#kamelot — Public Fediverse posts

Kamelot should need no introduction, but this is an article, so they get one anyway. The US-based group have dominated at a crossroads between power, progressive, and symphonic metal for much of the thirty-one years since their debut. I can personally credit Kamelot with breaking me out of my Nightwish-shaped early impression of metal, and I still love their approach to the style; they’ve created their own sound, and they do it well. Over their last few albums, however, Kamelot have sounded a little too much like themselves, with recent releases sounding very much like one another. Whether or not that’s a good thing is up to the individual, but for this reviewer, the question isn’t whether Dark Asylum, their fourteenth full-length, will be good, but whether it will feel new, fresh, or exciting.

Dark Asylum is a Kamelot record, no doubt about it. Seasoned as they are, it’s hard for Kamelot to miss, and their signature sound—that dark, polished power metal augmented by bombastic orchestration and ear-worm choruses—is on full display here. Even the structure of Dark Asylum is typical of Kamelot: opener “Sanctorium” is an overly dramatic intro that probably doesn’t need to be there, and “Ashen World” is mighty, galloping symphonic power metal led by melodic guitar leads from Youngblood and a riveting vocal performance from Karevik that recalls “Veil of Elysium,” though it has nothing on the phenomenal chorus of the title track that follows. It’s a very Kamelot way to open an album: huge choruses of the Haven variety supported by melodic leads that echo Ghost Opera. Throughout, Oliver Palotai’s keys build their own melodies, support the catchy choruses, and add ambience as songs demand. It’s a familiar formula to anyone who’s listened to Kamelot in the last decade, with the same highs and lows as you’re used to.

In fact, it’s so typical of Kamelot’s last decade that I could probably just quote previous reviews to tell you about it. As with The Shadow Theory, Youngblood’s rhythm guitars are increasingly pushed to the background. This weakens otherwise anthemic songs like “One Last Masquerade,” which features Tobias Sammet and subsequently sounds more like a bonus track from Avantasia’s Ghostlights than Kamelot. Also, as with The Shadow Theory, Kamelot’s production of harsh vocals makes them feel superficial; in this case, it’s primarily “Sanctuary” that just kind of has them, though not for lack of effort by Ignacia Fernández (Decessus). Of course, Kamelot still take themselves very seriously, so much so that there’s a 40-second track for Latin singing that may be important for the story, but feels completely out of place as an actual track. Finally, while Karevik’s silky vocals are a terrific match for Kamelot’s music and vision, he still seems to be struggling a little to deliver on high notes, particularly in the chorus of “Godlike Alchemy.”

So it seems Dark Asylum is a familiar story: when Kamelot succeed, they really succeed, and if they could just do it for fifteen straight tracks, their latest could be their best. Although the muted rhythm guitars hold back Dark Asylum as a whole, it has some great highs: “Cassandra’s Disease,” “Ashen World,” “One Last Masquerade,” the title track. But it also has “Beneath the Moon (Tunglið),” a Nordic ballad that feels like it’s on the wrong album1, and “Enigma (Think of Me),” a forgettable power ballad that misses the mark on both sides of that moniker. Dark Asylum works best when Kamelot do what they do best: inspired, memorable guitar leads and soaring choruses. Songs that reach for this but don’t quite land include “Kaleidoscope” and “The Puppet King,” both of which are fine, but leave little impact. Kamelot’s passion for their sound is evident, but consistency in songwriting is something they have, to my ears, struggled with in recent years, and Dark Asylum continues that trend.

