Kamelot - Karma (2001)

Karma was released in the dead center of Kamelot’s career, between the ho-hum melodic power metal of their first four albums and the sometimes-fun sometimes-pretentious symphonic metal/rock of their latest offerings. After taking their game up a notch on The Fourth Legacy but not quite hitting it out of the park (or out of the infield, for that matter), Kamelot delivers and delivers well with 2001’s Karma. This is a well-crafted album by all standards. Every song on here (minus the intro, of course) is worthy of multiple listens and brings its own unique flavor of awesomeness to the table.

The opener, Forever, storms out of the gates like a race horse who got branded with a red-hot poker. Melding an absurdly epic guitar/keyboard riff with heartfelt lyrics and a sing-along chorus, this track embodies everything good about PM in around four minutes of metal nirvana. Though it would be easy for the album to lose it’s steam after such a crushing opening, Kamelot stick to their guns with the generic but extremely well-executed Wings of Despair. The Spell is sort of an underdog track, but works surprisingly well and gives off a very grandiose and militaristic feel (a precursor of sorts to March of Mephisto off of Black Halo). Don’t You Cry is a song that should be love or hate, but ends up falling somewhere in the middle. Khan isn’t quite as good of a vocalist as the metal community (and he himself, judging by some of the notes he takes on) thinks him to be, but his dramatically exaggerated falsetto and forced vibrato have their own quirky appeal and keep the ballads from being boring.

From then on, the album remains fast, epic, fun, and quintessentially power metal. Across the Highlands’ bouncy riffs and particularly heroic chorus make it a standout track and a nice transition into the Elizabeth trilogy. Kamelot have always had a bit of a progressive streak, and they flaunt it quite nicely on the closing three songs. My only complaint with the trilogy is that the songs build off each other to a point where it would have made more sense as one song with smoother transition sections than three very intertwined songs with rather abrupt changes, but I digress. Mirror Mirror is a dark and ominous soft song (not a ballad, to be clear) full of complex lyrical work and an overall atmosphere of foreboding. The following track, Requiem For the Innocent, builds well off this atmosphere with a mid-paced marching feel similar to The Spell. Then, things get really, really metal with Fall From Grace, when Kamelot trade their artistic side for some straight-forward, riff-based thrashing. Truly, an awesome song deserving many repeat listens, and it is quite sad to have it end at the mere four-minute mark.

This album has truly become one of the most essential albums in the power metal genre and the benchmark for melodic power metal as a whole. This is better than anything that Sontica Artica, Rhapsody, Nightwish, Dark Moor, and even Stratovarius have ever put out. If you are a fan of power metal, even only a little bit or only “non flower metal”, you have no excuse for not owning and thoroughly appreciating this masterpiece.

~ 0kill, Metal-Archives 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.