I’ve always had a strange relationship with Kamelot. They’ve always been one of those bands on my periphery. I love power metal and symphonic metal; it’s a core part of my identity. However, for whatever reason, Kamelot has always just been one of those bands that don’t click in my head. Which makes no sense, since I am a fan of the overall genre and many of their contemporaries. However, I can never truly say that I’m a fan. I’ve seen them perform live many times over the years, and I’ll admit, they are impressive. I can’t truly fault them as musicians or songwriters. It’s so difficult to put my finger on it. So, with their fourteenth studio record, Dark Asylum coming out, I thought I would take an opportunity to listen to it and really try to engage with the material. Their longtime producer Sascha Paeth returns to helm the album, also contributing additional guitars, alongside Jacob Hansen, who oversees mixing and mastering. So the band are well within their realm of stability and familiarity with this record.
One thing that I’ve noticed right off the bat is the scope of the production. It certainly has their signature dramatic symphonic style, and every song oozes with atmosphere. Every part of the production is gorgeous to listen to. Everything is tied so well together with Tommy Karevik’s iconic vocals glistening on the top level of the sound. The whole record has this almost ethereal presence; the sounds of keyboards and the heavy bass combine to create this otherworldly sound. The guitar riffs hook your ears in, and when the full band hits at full force, I found it to be captivating.
Then you have the guest vocals on many of the tracks (at this point, this is a staple of the symphonic/power metal scene). Where to even begin with these featuring credits? Decessus frontwoman Ignacia Fernández lends her voice to both of the songs. “Dark Asylum” and “Sanctuary”, the latter of which she is also joined by Visions Of Atlantis frontwoman Clémentine Delauney. The iconic Tobias Sammet of Edguy and Avantasia brings his talented vocal range to the song “One Last Masquerade”. Lea-Sophie Fischer of Eluveitie’s violin can be heard on the track “Beneath the Moon (Tunglið)”; this is accompanied by the haunting voices of Rannveig Sif Sigurðardóttir and Sólveig Sara Leupold. This is just naming the most notable names. As you can tell, this album is quite the production. Between getting all of this talent involved and the coordination and effort to put this together, it always leaves me in awe when so many talented musicians perform for a single project. In that sense, I think this album is an impressive feat. However, what impresses me even more is how seamless it all is. It could have been easy to allow the featuring guests to dominate the songs or to fade into the background. I think they struck a great balance, where every contribution feels right at home in the sound and a part of the overall Kamelot sound.
I do find myself running into the same problem I’ve had with Kamelot for a while. This feels like more of the same. Now, I guess the saying is… If it isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it. Clearly, this sound is working for them and has done for some time now. The album sounds beautiful, and each song definitely packs that good old wallop. Some points genuinely intrigued me. “Beneath the Moon (Tunglið)” is a beautiful haunting tune that really crept up on me and was an interesting interlude in the latter part of the album. Big songs like “Sanctuary”, “Godlike Alchemy” & the title track “Dark Asylum” are attention-grabbing songs that I’m sure will be incredible on stage. However, as an album, I’m having trouble hearing this as an album that all truly comes together; it more feels like a collection of songs rather than a single thematic album.
This is not to say any of the songs are particularly bad; it feels like more of the same from Kamelot that I’ve known for a long time. I feel that these new songs will be excellent when they perform them live, but I don’t know if they will particularly stand out amongst the rest of the catalogue. The big featured guest spots are my personal highlights from this album, especially “Beneath the Moon (Tunglið)” & “One Last Masquerade” being favourites. It’s a good album, though I don’t know if I can necessarily call it great. It has its high moments for sure, and I think people who are already fans of this sound are going to be satisfied. It’s the Kamelot they’ve known and loved for a long time. As for me, I like it; I don’t want you to come away thinking I didn’t. I just found it more or less the same way I’ve felt about Kamelot for a long time.
Comments
Post a Comment