Of course, even when Kamelot does miss, they’re still Kamelot, so Dark Asylum has some truly great songs on it. It’s not fresh, though; it’s not exciting. I truly admire Kamelot for the passion they still have for what they do. I was, however, hoping for more than the same album; it now feels like they’ve done thrice before.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: kamelot.bandcamp.com | kamelot.com | facebook.com/kamelotofficial
Releases Worldwide: August 28th, 2026

KAMELOT unveil epic new single “Godlike Alchemy”

https://voiceofnoir.com/2026/07/31/kamelot-unveil-epic-new-single-godlike-alchemy/

New post: Kamelot announce new album ‘Dark Asylum’ and unleash grandiose single “Godlike Alchemy” https://moshville.co.uk/news/2026/07/kamelot-announce-new-album-dark-asylum-and-unleash-grandiose-single-godlike-alchemy/ #Kamelot

It’s been a long time since Stormhammer dropped 2019’s epic Seven Seals. Having snuck its way into my top ten that year, Seven Seals proved to be one of the band’s best records, and one of the best power metal records of 2019. With a diverse vocal range, Matthias Kupka lent his voice to that record better than the other eighty vocalists mic-ing it for Stormhammer. It helps that the band put together a fluid record for a change, merging the blasty with the powery and the epic with the sappy. So, what have these German cheese grinders been up to for the last seven years? Oh, you know, hiring a new vocalist. Oh, and an entire new lineup around founding bassist Horst Tessmann. So much for dynasties.

Now that we, once again, have to start all over with Stormhammer—learning the ranges of its new vocalist, how the songwriting will adjust to those strengths and limitations, and fuck all else we need to pay attention to—let’s see what apple Horst has plucked from the Power Metal Singing Tree to wail their way through this year’s Wrath of the Hammer. Let’s see… M. Nox? Is this fucking Kamelot? How can I judge the hiring skills of a band that’s been around for over thirty years? More like, how can I Nox, amirite? OK, I’ll stop.

The epic “Beware” comes crashing down on your head with pounding drums, big choirs, and a massive orchestral element that builds and builds as it progresses. Then the title track powers up, delivering a thrashy lick that I haven’t heard from the band before. With burly backing vocals in play, Nox’s voice rises through the Blind Guardian-esque pre-chorus before soaring into the hooky chorus. It’s a strong piece of work, with killer soloing and a massive conclusion. For more of the thrashy bits, skip ahead to “Veil of Fire.” While it’s not their best, its At the Gates-meets-The Haunted Swedethrash is eyebrow-raising. But as with all tracks of this caliber, it always swings back into power metal territories, utilizing the tired intro-verse-prechorus-chorus-verse-prechorus-chorus-someothershit-solos-repeatingchorusthatneverseemstoend.

The best of the bunch are the back-to-back “Light in the Dark” and “Wheels of Eternity.” Both are standard Stormhammer power metal, with Dream Evil vibes in the first and Dragonforce wankery in the latter. “Light in the Dark” is a passionate number that checks all the power metal boxes. It’s also an interesting addition because it was previously released on 2022’s Never Surrender – 30 Years of Power compilation. But now it has an official home. “Wheels of Eternity” is one of the more ambitious tracks, mixing chugtastic verses with movie-soundtrack orchestrations. And the chorus is massive as fook.

The best quality of Wrath of the Hammer is its digestible runtime, making it far shorter than anything else in their repertoire. The other surprising quality is the thrash elements—something they talked a lot about in their promo materials. What doesn’t fare well is the one-dimensional vocal approach. For years, there has always been diversity galore in the throat department. Wrath of the Hammer is about as typical a power metal performance as you can get. Don’t get me wrong, Nox gives a good performance. But it just feels like a step backward compared to Seven Seals. Wrath of the Hammer has good energy and a handful of solid tracks, but it completely ignores the hard work laid before it by its predecessor.

Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Rock of Angels Records
Websites: stormhammer.de | facebook.com/stormhammerband
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026

«Ashen World»: Ignacia Fernández fue invitada al nuevo tema y video de los estadounidenses power metal de Kamelot | vía #NaciónRock

https://www.nacionrock.com/ashen-world-ignacia-fernandez-fue-invitada-al-nuevo-tema-y-video-de-los-estadounidenses-power-metal-de-kamelot/

#ignaciafernández #kamelot #metal #videos

Kamelot Unveil New Single “Ashen World” Ahead of Dark Asylum

https://voiceofnoir.com/2026/07/03/kamelot-unveil-new-single-ashen-world-ahead-of-dark-asylum/

Many bands don’t make it past the first album (many more don’t make it there at all). Maybe that’s why we’re so big on sophomore releases here? It takes a lot to release your debut, to go through that harrowing process, to inevitably be told by some guy on the Internet that your music sucks, and then go off and do it again. So, before we even get to the review, kudos to Artificial Silence, a progressive metal band and the subject of today’s article. Having released their debut, Negative Space, way back in 2018, the U.S. trio is back with an album that promises to be both proggier and newer than the last. But kudos do not translate into rating ’round these parts. How does the actual music sound?

Artificial Silence are a progressive metal band. I know I said that already, but I need to emphasize that Hollow Drift is all kinds of proggy—it’s got a reasonable level of heaviness, but it also features moments of cappella singing (“The Shadow”), a sudden violin solo (“Paradise”), and one song that inexplicably makes up half the runtime of the album (“Hollow Drift”). It also makes excellent use of a piano, which happens to be one of my favorite things in metal. Yes, there is a whole lot of prog happening on Hollow Drift, reminding me at times of Ayreon and Southern Empire—an album that succeeds or fails by its ideas and the grace with which it executes them. A headbanger this is not, but the scope of what Artificial Silence have made here is impressive. It helps that it sounds great; I really can’t remember the last time I’ve heard bass sound so good in a new release.

Unsurprisingly, then, there is more than enough variety across Hollow Drift for it to be engaging and enjoyable. “Tidal Lock” is unquestionably the heart of the album, a gorgeous, melancholy epic with a supremely emotional core that makes great use of the singers, piano, and keys. It swells to a simple yet lovely tremolo riff towards the end that encapsulates what Artificial Silence do best: simple, straightforward ideas executed with conviction and layered on top of each other to make great music. “Paradise” also does this well; for the most part, it’s a straightforward number that really comes alive in its final third—the piano and bass go wild, competing for speed and space, a violin joins the fray, and the Karevik-esque singing (Kamelot) becomes grander, more sweeping—it suddenly feels like an epic that ends too soon.

Of course, I have to mention the title track; in the forty-eight-minute album, “Hollow Drift” is twenty-four of them, and it contains some of Hollow Drift’s best moments and its one weakness. First, the good: over the first ten minutes or so, “Hollow Drift” establishes a serious, brooding atmosphere that feels great after the lighter and melancholic tracks that precede it. It blends expertly in and out of a cabaret-esque routine, the kind of silly-but-also-serious move I would expect from Diablo Swing Orchestra. It also features some of the heaviest moments on Hollow Drift. Unfortunately, it is simply too long. The last ten minutes grasp at ideas but never really take hold of one long enough to build the thread. There are two false stops that both feel like they “should” be the end, and despite many listens, I can’t quite remember exactly how this strong album closes. It feels like Artificial Silence were going for a grand finish from a story perspective, but I just don’t find the music holds up. This is a shame, especially because when it holds up, it really holds up! “Hollow Drift” features grandiose, epic, and fun music that recommends it highly anyway.

I could—and would really like to—go on. There’s so much to say about Hollow Drift and Artificial Silence that just doesn’t fit into the word count. For example, the vocal lines in “Fear and Retribution” are upbeat enough to evoke early aughts US pop rock—I can’t help but think Panic! At the Disco when I hear it. There’s so much going on here, and while I wish the title track had just a bit less in it, I love the myriad other ideas that make up Hollow Drift. It is a very enjoyable listen, one I plan to return to many more times.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: ~260 kbps VBR mp3
Label: Self-Release
Websites: artificialsilence.bandcamp.com | artificialsilence.com | facebook.com/artificialsilenceband
Releases Worldwide: June 12th, 2026

Watching Roy Khan sing the Kamelot album "The Black Halo" this week. We realized it's been 20 years since the album was released.

This places it into the "dad rock" category.

I don't make the rules.

#Music #Kamelot