Kamelot - Haven (2015)

2015 marked the twelve year of Kamelot's first studio album, Eternity, when released in 1995. Thinking back, over that 20 years, Kamelot did evolved very much. As a power metal force in Tampa, now Kamelot is a worldwide success with 11 studio albums. Their latest for 2015 is Haven. This is their 11th studio release, as well the 2nd with vocalist Tommy Karevik. Tommy has successfully injected new blood to Kamelot on Silverthorn album. Of course, twenty years should enough to tranformed Kamelot. Their music is no longer, ehem, as catchy as decades years ago. Just like aging wine they has mature up.

Kamelot still hold unique power metal style with their low pitch singing, as opposed to high screaming style in Europe. Fallen Star is one of the extreme example of this. Tommy Karevik started the album with one short piano and voice passage. The whole album stirred to mellow mood by this. Very story telling in composition, which is Kamelot other trademark. This song also quickly become familiar, prove that the song writing has been quite strong. Insomnia to follow, with official video clip this is supposedly the album "hit". We got strong Kamelot in style here, the choruses are all familiar as heard before. A rather futuristic attempt is in third song, Citizen Zero. Let us also aware that the album is another futuristic - apocalypse theme album. Be informed also, several familiar musicians are involved in this project. First is Troy Donockley who is famous in his Nightwish position as the pipe whistling metalist. Together with Charlotte Wessels from Delain, they are soon be heard in Under Grey Skies, a beautiful done ballad.

The second part of the album begin after a connector Ecclesia and officially started with End Of Innocence . Interesting song is Beautiful Apocalypse , where many industrial elements being added to Kamelot's style. This to be climax  in Revolution where Alisa White-Gluz making her appearances. You know what roles she is in. Everything to be ended peacefully then in the last song in Haven.

Obviously, Haven from Kamelot is not everyone's cup of tea. Musically, this is a very serious works with lots of details compositions. If you enjoy Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime put into power metal platform, then this will be your thing. Good news is the quality of each song really stand ups, they are worth your one hour listening. Tommy Karevik brings us to the apocalyptic time with his voices. Thomas Youngblood is still holding his cards with lots of newly invented licks. Haven is really testing how far the genre can goes without being cliche. In retrospect of their 20 years in apocalypse metal, this is just as expected. Another quality food for Kamelot fans to chew.

Favorite tracks: Fallen Star, Under Grey Skies, Revolution
Metal Harem class: ********* eight stars out of ten

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Kamelot - Haven (2015)

01. Fallen Star
02. Insomnia
03. Citizen Zero
04. Veil Of Elysium
05. Under Grey Skies
06. My Therapy
07. Ecclesia
08. End Of Innocence
09. Beautiful Apocalypse
10. Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)
11. Here's To The Fall
12. Revolution
13. Haven

Tommy Karevik – vocals
Thomas Youngblood – guitars
Sean Tibbetts – bass guitar
Oliver Palotai - keyboards, orchestrations
Casey Grillo – drums

Guest/session members

Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy) - female vocals, growling vocals
Troy Donockley (Nightwish) - Uilleann pipes, tin whistle
Charlotte Wessels (Delain) - female vocals

Sascha Paeth - producer
Jacob Hansen - mastering