Album Review: KAMELOT – Haven

Kamelot – Haven takes the band’s signature symphonic metal to the next level

Haven is an epic journey across a vast melodic landscape, and Tampa, Florida’s symphonic power metal veterans Kamelot prove once again that they are more than capable of navigating the complex terrain. After two decades of brilliant songwriting the band shows no signs of slowing down, and with the follow-up to their highly acclaimed album Silverthorn, Kamelot may have raised the bar once again.

Produced by Sascha Paeth and mastered by Jacob Hansen, Haven has a wide sweeping and emotional sound that could easily be envisioned as the soundtrack to some dark fantasy. The cover artwork was created once again by German photographer and visual artist Stefan Heilemann, who also created the cover artwork for Silverthorn. If you enjoy incredibly kick-ass, dark visual art, check out Stefan’s work online. Additional art/layout was done by Gustavo Sazes.

Several guest musicians make appearances on Haven, and Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), Troy Donockley (Nightwish) and Charlotte Wessels (Delain), expand on an already impressive musical palette, bringing an additional touch of aggression and grace to the intricate compositions on Haven.

Haven is from start to finish a well-crafted album showcasing Kamelot at their best, with many great highlights throughout. The sci-fi inspired “Insomnia,” with its infectious chorus will have you singing along from the first time you hear it. “Citizen Zero” has an epic sound with orchestration and choir vocals during the chorus and bridge sections, creating a cinematic atmosphere suited for the big screen. “Veil of Elysium” picks up the pace out of the gate with a driving double kick drum attack from the start, and a melody that sticks in your head as you find yourself humming along before launching into some incredibly nimble shredding by Thomas Youngblood. “Under Grey Skies” features Charlotte Wessels from Delain performing a beautiful duet with Kamelot frontman Tommy Karevik, with additional instrumentation provided by Troy Donockley of Nightwish. Arch Enemy‘s smoldering vocalist Alissa White-Gluz adds some intense growls and clean vocals on “Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)” and also on what is probably my favorite track on the album, “Revolution,” adding a bit of beautiful brutality that Alissa brings to any performance.

Kamelot fans will not be disappointed in Haven, an album they’ve been waiting three years for as the follow up to Silverthorn. The album will be released in North America on May 5, 2015. The North American tour begins on Monday, April 27, 2015 in Baltimore, MD. [columns] [column size=”1/3″][/column] [column size=”2/3″]

Kamelot – Insomnia (Official Video) | Napalm Records

Haven is available for pre-order now at Napalm Records Webstore in multiple Ltd editions and special bundles. Official Pre-Order Website is www.kamelothaven.com and it will be released May 5, 2015 (North America) and May 8, 2015 (Europe and rest of the world)

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