Band:	Kamelot
Album:	The Black Halo
Style:	Symphonic power metal
Release date:	March 2005

01. March Of Mephisto [feat. Shagrath]
02. When The Lights Are Down
03. The Haunting (Somewhere In Time) [feat. Simone Simons]
04. Soul Society
05. Interlude I: Dei Gratia
06. Abandoned
07. This Pain
08. Moonlight
09. Interlude II: Un Assassinio Molto Silenzioso
10. The Black Halo
11. Nothing Ever Dies
12. Memento Mori
13. Interlude III: Midnight - Twelve Tolls For A New Day
14. Serenade
15. Epilogue [Japanese bonus]
16. Soul Society [radio edit version] [Japanese bonus]
17. The Haunting [radio edit version] [limited edition bonus]
18. March Of Mephisto [radio edit version] [limited edition bonus]

To be honest with you, another review of this fine piece of Metal isn't really necessary, since Jeff's review told you exactly how good this album really is.
But that's also the reason why I thought I should write down a few of my thoughts about it and post it as a second opinion review here.

"The Black Halo" will continue the concept of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's opus, which started with "Epica".
But this time it's tougher, darker and way more complex, but still as symphonic, theatrical and beautiful as "Epica".

After the precious album "Epica" I personally never thought Kamelot could do another album that could be as good or better, but how wrong wasn't I?
"The Black Halo" is better than "Epica" in everything, and with that I mean EVERYTING!
The music is better, the vocals, the production, the guests, the lyrics, the whole everything, a new Kamelot album is better than Christmas, New Years Eve and Midsummer Day all together.

Because every time we are blessed with a new Kamelot album, the guys are giving us something fantastic, and this time maybe the best album of the year already in March and the best song they ever written "The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)".

But the album gets on the way with "March of Mephisto", a mid-tempo song that sets a high standard on the album right from the start. Here you'll get the first guests as well, it's the Norwegian "windir" Shagrath (Dimmu Borgir) that lends his vocals to this song and Jens Johansson (Stratovarius) on keyboards.
Following song "When the Lights Are Down" is the first fast song, and it's not a bad one either, the chorus is really catchy, but when you know what's follow the almost four minutes long song feels like an whole eternity.

The song that follows is of course "The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)" the best fucking song Kamelot ever written, it's fantastic and I can't understand how someone can write such good song.
The chorus is giving me shivers, darn what I love that song, Khan and Simmons (Simone from Epica) you're my gods.
Anyway, enough with that, among the rest of the songs I want to mention here is "This Pain" & "Moonlight" with its great guitars, brilliant playing Youngblood.
And finally the nine-minute epos "Memento Mori" that almost getting progressive (who ever thought that?).
As you understand, this album is crawling with great songs, I just chose a few of my absolute favourites, because should I say something about every song I like here, I would have to say something about every song.

I'll stop babbling now, and just say a few last words before ending.
"The Black Halo" may be the best album of the year, and maybe the best Kamelot will ever do, because I think it will be hard to really overcome this masterpiece, but you should never say never, I thought the same after hearing "Epica", and see what came out as it's successor, an even greater album.
And that's why I won't rate it 10 either, because I know Kamelot can surprise us again, and if they do, they'll have that 10 to collect next time, I promise.

Check Out: "The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)" and all the other songs for Christ sake.


Album of the Year - by Malcolm on Metal Storm.ee - That's for sure!