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78 of 84 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Power Metal Album of 2005, Probably This Decade!, March 22, 2005
To begin, I just have to say that I have been a Kamelot fan since their beginnings, but have always considered Conception the superior of Khan's projects and while I have been somewhat impressed with a few of Kamelot's releases, I have never put them on the same level of melodic greatness as Conception until I heard this album. "The Black Halo" absolutely blew me away from the very first listen and I feel that almost every song represented here blows away anything Khan ever recorded with Conception. Believe me, this is saying a hell of a lot coming from me! Having been more impressed with their previous release "Epica" than any of Kamelot's earlier albums, I was a bit more anxious than usual about hearing this album than I've been with any of their previous releases, especially when I started catching early reviews that were calling it their best album to date.
I honestly had chills listening to the opening track, "March of Mephisto." It's that powerfully charged and melodic! With the perfect merge of symphonic melody, blistering guitar hooks and some of the most melodic vocals you'll hear anywhere on the power metal scene, Kamelot have taken epic power metal to a whole new level with this song along with the equally stellar "Memento Mori," their longest song to date, clocking in at just shy of 9 minutes. These two songs alone are worth the price of the album and easily rank in my book as two of the best power metal epics ever recorded and that's certainly not to say that the rest of the album is filler because there is not a dud in the mix on this one. It's almost as if the band went back and analyzed their entire career to discover the formula for every great song they've ever written and infused it into every song they wrote for this album, then one-upped them with an epic tone and some the catchiest power hooks they could muster. Add to this some special guest musicians that include Jens Johansson of Stratovarius on keys, Shagrath from Dimmu Borgir, who adds a touch of evil to the epic sound of both "March of Mephisto" and "Memento Mori" and Simone Simmons of the band Epica adding her hauntingly (no pun intended) beautiful vocals to "The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)," easily the most radio-friendly song on the album.
This album will undoubtedly easily stand the test of time as Kamelot's magnum opus and I'd rank it as, far and away, the best power metal epic that's been released so far this decade! If you are among the group that has always equated this band with "dungeons and dragons metal," this is the album that will most likely change your mind about them and win you over. Khan, who sounds quite a bit like Geoff Tate, has never sounded better than he does on this album, especially on the middle-eastern flared power epic that is the opening track. Kamelot have had this distinctive flare to their sound throughout their career, but there is just something that clicks here and brings it to a new level of perfection in epic proportion. They've also added a bit more of a progressive element to some of the songs here than we've heard on previous albums. This is especially evident on "Memento Mori."
Other album highlights include the incredibly melodic "When The Lights Are Down" and the powerful title track, but it's difficult to pick favorites as this is one of the few Kamelot albums that I found extremely listenable from start to finish. They also include some interesting short interludes between songs, one of which even has Khan singing in Italian. The only song that tones down the epic power riffs that dominate the album is the atmospherically charged "Abandoned," which heavily incorporates symphonic elements that perfectly complement Khan's amazingly heart-wrenching vocals on this track. Lyrically, this album continues on the conceptual storyline started off on "Epica" of the battle between good and evil, but don't let that scare you away. They pull it off with a melody and epic style (of near operatic proportions) that I have yet to hear any other band accomplish without starting to sound like a Disney movie soundtrack (take note, Symphony X). I have to agree with a previous review that there is unlikely to be a better album released in 2005 (although based on some samples I've heard of the new Pagan's Mind, due in April, they may have just give Kamelot a run for their money). This is easily the most amazing album Kamelot have released to date and they will be hard-pressed to ever top it. "The Black Halo" is THE absolute must-have masterpiece of 2005 that will appeal to fans of epic power metal and progressive metal fans alike.
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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Epica Continued - I Couldn't Have Asked for More, April 12, 2005
Power-metal is metal's version of punk rock. Countless bands spawn every year, most from Germany but all with the same sound: fast double-bass drums, razor sharp harmonized guitars, a powerful vocalist and numerous references to fantasy. In fact, it is almost impossible to find a power-metal band that does not take a medieval or fantastic setting as the physical space for their music, a decision that has attracted ridicule since the genre's beginnings. Among the throngs of Sonata Artica's, Edguy's and Hammerfall's, it is difficult to find a genuinely innovative band.
Lucky for us, there's Kamelot.
On their seventh album, "The Black Halo", the American power-metal ensemble further develops the regal and majestic sound they perfected with their last release, 2003's "Epica", which took Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust as its inspiration. Although the typical power-metal staples are still there, the sounds are much more diverse this time around. Fast, energetic and melodically predictable pieces such as "When the Lights Are Down" and "Soul Society" keep the band anchored to the comfortable sounds of what we've come to expect. The Rodenberg Symphony Orchestra continues the Kamelot tradition of layering songs with a sophisticated sound ranging from strings, violins and even horns. Softer ballads like "The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)" and "Abandoned" grace the album with pianos, string quartets and female choirs, providing a striking contrast. But this is nothing new. Earlier songs like "A Sailorman's Hymn" and "Don't You Cry" flaunted the band's softer side in earlier albums.
Then there's the unexpected.
