Kamelot

[Balu]

Ahh crap. All this praise makes me want to listen to Kamelot.

[rikkertje]

Stupid finnish mailsystem..Didn't even get my copy today.
I'm so curious about The Zodiac...How is it musically? Fast, mid-tempo or slow? And how does Jon Oliva sound on it?

It's sort of a haunting tempo. Slow and dark. And Jon sounds really cool. From aggressinve parts to nice soft vocals. You'll hear tomorrow.

[ggonza43]

I have to admit that after "Ghost Opera" I thought the band was losing their style (don't get me wrong, but I don't like it that much) and that their next release was going to be a blow-off...DAMN I was so wrong! I haven't heard nothing like this since the Karma/Epica era, but still with those modifications they did at The Black Halo !

To start, "The Great Pandemonium" reminds me a lil' to "March Of Mephisto" (coincidence isn't required here ) and it's a great way to open a record. Then "If Tomorrow Came", also similar to "When The Lights Are Down" (idem of what I've written before) is powerful and wonderful. Then, "Dear Editor/The Zodiac" is like heavy, but heavy in a heavy way . After that, "Hunter's Season", my personal favourite...That solo still gives me chills. "House On A Hill", "Necropolis", "My Train Of Thoughts" and "Seal Of Woven Years" haven't yet grown on me (think they need more plays). And finally, the "Poetry For The Poisoned" suite is one of the best things I've ever heard since the "Elizabeth" suite from Karma...Just...Amazing

Overall, Kamelot did it once again to me ! Can't wait now for March 2011!

[rikkertje]

Ahh crap. All this praise makes me want to listen to Kamelot.

Try this new album I would say.

[ggonza43]

Ahh crap. All this praise makes me want to listen to Kamelot.

Try this new album I would say.

+1 Indeed ! You won't regret it

[Balu]

Meh, I'll give it another listen. A more serious one.

Offtopic: Rikkertje: How can you not like BG/Hansi?!

[rikkertje]

Well it's just a matter of taste. I don't like his voice. I don't like the music.

[Kosmo]

I like BG, especially the earlier albums wich were speed metal or some subgenre-shit like that. It's only the lyrics that bother me...

Also: Is it really friday or am i dreaming...

[rikkertje]

Yes, it's really friday! I hope you'll receive it soon!

[Arkash]

"Poetry For The Poisoned" suite is one of the best things I've ever heard since the "Elizabeth" suite from Karma

They've done just those two there!

[Kosmo]

It seems that finnish mail system is controlled by the devil himself.
Tenth of September, no album. I asked and appereantly i'll get it next week.

Well i decided to give in and just listen to the songs in order from Youtube..But nope, that plan was shot down also. There are videos of some of the songs but not of them all, or atleast ones that work.

[ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ]

That was the devil testing you...You didn't pass...

[rikkertje]

It seems that finnish mail system is controlled by the devil himself.
Tenth of September, no album. I asked and appereantly i'll get it next week.

Well i decided to give in and just listen to the songs in order from Youtube..But nope, that plan was shot down also. There are videos of some of the songs but not of them all, or atleast ones that work.

Well you've got two options:

A) Download a torrent and have fun.
B) Wait for another week.

It's a quite shitty you have there. I ordered it like a few weeks ago. And was supposed to get it today. But I allready got it yesterday.

[Mormegil]

It seems that finnish mail system is controlled by the devil himself.
Tenth of September, no album. I asked and appereantly i'll get it next week.

Well i decided to give in and just listen to the songs in order from Youtube..But nope, that plan was shot down also. There are videos of some of the songs but not of them all, or atleast ones that work.

Where did you order it from? Levykauppa X's release date is 15.9(!) Come to think of it, all release dates at their site seem to be 2-5 days too late.
"Product will be shipped a day before the release date."
Gee, I wonder how they manage that!

[Kosmo]

I ordered it from EMP, i was going to order it from Levykauppa X but then i noticed the release date.

[Balu]

Mm listened to the new album. Again. It was enjoyable, but nothing great. Somehow I can somewhat enjoy Roy's voice now, no idea why, but he is still in the lower end of power metal singers (next to RR's Gus). Overall, my opinion of Kamelot got a lil' better, but I still think, that they are inferion to my two favourite power metal bands (Strato and BG) in every possible way.

[killer_rose]

rikkertje, how does 'Where The Wild Roses Grow' sounds? Is it a duet? Is the version similar to the original one - a ballad?

[Polaris]

In my opinion Kamelot has lost their identity, I prefer their early albums!

