Kamelot

[Zook]

After about the forth or fifth song, Ghost Opera gets really boring. I can't get into Poetry for the Poisoned at all.

[cramx3]

Silverthorn was the best since The Black Halo IMO.  Both GO and PftP had good songs, but not solid albums (although GO > PftP).

[kirksnosehair]

Silverthorn was the best since The Black Halo IMO.  Both GO and PftP had good songs, but not solid albums (although GO > PftP).

Agree with this, 100%  In fact, I think if you take all of the good tracks from Ghost Opera and Poetry for the Poisoned you'd have one pretty killer album.  They could call it "Ghost Poetry for the Poisoned Opera"


 

[cramx3]

hmm, that does sound pretty awesome so here we go with my tracklist for such an album:

1. The Great Pandemonium
2. If Tomorrow Came
3. Ghost Opera
4. House on a Hill
5. Rule the World
6. The Human Stain
7. Season's End
8. Hunter's Season
9. Love You To Death
10. Once Upon A Time
11. Silence of the Darkness
12. Pendulous Fall
13. EdenEcho

Cheated a tad with using some of the B-sides, but dammit those songs are good!

[Nick]

Silverthorn was the best since The Black Halo IMO.  Both GO and PftP had good songs, but not solid albums (although GO > PftP).

Really not saying much. Even Silverthorn was OK. Better than those other two, but as was mentioned, outside of 2 or 3 songs on each they were pretty much useless. I'm sad I wasn't a big fan back in their golden days, as now every time they tour my response is typically meh.

[cramx3]

They are very good live though, my only complaint with the live show is they seem to play mostly songs from TBH and GO and don't spread the love around enough.  Karma and Epica songs need to be played more as well as more from Silverthorn.

[Mister Gold]

They are very good live though, my only complaint with the live show is they seem to play mostly songs from TBH and GO and don't spread the love around enough.  Karma and Epica songs need to be played more as well as more from Silverthorn.

This. Also, a tad bit off-topic, but I just realized that Tommy will have officially released two Kamelot albums in the time we've all spent waiting for the next Seventh Wonder album.

[ErHaO]

They are very good live though, my only complaint with the live show is they seem to play mostly songs from TBH and GO and don't spread the love around enough.  Karma and Epica songs need to be played more as well as more from Silverthorn.

This. Also, a tad bit off-topic, but I just realized that Tommy will have officially released two Kamelot albums in the time we've all spent waiting for the next Seventh Wonder album.

Indeed. My theory is that they want to lift on the new Kamelot album hype a bit to give the album more attention. At least I hope so. And there is that live recording as well.

[cramx3]

They are very good live though, my only complaint with the live show is they seem to play mostly songs from TBH and GO and don't spread the love around enough.  Karma and Epica songs need to be played more as well as more from Silverthorn.

This. Also, a tad bit off-topic, but I just realized that Tommy will have officially released two Kamelot albums in the time we've all spent waiting for the next Seventh Wonder album.

Indeed. My theory is that they want to lift on the new Kamelot album hype a bit to give the album more attention. At least I hope so. And there is that live recording as well.

What live recording?  And it seems like 7th Wonder could have released their album way before the new Kamelot considering the single was released like 8 months ago.  If Seventh Wonder is waiting on Kamelot, they are going to be waiting a really long time since Kamelot is going to be touring a lot I think.

[ErHaO]

They are very good live though, my only complaint with the live show is they seem to play mostly songs from TBH and GO and don't spread the love around enough.  Karma and Epica songs need to be played more as well as more from Silverthorn.

This. Also, a tad bit off-topic, but I just realized that Tommy will have officially released two Kamelot albums in the time we've all spent waiting for the next Seventh Wonder album.

Indeed. My theory is that they want to lift on the new Kamelot album hype a bit to give the album more attention. At least I hope so. And there is that live recording as well.

What live recording?  And it seems like 7th Wonder could have released their album way before the new Kamelot considering the single was released like 8 months ago.  If Seventh Wonder is waiting on Kamelot, they are going to be waiting a really long time since Kamelot is going to be touring a lot I think.

Yeah, the single timing was unfortunate, but I guess they wanted to show they are still making new stuff after Tommy joined Kamelot. Seventh Wonder has an upcoming live DVD from their progpower USA performance (no date or state of production mentioned though, but we know they recorded and a producer of the DVD was announced).

