Kamelot - Siege Perilous (1998)

Adhering more to a classic Euro-metal style than many of their peers, Kamelot's Siege Perilous nevertheless captures the mournful, epic feel of much '90s Scandinavian metal.

~ Steve Huey

A treasure in the ongoing quest for the Grail

Named after the fabled chair at the Round Table reserved for the Knight who actually found the Holy Grail, "Siege Perilous" is the third album by Kamelot and the first to showcase the vocal talents of Roy Khan, formerly of Conception. Khan (part Thai and part Norwegian) has an incredible voice that just pulls you into its smooth embrace.

I actually got this album after already owning numbers four and five, "The Fourth Legacy" and "Karma". I love those albums, but I have to say this is their best album out of those first five. The reason for this simply lies in how much it differs from its predecessors and the albums that follow. Musically, it truly stands out from its kindred. Whereas the band's first two albums ("Eternity" and "Dominion") were meant to be early Queensryche clones - due in large part to original singer Mark Vanderbilt modelling his vocal style after that of Geoff Tate - "Siege" sees the Florida-based outfit introduce a welcome element of smoothness and subtlety. Still most definitely "progressive power metal", this album's true power actually lies in it's very LACK of power and its somewhat ethereal nature. There is nothing particularly overt or in-your-face about it. (A new singer with a deeper and richer voice certainly necessitated a new overall sound). This becomes evident from the very first heavenly keyboards and delicate beat of the opening song, "Providence". And yes, the production sounds a bit muddied at times, Khan's voice especially getting lost somewhat amid the low din of the instruments. But I think after a few listens you would agree that this element may actually add to the overall charm of this album.

They then took a decidedly more straight-line, power metal approach with "The Fourth Legacy", dropping some of the progressive elements and adding a bit more speed and simplicity. The new production team of Sascha Paeth and Miro (absent on "Siege") probably had a lot to do with that. (The second song here, "Milennium", actually seems a bit out of place on "Siege", its speed better matched to the overall mood of the succeeding ones). And please understand - this is not a bad thing, by any means. I certainly love all their albums since this one. And special attention should be made for the wonderful inclusion of strings, choirs, and female vocals on their sixth opus, the Faustian concept album "Epica" (not to be confused with the Dutch band named Epica, whose first album I review elsewhere - but to further add to the confusion, the singer of Epica, Simone Simons, makes an appearance on Kamelot's upcoming "Black Halo" album). Kamelot's sound has certainly evolved, mostly for the better. But I have to say again: because of how noticeably different it is from all the others, the beautiful magic of "Siege Perilous" immediately grabbed me and wouldn't let go.

A true gem among all the precious stones of their impressive catalog.

My favorite songs are "Providence", "Expedition", "Parting Visions", and "Rhydin".

~ John W. Petersen "seventhson1", Amazon Review

Kamelot:

Kamelot was founded in 1991 by guitarist Thom Youngblood and drummer/school mate Richard Warner but it took until August 1995 for their debut album, Eternity, to be released. Signing to Noise Records Germany in Spring 1994, fans and critics alike praised Kamelot as being one of the most promising newcomers in Metal. Their second album, Dominion, 1996, received even more attention, because it showed the variety of the band, spanning all the way from European metal to classical music and progressive. The fans and sales for Kamelot would grow over the year and the group was being touted as one the new leaders in Melodic Metal from the U.S.. Not resting on their laurels the group went back to work on their 3rd and most important release. But obstacles were ahead, Kamelot 1997, a year of major changes. After the success of Dominion, many tour opportunities came to Kamelot. Unfortunately, drummer Richard Warner and vocalist Mark Vanderbilt could not tour, and there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel for the two to ever tour. Kamelot's first goal was to find a new drummer. After one audition Casey Grillo was the man. Local music veteran at the age of 21, Casey was a perfect fit for the opening. After listening to between 75 and 100 audition tapes of vocalists the band was a standstill. A whole record had been written but no one worthy enough to grab the mic. Enter Norwegian born Roy Khan. Khan's former group, Conception, had split up the year before that was the genesis of the new Kamelot. Before he was taken on as a band member though he had to pass a final test, he had to skydive with the other members of Kamelot.

Apprehensive at first, he came through with flying colors. The Chemistry was perfect from the beginning and it is a great sign of what's to come from this union . New vocalist Roy Khan and drummer Casey Grillo were enlisted and the record "Siege Perilous" was now a reality. The record spawned great reviews from fans and critics led to the groups first tour of Europe in late 1998. Upon returning to there hometown of Tampa, Florida . The band decided to take some time off and write and relax. The journey for The Fourth Legacy would begin. This journey began in December 1998 after the Kamelot tour. Writing began in Tampa, Florida but after a month of work Thomas Youngblood decided to relocate to the mountains of Virginia to concentrate on songs get a different vibe for the record. After 3 months of ideas, Thomas traveled to the small village of Sorsgebyja, Norway in March 1999. Home of vocalist Khan. 3 weeks of isolation in the snowy village proved the songwriting team of Youngblood/Khan to be a new Force to reckon with. Now to find a producer, Sascha Paeth was first on the list. His work with Rhapsody and Angra called attention to Thom's wish list and a few phone calls later the deal was set. Final preproduction would need to done, where else but the home of Kamelot in Tampa Bay Florida. For a month the group worked out the kinks of the new songs with producer Sascha Paeth. Recording began in Wolfsburg Germany in August 1999 and continued til October. Choirs, real string sections and guest keyboardist Miro would round out the final songs to a beautiful blend. Mixing would be done over the next month and final mastering complete in November. The new record will set a new standard for Kamelot and the Melodic Metal genre.