac (my daughter was in the car, and now she keeps asking for the 'broken neck' song).

Anyway...
1) Great Pandemonium: Totally rippin'. Great for singing along in the car (and looking like a fool in rush hour).
2) If Tomorrow Came: The whole depeche-mode sound of this song kicks my nuts in. Anyone that thinks this is JUST PowerMetal is totally missing the point of this one. That crazy harmonized bridge in thirds sounds killer as well.
3) Dear Editor: Cracks my shit up, I have no idea why. Remind's me of the movie Sev7n.
4) Zodiac: Um, yeah, buy the album just for this, if nothing else. The guitar solo being this strat-y blues thing (Neal Schon-ish) is unexpected and awesome.
5) Hunter's Season: I was expecting a great guitar solo. The frenzied pentatonic-lick thing just doesn't do it for me. It kind of kills the song for me.
6) House on A Hill: Great duet! I gather from other comments that Simone rocks out the duets on other albums! Can't wait to hear more like this..
7) Necropolis: Has moments that remind of DT (the good parts, not the wanker parts). That can only be a good thing!
8) My Train of Thought: The insistent 16th-note pulse that carries the song really does give a constant-running train sound to the groove. The chorus is great, anyone with a lame voice wouldn't be able to pull it off.
9) Seal of Woven Years: Sorry about being a theory geek, but, the use of Dorian and minor interchangeably in the riff and chorus is so hip. Even if you don't realize what they are doing, it's really fucking smooth and just makes them sound badass.
10) Poetry: the suite kicks ass. I'm sure the straight-ahead powermetal is their bread and butter, but they pull off off-beat proggy/savatage-ish rock really well and this mini-journey of a tune proves it. The vocal line right into the guitar solo on So Long gives me chills, and the octave-harmonized vocals in the outro are just epic. I get why Shreddy digs Simone now so much!
11) Once Upon a Time: I'll just say that this is totally formulaic power metal.... and I wouldn't have it any other way. This song kicks my ass. Except the beginning with the keyboard solo, because my first thought is... 'you lucky bastard, dating Simone'. But then I forget all about it when the chorus starts.

And as has been mentioned before, Casey Grillo is a total powerhouse drummer. The drums on the production sound fat as hell. He isn't quite as 'detailed' a drummer as Jason Rullo, as rigid as Portnoy, or as organic as say Gavin Harrison, but, he's just really effective.

 

[Prog_Please]

Hmmm. Something must be wrong with me. The one song I always skip on the album is "The Zodiac" ...

There also must be something wrong with the guy who is disappointed that Kamelot has lost its "speed" yet thinks Zodiac, of all songs, is one of the album's highlights. Whats that called? Contradiction? I guess in his defense he did say it was primarily due to Jorn's guest appearance.

I still think this album is one of my favorites from the year (however, I am enjoying the new Blind Guardian a lot).

 

[The Fiddler]

Songs that sound deceptively simple but are completely filled with nuance, top-to-bottom..

Very well stated, and good review.

I think if "Poetry for the Poisoned" was the first disc any of us heard from Kamelot, we would be a lot more vocal about how good it is. But alas, the guys have really spoiled us over the past decade with four truly exceptional CDs and a lot of fans have come to take the quality of their music for granted. The dreaded, "Good, but I've heard this before" review is becoming common for them. It's a good conundrum because it's an indication of past success and continued good work, but it's also a sign that the bar has been set so high that blowing the socks off of long-time fans with future efforts will be harder than ever. I'm sure though, Thomas is more than up for the challenge.

 

[edgeofthorns]

Hmmm. Something must be wrong with me. The one song I always skip on the album is "The Zodiac" ...

There also must be something wrong with the guy who is disappointed that Kamelot has lost its "speed" yet thinks Zodiac, of all songs, is one of the album's highlights. Whats that called? Contradiction? I guess in his defense he did say it was primarily due to Jorn's guest appearance.

I still think this album is one of my favorites from the year (however, I am enjoying the new Blind Guardian a lot).

First off, it isn't Jorn, but Jon Oliva. I didn't say anything about Kamelot loosing their speed. What I did say is, Kamelot seems to have trouble effectively combining melody and speed on their later releases. One of my all time favorite songs is, Center of the Universe, which is a perfect example of Kamelot combining both speed and melody effectively. With that said, there's nothing "wrong" with me, but I did find your reply both amusing and inaccurate.

~Brian~

 

[Prog_Please]

First off, it isn't Jorn, but Jon Oliva. I didn't say anything about Kamelot loosing their speed. What I did say is, Kamelot seems to have trouble effectively combining melody and speed on their later releases. One of my all time favorite songs is, Center of the Universe, which is a perfect example of Kamelot combining both speed and melody effectively. With that said, there's nothing "wrong" with me, but I did find your reply both amusing and inaccurate.

~Brian~

1. Yeah, definitely meant Jon. Just ordered the new Allen / Lande album so yeah...

2. From what you're saying, you seem to like Kamelot songs that have BOTH speed and melody (exactly why you chose Center of the Universe as your example). Like I said previously, it seems odd that you'd pick in my opinion one of the slower songs on the album as your favorite when you are looking for "speed" and "melody". I stand by what I said (minus the Jorn Jon mix-up).

 

[speedy1383]

I finally got the new album. It is light years ahead of Ghost Opera. Ghost Opera was just flat for me. This one had more energy and more life to it. Khan's voice is still strong. Nice guitar work throughout. Good hearing Simone in a couple of songs. Once again they blend the classical bits in well. Enjoyable album.

I will come to one poster's defense. They did say Jon and not Jorn.