I actually expect (or hope) that they will be active when Kamelot is touring. Just speculation, but considering they already released the single and all, I kind of expect that the album is in a far stage already.  And with Tommy travelling around the world and a recent Kamelot album, there is at least a bit word of mouth that brings Seventh Wonder to the world. I'm not expecting the band to ever tour extensively to be honest.

I mean, Damian Wilson sings for Threshold, Headspace, Maiden United and his own singer songwriter stuff and tours for all of them. It is not unheard of.

But this is just me trying to make sense of it all with positive thinking. Maybe it is just one of those albums that takes forever to finish.

[cramx3]

Maybe. No one knows, but my best guess is they were close to finishing and they released the video thinking the album was ready to come out and then something happened that delayed it which then cause it to be bad timing with Kamelot.  Totally guessing on that, but from the timeline it seems possible I think.

[Mister Gold]

Maybe. No one knows, but my best guess is they were close to finishing and they released the video thinking the album was ready to come out and then something happened that delayed it which then cause it to be bad timing with Kamelot.  Totally guessing on that, but from the timeline it seems possible I think.

Maybe. I do have another theory to offer though: I can't remember when the single came out, but I do know that Andreas (bassist/band leader) and his wife actually just had a newborn daughter last week (coincidentally, it was apparently on my birthday). It could be that Andreas decided to put the album on hold while he and his wife worked their way through her pregnancy and wanted to focus on his family for now.

That said, Kamelot actually just posted a rather hefty sample of a new song on Facebook/YouTube earlier today! It sounds pretty fantastic too, if I may say so myself. Definitely seems to be more guitar-driven than Silverthorn, with a rather notable King Diamond influence showing in the instrumental work. Tommy sounds terrific too, though he's definitely got his Khan on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmK3dPq7-pM

[cramx3]

Yea, nice little sound clip there at the end.  Not much to form a strong opinion on but it did sound like it has good potential. 

[Mindflux]

Pre-orders are up on Amazon

[Evermind]

I think I'll settle on 2CD mediabook for this one, will place my preorder on the weekend.

[Mindflux]

Hrmm there are some really cool versions on napalm

https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/store/kamelot-haven-limited-edition-wooden-box.html

https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/store/kamelot-haven-limited-edition-earbook-2cd.html not sure what an earbook is compared to a media book? Is that just the bigger book some are doing now?

[Evermind]

https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/store/kamelot-haven-limited-edition-earbook-2cd.html not sure what an earbook is compared to a media book? Is that just the bigger book some are doing now?

Yeah, earbook is bigger and the artwork inside is usually more detailed and intricate. Here's the pic I posted in Blind Guardian thread (earbook to the left, mediabook - or, in this case, digipack - to the right):

https://i.imgur.com/lxxEeOr.jpg

It may also contain some extensive details to the concept, if there's any to this album.

[Mindflux]

https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/store/kamelot-haven-limited-edition-earbook-2cd.html not sure what an earbook is compared to a media book? Is that just the bigger book some are doing now?

Yeah, earbook is bigger and the artwork inside is usually more detailed and intricate. Here's the pic I posted in Blind Guardian thread (earbook to the left, mediabook - or, in this case, digipack - to the right):

https://i.imgur.com/lxxEeOr.jpg

It may also contain some extensive details to the concept, if there's any to this album.

Yeah I figured that was it. Like the DT12 and Transatlantic 'deluxe' editions last year.

[Mindflux]

Wooden box deluxe set is sold out. I had one in my cart thinking about it, and they're gone.

doh

[Evermind]

Huh, that was fast indeed.

[Mindflux]

Huh, that was fast indeed.

they have more.... I just got one

https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/store/kamelot-haven-limited-edition-wooden-box.html

[ErHaO]

Silverthorn had that extra booklet for it's story that I missed out on due to buying the vinyl. But I scored it for 5 euro's at their merchandise stand later on.

[Zook]

Pre-ordered the wooden box. Finally I'm going to be able to get something like this. I sure hope the album is good

I still want the Plagues of Babylon box set from Iced Earth, but it appears to be sold out.