Black-metal superstar Shagrath from Sweden's Dimmu Borgir makes a special appearance with his blasphemous, guttural pipes on "March of Mephisto", which holds the coveted spot as the album's first track. Normally reserved for the faster numbers - in this case, "When the Lights Are Down" - the opening track is slower and more intense, much like a sinister parade. It is a song unlike any other in the Kamelot catalog, whose inner workings echo "Master of Puppets"-era Metallica and earlier Dream Theater. Singer Roy Khan doesn't hold back on this track or the album, unafraid to show off his impressive vocal range. Guitarist Thomas Youngblood (whose name caters perfectly to the genre) is slightly restrained and subtle in his delivery, soloing only when needed and keeping the fast riffage to a minimum. The song even has a cameo from power-metal veteran Jens Johansson, from Finland's Stratovarius.
The album's centerpiece is the 9-minute "Memento Mori", a song that visits several genres and explores a number of movements, started by a melody that may remind listeners of Savatage. The piece explores Middle-Eastern influenced melodies and medieval landscapes and still has time to bring Shagrath back for another resonating, sinister growl. After the third and last interlude, we are given another gem, the catchy and delightful "Serenade", which is a perfect example of Kamelot taking the tired power-metal formula and using it to their advantage with a gifted ear.
The theatrical elements are greater than they were on their past works. The album's three short "interludes" are well-crafted with numerous sound effects - walking on snow, a person lighting a match, a distant church choir, people at a tavern - that unite the individual songs with a subtle narrative. Even more impressive is the handful of references to "Epica", namely in the form of a familiar melody or the incorporation of a subtly changed lyric.
For all its epic thematic and musical scope, the album is not without its flaws. The power-metal genre has little creative elbow-room, and even Kamelot eventually falls into the trap of becoming forgettable. Songs such as the plain "This Pain" and the unchanging "Nothing Ever Dies" lull for far too long without becoming a standout track. Even the title-track lacks an outstanding melody or chorus to drive it. Sadly, in their particular genre, this tendency is almost inevitable.
But of course, these flaws are only applicable if you're a power-metal connoisseur. Otherwise, "The Black Halo" is an amazing creation. The few lackluster tracks make it a slight step down from "Epica", but not by much. The tremendous diversity with which the album flows, along with the grand orchestral sounds that accompany the rich guitar-work, make the album soar. It is a must-have for any enthusiast of the genre, and a necessary introduction for those unfamiliar.
See also: Kamelot - "Epica", Kamelot - "The Fourth Legacy"
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21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
the best power metal..., April 24, 2005
......since Kamelot's last release, _Epica_. And so that indisputably makes it the best power metal album to date. For Kamelot to elevate and perfect a genre that is usually so poorly represented might seem a lesser feat than to do so where one's peers are strong. Yet the absorbing nature of _The Black Halo_ and its predecessor _Epica_ should be never be considered a mean accomplishments. These are some of the best, most consumingly listenable albums out there, along with output of such bands as Pineforest Crunch, Thinking Plague, the Beatles, Spock's, and Meshuggah.
In terms of music, everything that was said about _Epica_ can be said about _The Black Halo_. This is fitting as they are two halves of the _Faust_-inspired Epica_ concept. The only really important differences are that the music is heavier (guitars are more up in the mix, lots of tasty crunch) and even _more_ melodic (much to my surprise, they outdid themselves again). Kamelot's art of orchestrating tension-filled verses into huge, sweeping choruses and azz-kicking riffs and little symphonic bitties has apparently tapped into an endless well of inspiration.
All of the songs are completely great. Kamelot changes gears and opens the album not with a high-speed, but a rather dark, mid-tempo "March of Mephisto", twistingly melodic riffs and Shaggrath from Dimmu Borgir as Mephisto, backing Khan on the chorus. Then they dish out "When the Lights Are Down" with blazing double-bass pedals and driving, crunchy riffs. It pretty much switches between mid- and fast-tempi throughout (and soft interludes in most songs), split in the middle with "Abandoned", a piano-based ballad with Khan's pure singing (awe-inspiring, really), and Mari singing as Helena as the music begins to swell on crests of strings and heavy drums. There are interludes, through though fewer than the previous disc, including some interesting moments which add nice touches of variety, like an atmospheric cabaret and a brief vocal solo from Khan. The album builds all builds to a ridiculously high level and then goes right over the top with "Momento Mori", Kamelot hugest, best song to date. Perhaps the best part of Kamelot's _Epica_ story is that each album's finale song ("Three Ways to Epica" and "Momento Mori") are the best, most intense finale songs with the best choruses ever in power metal. Why do other power metal bands even exist? Kamelot wipes the floor with all of them. Sad but true. The story ends and "Serenade" provides an epilogue much like "The Center of the Universe" is a prologue. "Serenade"'s glistening riff and yet another soaring (but somber) chorus ends the album perfectly. The story of _The Black Halo_ begins with Ariel still mourning Helena and under Mephisto's power. As it goes on he learns that Mephisto is merely a part of himself, and that the choice between paths of righteousness and of evil is his alone. In the end he comes to peace with himself, then he dies. By the way, i'm probably just a fanboy. You might be better served by someone more objective.
a note about editions: this review is one the amazon page for the normal johnny edition. A boring, ghetto-plastic jewel case and no bonus tracks. there is another domestic special edition (probably out of print now), packaged in a bright, sleek digipak with two bonus tracks (radio edits of "March of Mephisto" and "The Haunting"). I think it might have a music video on it too. The BEST EDITION TO GET would be the Japanese one, because it has a bonus track that is _not_ a radio edit, "Epilogue"). It's an awesome song and a big crazy Kamelot fan with only be satisfied if they have the edition it is on.
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