KAMELOT – Poetry For The Poisoned

Kamelot has evolved over the past several years as one of the “A-list” Prog Metal acts of the decade. Their last few albums: Ghost Opera, The Black Halo, and Epica consistently received critical acclaim. It’s safe to say Kamelot had a lot to live up to with the release of their latest album, Poetry For The Poisoned.

Upon first listening to the opening track “The Great Pandemonium”, Kamelot has clearly opted for a “darker” tone with this album. This track features some screams and growls from Bjorn “Speed” Strid, who is lead vocalist of the Swedish Death Metal band Soilwork. Dedicated Kamelot fans may not be very receptive to this, however, like true professionals they pulled it off quite well. Rest assured, though, Kamelot does not stray from their signature sound throughout most of this album.

Even though Poetry For The Poisoned may come off as “darker” than their predecessors, Roy Khan’s vocals are still as pristine as ever. He seemingly gets better with every album. The same can be said for Thomas Youngblood’s guitar work. In fact, Youngblood performs more energetic and shredding guitar solos on this album compared to his previous work.

Some of the highlights on this album include the guitar driven “Hunter’s Season”, which includes an amazing guest guitar solo from Gus. G. of Ozzy Osbourne’s current band. Also, the haunting “The Zodiac”, which features some inspiring guest vocal work from Jon Oliva and Amanda Somerville, is a departure from the signature Kamelot sound. However, “The Zodiac” does display how Kamelot is not afraid to take chances and break some new ground. Arguably the best song on the album is the enchanting “House On A Hill”. This is a signature Kamelot ballad … but with a darker tone, which includes long-time guest vocalist Simone Simons from Epica.

For fans that are simply looking for a continuation of their masterpiece The Black Halo, Kamelot has clearly moved on from those days. Kamelot continues to evolve and mature with each album. There is a distinct and indescribable sound that makes Kamelot unique. That sound has been evident on all their albums, including this one. Fans can also expect more top-notch production quality from long time producers Sascha Paeth and Miro. Overall, Poetry For The Poisoned contains a little bit of both old and new elements of songwriting and performance. It may not go down in history as the greatest Kamelot album of all time, but will be noted as one of their most unique.