 |
 |
|
| Kamelot - The Black Halo |
 Released: 2005 Label: SPV/Steamhammer Cat. No.: SPV 085-69572 Total Time: 57:21 | |
Reviewed by: John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg, February 2005 Ever since the band’s debut album Eternity in 1994, the arrival of Kamelot has not been unnoticed. Next to bands such as Rhapsody, Angra and Stratovarius, Kamelot has found it’s specific niche within the rock industry. With the help of Dimmu Borgir’s Shagrath, Simone Simons from Epica and the wonderful Jens Johansson (Stratovarius), Kamelot has just released its ninth album (eighth studio offering). What strikes me is the wide range of vocalist Khan, which of course blends ever so well with the various atmospheres of the band’s music. Their melodic power metal surely gets close to the feel of some of the aforementioned bands with speed, catchy melodies and classical orchestrations adding to the darker nature of The Black Halo. It has become an album which deals with political, cultural and religious events relating to the band’s own lives, fragments of private experiences and their very own political opinions even including the war in Iraq. The album deals with love and wonder, life and death all seen through the eyes of Kamelot. Holding an album in your hands by a band like Kamelot almost makes you think you will only get a decent amount of heavy music. Not so in this case as "Abandoned" is a wonderful ballad, nicely illustrating the versatile quality of Khan’s voice. Here also Epica’s Simone Simons comes to the fore delivering the kind of song which can stand shoulder to shoulder with material by Evanescence or Within Temptation. Surely unexpected has to be the cabaret atmosphere during "Un Assassinio Molto Silenzioso" as sung by Cinzia Rizzo. No doubt the long "Memento Mori" has to be seen as the most important composition in the entire output of the band. Sporting acoustic details and wonderful lush symphonic string passages, Khan’s vocals really get the chance to deliver its dramatic strength, as if the song was a mini musical in itself. The Black Halo most certainly has pushed the band once again into overdrive resulting in more mature sounding material with ear for splendid detail. The hard sounds harder, the soft sounds softer but it all remains very much Kamelot all over. [See also Marcel's review -ed.] More about The Black Halo: Track Listing: March Of Mephisto / When The Lights Are Down / The Haunting / Soul Society / Interlude I : Dei Gratia / Abandonned / This Pain / Moonlight / Interlude II : Un Assassinio Molto Silenzioso / The Black Halo / Nothing Ever Dies / Memento Mori / Interlude III : Midnight - Twelve Tolls For A New Day / Serenade Musicians: Contact: Website: www.kamelot.com Discography
| |
[Review Index] [Home]  © Copyright 2005 ProgressiveWorld.net |