New Kamelot

[BRAND SPRAGINS]

I recently picked up the new Kamelot cd and had a chance to sit down with it a listen to it a few times. I do think this disc is very well done. I always know that I can expect quality from Kamelot. Some discs I like better than others. This disc is not one of my favorites. I do however find that I love the darker feel and Khan sounds amazing but I find I miss the speedier songs. I love the first 3 songs on this disc but the rest i found myself not paying much attention to. Does this mean it is a bad disc, nope, it is a very good disc. The sound is great. To me all Kamelot cd's sound awesome. The production on this focuses on khan and the orchestrations more so than the guitars making it sound like a softer album. Is it my favorite Kamelot Disc, no. Is it a bad Kamleot Disc, no as a matter of fact it is very well done. For my tastes I miss the speedier songs. Will other people like this disc, YOU BET!! No matter if it is my favorite or not it is still a very well done disc. These guys are a very tight band and focus on perfection.

Here is how I rate the Kamelot Discs.

The first two with the different singer - I did not like at all. I traded them away. The first with Khan on it, i did not like due to the production and I traded it away.

The 4th Legacy - To me this one is killer. I remember getting this disc and being skeptical but once it started it was hard to put down. I love this disc and it it my favorite Kamelot Disc.

The Black Halo - This is my 2nd favorite. I love everything about this album. Heavy and dark with some killer songs.

Karma - Third Favorite.

Ghost Opera - 4th

Epica - I don't know what it is about this cd but it just does not click with me. Sure there are some great songs but for some reason this one falls flat for me.

Comments welcome.

Brand

 

[Jibrille]

I put Epica at the top of mine and 4th Legacy at the near bottom (only above Siege Perilous) for the Khan era so I guess we have very differing opinions. Though I would say I probably agree with the placement of Black Halo, Karma, & Ghost Opera. Karma features my favourite song from the band too with Elizabeth.
Again, placing Ghost Opera low does not mean I think it is a bad CD. Even 4th Legacy at the bottom has some really stellar songs. It's kind of one of those situations where all the CDs are closely ranked and would still rank better than 99% of the other albums out there for me. There's just a few more songs that I have a habit of skipping than the rest. The only albums I really don't care for are Siege Perilous & the two earlier.

 

[The Invisible Guest]

I have them rated pretty similar to Brand Spragins. I really don't count the first two any longer either, although I do think they are pretty good .. not up to the Khan level though.

T4L made me a pretty big Kamelot fan, and was a huge step up from Khan's first effort, Siege Perilous. T4L remains my favorite to this day. Everything they are today stems from that disc .. in my opinion. I like the flow of that disc a lot, and I like how they managed to find the perfect mix of speedy, epic, ballady, and mid tempo ... with some added experimentation to boot.

Karma is my clear #2 favrorite, while Ghost Opera and The Black Halo are doing battle for the #3 spot. I think in the end I'll give the edge to The Black Halo, but that's not etched in stone yet.

Siege Perilous would be my #4, and Epica would be my #5. Siege Perilous seemed like it was not a great fit for Khan. I don't know for a fact, but I would bet the music was mainly written prior to him being in the band. I think Khan did the lyrics, but I just always felt something was a tad bit off there. Khan's vox are also kind of back too far in the mix.

Epica is a fine disc, but for whatever reason it never clicked with me like the others. I didn't care for the story much .. never was able to get too interested in it. The segues kind of kill it for me further. There also several really good tunes though.

Britt

 

[FatesFan]

I love the first 3 songs on this disc but the rest i found myself not paying much attention to.
Brand

Eaxctly how I feel at the moment. I have not however really given it that many spins as I got it along with the Symphony X and Dream Theater discs and those two are dominating my ipod time.

 

[Thorn23TX]

I agree... I also think the first three songs are the strongest on the disc (technically it's the 1st 4, but "Solitaire/Rule the World" will probably always be played as a combination, or at least should, IMO.) I am a big fan of "The Pendulous Fall" that closes the Limited Edition version of Ghost Opera, and when listening to the disc I usually back up to that song and start from there. That makes for a nice string of great songs in a row ending with The Human Stain (which is reported to be the next video.) I'm not a fan of Blücher (it's a song about a German warship, but it makes me think of anything but - I would have expected a more aggressive style of song, but what do I know) and from there the songs are good, solid songs, but nothing great - until the aforementioned bonus track.

I think Kamelot has aimed for a larger commercial success with this album - much like Evergrey did with MMA. Shorter, accessible mid-tempo songs with less double-bass and speed are prevalent here. While I personally enjoyed MMA, there are many fans who didn't, and in turn the big success didn't happen for Evergrey as they had hoped. I think Kamelot's attempt is "better" than what EG were able to pull off, but only time will tell if this works out in their favor and if the fans support this move. I hope it does work out and that Kamelot gains tons of new fans. I will be seeing them when they make their stop in Dallas, and can't wait to see them live.

Back on topic, I only have TBH, OCWN and GO from them so far as a late-comer to the Kamelot scene. I plan on picking up the other Kahn-era discs soon (skipping the first two with the other singer as I have heard them years ago and was not impressed) and will have an opinion on favorites once I have all the information available. That's a novel idea, eh?

 

[edgeofthorns]

Overall, The Ghost Opera has left me feeling a little empty. It's okay, but it's not where I want Kamelot to stay. My rankings are listed below.

1. Epica
2. Karma
3. The Black Halo
4. The Fourth Legacy
5. Ghost Opera
6. Siegue Perilous

~Brian~