After vocalist Roy Khan departed the band in 2011 after thirteen years, Kamelot has found a good replacement in Tommy Karevik. The more I listen to Kamelot, the more I think Tommy sounds just like Roy. There’s a difference, sure, but it’d be easy to mistake the two. He’s definitely settled in well and when I last saw them in 2013 at Slim’s he was doing pretty damn good. I expect him to be even better when they show up next week at the Regency Ballroom.
It’s been three years since Kamelot’s last album Silverthorn and the second with Tommy on vocals. It definitely sounds like a Kamelot album, and it should with founding member Thomas Youngblood still at the reins. That’s not a bad thing, by the way. I came for Kamelot and I got Kamelot. Songs like “Fallen Star” and “End of Innocence” have that sort of slow-moving, melodic vibe that we’re all used to. “Revolution” and “Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)” kick it up with the addition of Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz who also toured with them the last go-round.
I haven’t quite had the time to put it on repeat days on end but from some quick listening I’m liking what I’m hearing. Hopefully they’ll be featuring a lot of the songs when they come to San Francisco. They are currently mid-tour and sometimes when a band releases an album like that you sometimes only get one or two.
As always, the album art is pretty damn cool.
Quick picks: Fallen Star, End of Innocence, Revolution
Tracklist:
1. Fallen Star
2. Insomnia
3. Citizen Zero
4. Veil of Elysium
5. Under Grey Skies (featuring Charlotte Wessels & Troy Donockley)
6. My Therapy
7. Ecclesia
8. End of Innocence
9. Beautiful Apocalypse
10. Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy) (featuring Alissa White-Gluz)
11. Here’s to the Fall
12. Revolution (featuring Alissa White-Gluz)
13. Haven