Among the voices of Roy & Timo: I prefer Timo!
Live it might not even achieve sharp as before but he spends a lot more excitement! I have saw Kamelot live and did not pass me the same emotion than Stratovarius!

[Balu]

In my opinion Kamelot has lost their identity, I prefer their early albums!

Among the voices of Roy & Timo: I prefer Timo!
Live it might not even achieve sharp as before but he spends a lot more excitement! I have saw Kamelot live and did not pass me the same emotion than Stratovarius!

My problem is that they simply don't have any energy in their songs.

[ggonza43]

In my opinion Kamelot has lost their identity, I prefer their early albums!

Among the voices of Roy & Timo: I prefer Timo!
Live it might not even achieve sharp as before but he spends a lot more excitement! I have saw Kamelot live and did not pass me the same emotion than Stratovarius!

My problem is that they simply don't have any energy in their songs.

I have to disagree: Of course I love their early material more than the new wave they took, but to me this album is pretty good comapred to how shitty "Ghost Opera" was...But I have to say I'd like to listen to another "The Fourth Legacy" or "Karma"

[rikkertje]

rikkertje, how does 'Where The Wild Roses Grow' sounds? Is it a duet? Is the version similar to the original one - a ballad?

I didn't know the original. It's a ballad. And a duet with Chanty Wunder. I love it. Very different from what they have done before.

[rikkertje]

I have saw Kamelot live and did not pass me the same emotion than Stratovarius!

Opinions are funny things. Mine are completely the other way around. I saw them both live multiple times and I have to say that for me Kamelot brought more emotions both times.

[ggonza43]

I have the opprotunity to watch them for the first time next year, and I ain't missing that chance !

[Kosmo]

But I have to say I'd like to listen to another "The Fourth Legacy" or "Karma"

I wouldn't like this idea, those albums have already been made so give me something new! Sonata Arctica is propably my favourite band ever, they just have something..I don't know, but what i was trying to say is that if they wouldn't have made Unia i might of lost interest in them. Another double bass oriented album wouldn't have been as fresh and interesting.

And that would have been the case with Kamelot too, eventually. This is a part of why Strato's discography as a whole is so interesting, the sound changes nearly on every single album, on some albums more and on some less but it still does.

And since BG has been mentioned here too..I like the first three albums the best because of the style, but if that would have gone on it would have started to get dull and that's why i also praise the newer albums.

Righto, i've derailed this topic enough for today i guess. Might download the torrent later tonight, we'll see.

[rikkertje]

Kosmo! Did you receive your copy of the album allready??

[Kosmo]

The rocket scientists that work in there sent it to a different city completely, even though i had Helsinki's area code, and my street name written on the order.

[rikkertje]

What an idiots! But did you listen to the album then? Or have you still not heard anything at all.

[Kosmo]

I did hear The Zodiac at my friends house, not that it matters anymore since the album has been out for almost a week. The song was as interesting as i excpected and Jon Oliva does a great job on that one.

[Mormegil]

Everything Jon Oliva touches turns to gold for me, so it's no surprise that The Zodiac (with its creepy intro Dear Editor) is so far my favourite from the album. The Great Pandemonium, the song that probably just gave birth to genre powermetalcore, sounds still great, but I'd rather had Shagrath from Dimmu Borgir back on harsh vocals instead of Björn Strid. The tetralogy title track is another highlight, with amazing performance by Simone Simmons. The final song Once Upon A Time if nothing should please fans of older Kamelot. Covering Where the Wild Roses Grow would've been a great idea, if it wasn't a 1:1 cover of the original.

The problems I have with the album, is that it relies too much on guest appearances. Feels like the band itself gets a little lost behind all of them. It's better than Ghost Opera, but nowhere near the quality of The Black Halo, Karma, Epica for me. After some 5 listens it sounds a slight dissapointment, but maybe I'll warm up to it more.

[Kosmo]

Okay so the postal people sent me an email that the package has arrived, going to pick it up today. I'm tempted to tell them that ''it was fast and you're doing a great job.''

Edit: Okay i have the album in my hand now, over a week late but i've heard two songs so far so it's new to me. Going to listen to the whole album now, i'll post opinions later.

Edit2: Okay i listened to the entire thing, my favourites after the first listen are If Tomorrow Came, The Great Pandemonium and Hunter's Season. I'm sure i'll get more into the rest after more listens.

Edit3: Okay so i did notice a negative point, the album ends way too fast..Me and a couple of my friends all noticed the same, it's too short.

Non the less, it makes my top 3

The Black Halo
Karma
Poetry for the Poisoned

Yes i put it before Epica..Excuse me!


Oh and also: This album has the best cover and booklet art ever, i'm not even kidding..It's so damn cool.