[TimelessSymphony]

Pre-ordered the wooden box. Finally I'm going to be able to get something like this. I sure hope the album is good

I still want the Plagues of Babylon box set from Iced Earth, but it appears to be sold out.

Maybe try looking at Discogs.com? I just check over and they have like 10 items available of the limited edition and it does really look sweet!

I'm so glad that Kamelot are returning this year  the cover/track list sound promising and I hope the album have a Black Halo feeling to it.

[Zook]

Pre-ordered the wooden box. Finally I'm going to be able to get something like this. I sure hope the album is good

I still want the Plagues of Babylon box set from Iced Earth, but it appears to be sold out.

Maybe try looking at Discogs.com? I just check over and they have like 10 items available of the limited edition and it does really look sweet!

I'm so glad that Kamelot are returning this year  the cover/track list sound promising and I hope the album have a Black Halo feeling to it.

Creepy. I just did that a little while ago. I have one in my basket. It would be like $55 I think, which is significantly cheaper than if I ordered from Century Media Germany. They charge like $40 for shipping, meanwhile the US site charges $5.

[Mister Gold]

Well, it looks like we have our first interview on Haven! Thomas Youngblood describes it as a blend of Fourth Legacy, Black Halo and new elements.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/kamelot/new-interview-with-thomas-youngblood/10152856091958003

- Hi Thomas! Thank you for according this interview, all of us fans are so excited about the upcoming album and tour. Pre-orders for HAVEN have just opened - all editions are beautiful! Kamelot always put so much care into their albums. Silverthorn editions already looked outstanding, but the HAVEN packages top it all again.
 
TY- Thanks! Our fans deserve the best. Stefan Heilemann did another killer cover and along with Gustavo Sazes the packaging and art is our best ever. It's also great having presales, it really helps planning tours. Booking agents look at charts and go straight to the first week sales. So they are very important.

- HAVEN is the second album with Tommy, which also means second album with this composing team. How did it go?
 
It went great! The chemistry we have and working with Oliver and Tommy is really very natural and organic. Tommy had already written some musical ideas and he and Sascha worked a lot together again. Parts were written in Germany with Oliver, others in with Tommy and Sascha. Also our good friend Bob Katsionis co-wrote some songs along one song with Angie Arsenault from Montreal. Tommy and Oliver used VST Connect [a program which allows artists to work together via the internet, from their respective studios] to work on songs, one in Germany the other in Sweden. Really cool.

- Did Tommy get involved in this second album's composition process as much as (or more than) in Silverthorn?
 
Yes, he wrote tons of melodies, most of the lyrics and more. He got an ESP guitar last year and so I am getting some TommyRiffs now We have one song idea that I thought was killer but didn't get to record it. So I expect it to be on the next album.
 
- The vocal snippets we could hear from the videos sound amazing. Actually everything from the snippets sounds amazing! How's the new album going to differ from the two previous albums, PFTP and Silverthorn, and why?
 
Well, we wanted to make an album with super diversity, dark, heavy and emotional and uplifting. I would urge fans to listen to the album from start to finish. There is a ton of information to absorb and you will not get all of it in one listen. I don't like comparing to other albums, it has its own soul so to speak. One thing I can say, it's full of melody and some really beautiful lyrics. We did some experimental things on a song or two with the new release. But don't worry, no dubstep will be present!!!
 
- How would you describe Haven? How has the band's sound evolved on this album?
 
We have some new elements that will please even the hardest Kamelot fan. We've worked like crazy on every element of the songs and album. My personal opinion is that the new album is a mix of modern, Fourth Legacy and Black Haloish. The guitar is a bit more present in the mix and we have some prog elements here and there. Really a big mix of Kamelot this time. You can't play one song and base the whole album on it, it's really diverse. Also, the ballad with Charlotte from Delain and Troy from Nightwish is a real killer. I hope we make a video of this one at some point.

- Haven... Why the title?
 
Haven was one of the first title options that popped up. We wanted an album for fans to get lost in, a place to go and feel safe and also relate to their own life scenarios. Once they listen and read the lyrics it will be clear as to what I am referencing. I had some Haven's in my early life, albums that I would listen to at night and forget about my "not so happy" childhood. In hindsight those records probably saved me. I hope Haven has even a fraction of the impact those albums did on me.
 
