Kamelot – The Black Halo

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Produced by Miro & Sascha Paeth

Kamelot’s new album, a concept piece, is probably the grandest work they’ve attempted to date. It slots nicely into the prog metal bracket, although there are elements of power metal in the heavy sections and particularly in the guitar tone. Otherwise, the classic prog elements are here, with melodic soaring vocals, time and speed changes (obviously), instrumental interludes and a story. There’s nothing in the liner notes to describe what the story actually is, but details of the guest vocalists playing the different characters are included. Further description of the storyline would likely require in depth reading of the lyrics, which I have not done yet.

Opening track March of Mephisto contains what must be one of the main characters of the story, ‘Mephisto’, who appears in two songs (most of the others only appear in one), voiced by Shagrath of death metallers Dimmu Borgir. It starts very softly with a keyboard intro before an excellent, yet simple guitar riff comes in, followed shortly by Kamelot singer Roy Kahn’s vocals. A very catchy and very powerful song, it reappears at the end of special edition of the album as a radio edit. A fine choice for a radio single.

When The Lights Are Down continues in much the same vain, with a catchy chorus and heavy guitars. It’s a little faster paced than the previous track, but no worse for it. Both opening tracks feature very expressive guest keyboard solos by Jens Johansson. The Haunting (Somewhere In Time) features Simone Simmons of Epica as Marguerite. Another character appears in this (and later songs) called ‘Ariel’, but there is no mention in the credits of who voices this one. This, again, is very catchy and another perfect radio single (hence it’s reappearance as a radio edit on the special edition).

The standout vocal performance on the album has to be Kahn’s on Abandoned. It’s a passionate song, with strings and piano and another guest appearance as ‘Helena’ from Mari (who?), finishing with a touch of guitar and drums in classic soaring ballad format, but in such a majestic yet delicate way, it’s one of the best examples you’ll ever hear. Surely destined to be a radio single.

Moonlight continues in a very similar way to This Pain. All vocals handled by Kahn in both, and the melodies and guitar riffs are very off-kilter in both. Makes for a very interesting listen. The second interlude presents a bit of confusion with the title. In the track list (printed once on the back of the case and once in the middle of the booklet) it’s called Un Assassinio Molto Silenzioso. However, elsewhere in the booklet, where every track’s lyrics are presented on a different page, it’s titled Un Assassino Molto Silencioso (missing ‘i’, ‘c’ instead of ‘z’). Don’t know which is right. Anyway, the track, less than a minute long, features a little bit of vocals, provided by Cinzia Rizzo as a cabaret singer, apparently.

Title track The Black Halo has another staccato guitar riff from Youngblood and drums to match this time (previously the drums have been more simplistic, allowing the guitar to stand apart). It’s only a short song and we are then thrust full tilt into Nothing Ever Dies. Another fast paced track, but it doesn’t vary much until half way through, where it suddenly changes both pace and sound with a delicate piano section before the guitar and drums come back but at a much slower pace than before. Youngblood then puts in probably the most expressive solo of the album so far before picking up the fast riff from the start for the final minute of the song.

Now for the epic. All progressive albums have an epic. Some are half an hour long, some less than ten minutes, but there’s always a track comfortably longer than the rest that serves as the centrepiece of the album. Kamelot’s here is called Memento Mori (a phrase that’s occurred in the lyrics several times previously throughout the album). It’s just under nine minutes long and features return appearances by Mephisto, Helena and Ariel. The opening verse is a delicate one sung over piano, which harks back to Abandoned. This continues until shortly before the second verse, where a little bit of quirky keyboards gives way to a heavier guitar riff. A lighter guitar melody comes in for the next two verses before the heavier riff returns for the chorus. The chorus sounds like it’s being sung in harmony, but it’s not clear who the second vocalist is as there’s no mention of which character it’s supposed to be in the lyrics (probably Kahn double-tracked, in that case). The next verse continues in the same way as the previous two, before the pace again picks up. Following another nice but short guitar solo Mephisto and Helena both come in together, singing different parts over each other. A longer guitar solo follows before a nice instrumental passage with some distant sounding vocals for Ariel’s part (this time the voice sounds like Kahn to me). Then another chorus before the piano returns for the final verse and outro. A magnificent song and easily the most impressive of the album, if not, for obvious reasons, the most accessible.

Closing track (unless you have the special edition) Serenade starts with more delicate piano, as you might expect from a track with that title, but very quickly gives way to a fairly fast guitar riff. This song has the feel of a closer all the way through it. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or not, but it always feels as though is galloping towards the end. The pace changes about half way through with the drums slowing (although the guitar doesn’t so much), before a short piano piece leads back into staccato drumming and a very simple guitar solo. Then full tilt into the final choruses another solo (better, this time) and we’re done.

This is a very well executed and very expressive album that really does take the listener on one of those journeys we often read about. Fans of Arjen Lucassen’s Ayreon project albums will find much to appreciate here, as well as existing Kamelot fans of course. I’m surprised Arjen hasn’t used Kahn on any of his albums yet, actually. Mind you, there’s still time. Until then, get this.

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Tracklist: March of Mephisto / When The Lights Are Down / The Haunting (Somewhere In Time) / Soul Society / Interlude I – Dei Gratia / Abandoned / This Pain / Moonlight / Interlude II – Un Assassinio Molto Silenzioso / The Black Halo / Nothing Ever Dies / Memento Mori / Interlude III – Midnight/Twelve Tolls For A New Day / Serenade
Special Edition Bonus Tracks: Haunting (Somewhere In Time) (Radio Edit) / March of Mephisto (Radio Edit)

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Progressive, Kamelot