Kamelot: Kings of the Power Metal Kourt (ISYMIYSMY W/O)
Written: Jun 30 '05 (Updated Jun 30 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Extremely ambitious, great execution, TONS of replay value, killer guitar licks
Cons: Very demanding, difficult for non-metal fans
The Bottom Line: If you like metal... go buy this NOW! If you don't like metal, give this album a chance. You'll be impressed even if you don't love it.
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| SixerMan's Full Review: The Black Halo by Kamelot/The Blood Brothers |
At long last, here is my entry for MattA75's "ISYMIYSMY" write-off. I was a little nervous after my man vanwarp wrote such a great review of Crash by the Dave Matthews Band. Based on his tastes, I was afraid he may hate the album. Instead, he loved it. His ability to step outside his comfort zone and be open minded made me really want to give The Black Halo by Kamelot a fair shake. And a fair shake I gave it.
When I first heard the name Kamelot, it conjured up images of some sort of medieval sounding metal band with grandiose performances that would make the Trans Siberian Orchestra nod in approval. When I popped in The Black Halo for the first time, that's exactly what I got. The band has a sound unlike anything I've ever heard. Granted, I'm not a metal fan by the wildest stretch, but I've heard enough to make myself somewhat familiar with the genre. Vanwarp describes their sound as "progressive power metal", and I think the label fits perfectly. Kamelot's sound is somewhat like a fusion between metal and punk; think Metallica meets The Ramones. If you are looking for something new and different, Kamelot is a good place to turn.
If nothing else, The Black Halo is certainly the most ambitious album I've ever heard. It is essentially a concept album based on the play Faust by Wolfgang Goethe. It takes the basic ideas of the play and converts it beautifully into a progressive power metal opera. Sound strange? It is. If you're going to do something as crazy as adapting a classic play to a metal album, you better do it right, and Kamelot does. Having a different singer for each character in the story was a great move and helps make things easier to follow. What really impressed me the most about the album was the way the music provided the emotional backdrop for what was going on in the story. It just seems so perfect. My personal favorite is "The Haunting (Somewhere In Time)", which is one of the few songs I can see getting airplay on mainstream radio. At this point in the story, the main character (Ariel) is feeling the pain of rejection. The somber tone of the song matches the theme of the scene beautifully. Other highlights include the thrasing "When the Lights Are Down", the heart-pounding "Soul Society", and the lovely closer "Serenade". Trust me... the guitars on this album will own your soul.
In my mind, the album has only one flaw, but it may be a critical one for some: The Black Halo is very demanding of its audience. It asks you to listen closely to the lyrics, to really try to understand the complete story. To really get the album, I would imagine one would have to listen to it very closely at least four or five times all the way through. Clocking in at nearly an hour, this can be a difficult task if you are not really a fan of the genre, which I am not. I found some songs difficult to get through, such as "March of Mephisto", "The Black Halo", and "Memento Mori".
Artistically, I would give The Black Halo ten stars out of five if I could. Kamelot really took on a very daunting and ambitious task, and they executed it very well. Unfortunately, the album just wasn't for me. I can appreciate the work that went into it and the brilliant execution, but as a listening experience, I just could not make myself enjoy it that much. Nor could I give it the numerous spins that it deserves. For fans of the metal genre, I give The Black Halo my highest recommendation. It really is the best metal album I've ever heard. For someone who is not a fan of the genre, I mildy recommend it for the sheer artistry alone. Though not my cup of tea, I hereby recognize Kamelot as the Kings of Power Metal.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
SixerMan
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Member: Billy
Location: Louisiana
Reviews written: 90
Trusted by: 33 members
About Me:
Back after a two year layoff!
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