- Guests on this album are Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), Charlotte Wessels (Delain) and Troy Donockley (Nightwish). Can you tell us more about these collaborations?
 
Well let me start with Alissa White-Gluz. She toured with us for a while and I remember to the day seeing her with her previous band and thinking, "This girl is amazing, she will and should be more known". After getting the call from Arch Enemy, noone was happier or prouder than me. Anyway, we had some songs that fit her style perfect and she graciously accepted the invite. We toured with Delain a few times and I always felt like Charlotte had a unique and special voice, so when the song "Under Grey Skies" was written I asked her to join in, and she sounds awesome! Then there is Troy Donockley, this is one special and cool human. He has many skills that most people are not aware of, I am sworn to secrecy but we toured with Nightwish and I would see him occasionally watching the Kamelot set from side stage. When the idea came up for a folk style instrument I contacted Troy, and he offered his part on the Overton Low Whistle. One of the best Kamelot ballads in recent times is Under Grey Skies.
 
- Will we get a Single release prior to the new album?
 
We will be releasing a first video and possibly a digital single. We plan several videos on this release!

There's more to the interview, but the rest deals with touring and the eventual release of that live DVD. I'm really excited for this album!

I actually really like the idea of going back to some more Fourth Legacy-ish influences, considering how Tommy's voice is naturally higher pitched than Roy's was in the later, better known albums. This could allow for the album to be a bit better suited for Tommy's upper range, while also dabbling about with the darker sounds that the band became known for with The Black Halo.

[cramx3]

Thanks for sharing... previously in this thread I complained about Kamelots setlists and this was nice to hear:

- So everybody's wondering - How many songs from Haven will you play on this next World Tour? Any big changes to expect in the setlist?
 
Yes, we will be adding some new songs from the new album, also from Silverthorn as well as some songs from the backcatalog either never played or rarely played. 

[Mister Gold]

Thanks for sharing... previously in this thread I complained about Kamelots setlists and this was nice to hear:

- So everybody's wondering - How many songs from Haven will you play on this next World Tour? Any big changes to expect in the setlist?
 
Yes, we will be adding some new songs from the new album, also from Silverthorn as well as some songs from the backcatalog either never played or rarely played. 

Yeah, that really makes me happy too. It's high time that the band starts mixing it up more with their setlists.

If only Alter Bridge could learn that lesson too...

[cramx3]

Apparently they played a new track "Veil of Elysium" last night

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/kamelot/2015/o2-academy-islington-london-england-4bcbdbce.html

[Mister Gold]

Apparently they played a new track "Veil of Elysium" last night

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/kamelot/2015/o2-academy-islington-london-england-4bcbdbce.html

I'm not too shocked to hear that. They played Sacrimony well before the release of Silverthorn and played Song for Jolee once or twice before the album release too. My main concern is now trying to find a bootleg of the song!

[abydos]

Am I a terrible person for completely not giving a fuck about the band after Khan's departure? I checked out the album they did without him and to me it sounded like they just wrote the same music and told him to try and sound as Khan as much as he can. Which was the disappointing part, it was the perfect time to reinvent their style and change things up with a new singer.

[Zook]

Some bands like their sound and want to stick with it. Besides, they did change their sound a bit with Ghost Opera and Poetry, and they stunk. I'm fine with Tommy doing the Khan. It's sure as hell better than Stu Block's Barlow.

[Mister Gold]

Some bands like their sound and want to stick with it. Besides, they did change their sound a bit with Ghost Opera and Poetry, and they stunk. I'm fine with Tommy doing the Khan. It's sure as hell better than Stu Block's Barlow.

That is very true. It's just a bit of a shame, considering how incredible Tommy is when he's singing in his own style too. However Haven is supposedly going to be a bit more experimental and also sound like a blend of Fourth Legacy and Black Halo. If that's the case, we might get to hear Tommy sing more in his upper register. *shrug*

[NecessaryPain]

Considering there's not much difference between the old and new, I also couldn't care less Khan isn't in the band anymore. It's the music that counts, and Poetry is by far the worst album. (with Roy sounding way, way off)

I think it was time for a change. Tommy was the next best thing.

[Evermind]

Samples:

https://www.amazon.co.jp/Haven-Deluxe-Edition-Kamelot/dp/B00URTJV5E

Damn, I'm so fucking excited for this album.