21/02/05

KAMELOT / THE BLACK HALO

Epica was a major turning point for Kamelot and the Black Halo is a continuation of the story featuring the same 3 characters, Ariel, Elena and Mephisto, the musical style is pretty much the same but with more orchestration but because of the story the album has a darker, more sombre feel to it which makes not so instantly accessible as Epica but just as good, it just takes a few more plays.

The music is Progressive Metal at its best and is still recognisable Kamelot but like Rhapsody they are exploring and pushing back their boundaries but not so over the top as Rhapsody. Songs like "The Hunting" and "Soul Society" are top notch modern Metal, the CD starts off with a militaristic jaunt with "March Of Mephisto" which sets the tone for the rest of the album there are a couple of power ballads that work really well, ""Abandoned" being the finest, very powerful stuff.

If you liked Epica you will like this but you will have to give it time to creep up on you, best tracks; "The Haunting", "March Of Mephisto" and the epic "Momento Mori", eight minutes of Kamelot at their best, the playing and singing is flawless throughout and I bet they have a great stage show lined up, miss it at your peril.

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 57 mins + 14 TRACKS