Kamelot
Silverthorn

THE REVIEW

Their name, Kamelot, has been built over the years. The esteem towards the American combo has grown over time, both from fans and from music critics. Particularly since "The Black Halo," Kamelot has certainly gained more visibility, making them one of the pivotal bands in power/gothic of the recent years. Two personalities have forged their style: the guitarist Thomas Youngblood and the vocalist Roy Khan. The latter left the band just over a year ago due to personal issues that pulled him away from activities with Kamelot.

Anyone familiar with Kamelot knows that Khan was the element that most contributed to making their offering fascinating, qualitatively significant. A vocal timbre and an interpretative ability truly remarkable: it was difficult to replace his voice without leading his successor to inevitable comparisons. The choice fell on Tommy Karevik, already a singer of Seventh Wonder. It's the most significant lineup change there could be, yet it carries with it many considerations, swept away with the arrival of "Silverthorn," released at the end of the just-past October.

There's little to say about the new Kamelot release: it seems like "Karma" in a more "polished," "mainstream" version. There's a return to a power metal that Kamelot had managed to leave behind, also finding an original style capable of uniting melody, progressive metal partitions, atmospheric and increasingly electronic sounds. Starting from the single "Sacrimony", continuing with tracks like "Torn", "Veritas", and "My Confession", it becomes apparent how the band suddenly ran out of ideas, with the re-proposal of identical mid-tempos, with choruses in Helloween style, recycled from the long tradition of '90s power. The framework of all this is perfect, the sounds are pristine, with no smudges: yet this contributes to making the tracks of "Silverthorn" dull power metal tunes with a "tearful" gothic flair.

Kamelot made a significant mark in recent years: their releases have been synonymous with quality for all those who love the genre offered. That said, "Silverthorn" must be taken for what it is: a bad, "easy" work, also quite manneristic and light-years away from the results achieved only a short time ago by the Tampa band.

1. "Manus Dei" (2:10)
2. "Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)" (4:39)
3. "Ashes To Ashes" (3:57)
4. "Torn" (3:52)
5. "Song For Jolee" (4:33)
6. "Veritas" (4:35)
7. "My Confession" (4:33)
8. "Silverthorn" (4:51)
9. "Falling Like The Fahrenheit" (5:07)
10. "Solitaire" (4:57)
11. "Prodigal Son" (8:53)
12. "Continuum" (4:15)