Eternity [Original recording reissued]

Kamelot | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 4, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Noise
• ASIN: B00007L9OK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,785 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The debut album of the masters of power metal in the tradition of Crimson Glory and Queensryche.

YEAR: 2002

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shockingly good for an early work, February 19, 2008

By 

Paul N. (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eternity (Audio CD)

This album is really, really good. 4.5 stars.

I'm new to Kamelot but not to progressive rock. My current favorite band is Circus Maximus (see 2007's Isolate for the best album of the year), and I've followed Dream Theater, Symph X, Queensryche, and others in the genre for a long time.

Last week I went on a Napster spree and listened to each of Kamelot's albums maybe six or seven times. They all had their distinctions and I could clearly see the evolution of the band over time.

With that said, I'd divide the band's work into "early" (Dominion and Eternity), "late" (The Black Halo and Ghost Opera), and "middle" (all else).

The late stuff was simpler in some sense, as it relies less on shredding and more on full band melodies with richer sounds and better production. The early stuff, including this album, have a lot more shredding, more focus on guitar, and are quite melodic (but melodic mostly in the guitar lines). Although sporting different singers, they all sound like Geoff Tate of Queensryche in my mind. Actually, the singer on this album sounds most like Tate than other appearances.

Which brings me to the basic review of this album. This album has some amazing melodies and awesome, awesome guitar riffs. It has a sound that is very similar to Queensryche's Rage for Order. Guitars sound awfully similar, song structures are similar, and I could almost confuse the singer for Geoff Tate's trademark wide vocal range and low range vibratos. The production, though lacking in comparison to later studio technologies, is pretty good and again on par with Rage for Order.

I think this album is creative and features a lot of twists that make each riff refreshing and new. In some ways, I enjoyed this album more than the band's later works, even though they are widely touted as more "sophisticated." It's, in my mind, a back-to-the-past prog-rock-shredding album representative of the late 80s (except recorded in the mid-90s). And it has its mix of ballads and "power metal" appeal for various listeners.

I might add one more notable point that I think is important, which is that the lyrics are not cheesy, as on some metal albums. In fact, I noticed that NONE of Kamelot's albums sound corny, in the vein of metal dragon & wizards storyland cheese as created by bands such as Dragonforce (who I find to be entirely annoying) and Symphony X (love their music, despise their lyrics).

So if you liked Rage for Order or want to hear "early" Kamelot to round your knowledge beyond The Black Halo, I'd definitely pick this one up.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ok, but not as good as later releases, April 1, 2004

By 

Richard S. Davis (Wake Forest, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eternity (Audio CD)

Musically and melodicaly not as sophisticated as the last three studio albums, but a decent listen nonetheless. Origional singer reminds me a bit of Crimson Glory's, though not as shrill, sometimes he sings a little off key. Music & production not up to latest standards, more like early 80's.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like Queensyrche's "Rage for Order"? You'll like this..., May 3, 2008

By 

Thomas Anderson "Metal Head" (Harrisburg, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eternity (Audio CD)

I agree completely with Paul N. below. I had the exact same feelings when listening to this album. And like him, I have just gotten into Kamelot's music, and this was the first album I listened to. So as to not contamimate my ears to the newer works yet.

I was totally impressed. Very, very good album. Very guitar heavy melodies, with Mark Vanderbilt's vocals coming across like early Geoff Tate of the "Rage for Order"/"Operation Mindcrime" era. In fact at times, like Paul said, listening to this album can confuse the listener into thinking it was a long lost Queensryche album.

One of my favorite songs on this is "Call of the Sea". Very erie guitar hook during the chorus. Sounds like something off of "Rage for Order" for sure.

Kamelot's follow-up "Dominion" is quite good too, but not quite as guitar heavy as this one, although still quite powerful. It's obvious that the band started to evolve a bit by then. But there's no denying that Mark Vanderbilt sounds like a Geoff Tate of old.

Good stuff...highly recommended. Be sure to get the reissue, as it may be remastered as well, although it doesn't say so. It sounds too good not to be.