Music Reviews - K
Kamelot - Ghost Opera (2007)
Review added July 14/07.
I always await a new Kamelot release with eager anticipation. Their sense of melody is strong, the implementation of medieval chorales, classical themes and instrumentation is up my alley, and Roy Khan's rich, resonant and versatile voice is one of the best in all modern rock. Kamelot successfully walks the tightrope of balancing the need to be fresh and inventive, on the one hand, and carving out their own personalized, recognizable sound, on the other.
Ghost Opera does not disappoint; from the opening strings of "Solitaire," this is vintage Kamelot, and the mix is much improved over the somewhat overly-dense (over-compressed?) predecessor, The Black Halo (the concluding CD to Kamelot's version of Goethe's Faustus, which commenced with their classic Epica).
My version is the limited edition with "The Pendulous Fall" bonus track and an accompanying DVD containing a video of the title track (including an uncommented "behind-the-scenes" version).
Although I'm not sure I'd rank this album on par with Epica, Ghost Opera confirms Kamelot's place as arguably the best group in symphonic metal.
4 1/2 stars.
