Kamelot - Silverthorn review
| Band: | Kamelot |
| Album: | Silverthorn |
| Style: | Symphonic power metal |
| Release date: | October 2012 |
Disc I
01. Manus Dei
02. Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)
03. Ashes To Ashes
04. Torn
05. Song For Jolee
06. Veritas
07. My Confession
08. Silverthorn
09. Falling Like The Fahrenheit
10. Solitaire
11. Prodigal Son
1 - Part I: Funerale
2 - Part II: Burden Of Shame (The Branding)
3 - Part III: The Journey
12. Continuum
13. Leaving Too Soon [Japanese bonus]
Disc II [box set edition bonus] [instrumental version]
01. Manus Dei
02. Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)
03. Kismet
04. Ashes To Ashes
05. Torn
06. Song For Jolee
07. Veritas
08. My Confession
09. Silverthorn
10. Falling Like The Fahrenheit
11. Solitaire
12. Prodigal Son
1 - Part I: Funerale
2 - Part II: Burden Of Shame (The Branding)
3 - Part III: The Journey
13. Continuum
14. Grace [bonus] [feat. Apollo Papathanasio & Niklas Engelin]
Milena: After the departure of their legendary vocal powerhouse Roy Khan, Kamelot had a difficult task of picking out someone equally talented and charismatic to replace him, and the general consensus is that they couldn't have picked a better person than Tommy Karevik, the outstanding vocalist of Seventh Wonder. He didn't come to steal the show (to my slight annoyance - imagine if he went all out for this!) but to provide vocal continuity without sounding like a Roy clone, and to contribute in writing as well, for it was his ingenuity for coming up with lyrics and vocal melodies that landed him the job.
Ag Fox: That being said, while listening to the album without paying full attention, I almost thought it was Roy singing, and this is a testament to how the album in general sounds like - just like Kamelot "of yore", as opposed to a band morphing into a new identity with a new singer. The dark progressions and the shaded vocal melodies in the lower part of the spectrum that are now a staple of the band's sound are both present and correct. In fact, Silverthorn feels exactly like Ghost Opera pt.2. Whereas Kamelot has mostly shown progress from album to album, the leap from Ghost Opera to Poetry For The Poisoned was a case of the band that, while going in a good direction, tried something too ambitious and failed in the execution. It seems like composer/guitarist Thomas Youngblood realized this and decided to take a step back to a place the band was comfortable in with Silverthorn.
Milena: The catchy tunes crafted by using all the tried-and-tested Kam-formulas and lined up to tell you a story of a family torn apart by tragedy are varying in quality, but the overall impression is positive. A few throwbacks to the pre-Ghost Opera days are noticeable - even the guitar/keyboard duels made several appearances. Each side of the band is well represented with songs such as the symphonic metal crusher "Veritas", the tear-jerking ballad "Song For Jolee", the multi-sectioned epic closer "Prodigal Son" or the power metal fun slide "Solitaire".
Ag Fox: While it's nice to have the band back to form, Silverthorn ultimately feels like a retrace from the misstep of their previous effort. Karevik's addition justifies this stall, but I am hoping that with more time together the band can progress again in their next output. Without a doubt, the velvet quality of Khan's voice is missed, particularly when the vocal lines go lower and Karevik has huge shoes to fill. However, he should realize his own feet are actually pretty big, and they still have potential to grow if his achievement with Seventh Wonder is anything to go by.
Milena: Seeing how every band other than Kamelot has failed to deliver metal of this type and quality in recent years, I'm glad they got back to composing the type of music they can nail. However, they shouldn't rest on their laurels, but use this momentum and be the bold power metal chameleons we once fell in love with. Perhaps, seeing how they're fronted by a young Scandinavian prog metal talent for the second time, the next album they make could be the Karma to Silverthorn's The Fourth Legacy.
Rating:
8.3
8.3
|
Rating: 8.3 |
"There's a pain within, that I can't define. There's an empty space, where your love used to shine" So, Roy has left, and there is one big hole left in each and every one of us. Well, at least he is alive, thankfully unlike in the lyrics above. Yet, every true Kamelotian feels the same. At least there wasn't some mass hysteria like Nightwish's 2005 case. Read more ›› |
Comments
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| Susan Smeghead elite Posts: 6941  |
I am SICK TO DEATH of people hating Poetry For The Poisoned so much. Why does everyone freak out when their favorite bands push the boundaries a bit? And Kamelot did it so damn well. What would you have them do, stagnate? Yet you both say things like, "but I am hoping that with more time together the band can progress again," but I doubt you mean it. Clearly no one WANTS progression; you want your favorite album over and over again. Silverthorn is lovely but it's so very, very safe. Why reward that? Plenty of bands release lovely, safe albums every day. I don't want to live in a metal world where a band with the talent of Kamelot is squandering it releasing safe albums to please fans who couldn't give Poetry the time of day. I found it exceptional, if you didn't that's fine. But please don't wish sterile, safe, pretty albums from such capable bands.
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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| Milena gloom cookie staff Posts: 4603  |
Written by Susan on 19.11.2012 at 15:12 I don't hate Poetry, but I also don't listen to it a lot. Some songs just dragged it down; a Poetry v.2, something equally dark and turbulent would be interesting to have if it were solid all the way throughout. They ARE chameleons and jumping from one thing to another is something they do exceptionally  Further edit: Marshall did say the lineup shake-up justifies them playing safer and I completely agree, even if I would have preferred it if they had let Tommy spread his wings fully as early as possible and made a really refreshing album in terms of style. However, I was pretty starved for this type of metal and I am welcoming it - it's definitely one of my most played albums of the year.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Ag Fox Angel No More elite Posts: 4774  |
Written by Susan on 19.11.2012 at 15:12As I said in this review, poetry was a good direction, but it proved too ambitious for them and the final execution failed (or they had the right vision for the band in terms of musical direction, but ran out of inspiration). Perhaps I was a bit unclear, but the review is essentially saying silverthorn is a bit too safe and would like the band to push the boundaries again like in poetry, but execute it better.
---- loves 小巫
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| Fredd Account deleted |
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| Dark Forever Ruído Sonoro Posts: 699  |
Finally someone said it. I was getting tired of people praising this album like a masterpiece. Yes, it's very good, but it's also very safe and it lacks magic moments.
---- Taste the DARK... ... and you'll live FOREVER!
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| Jiri Posts: 708  |
Written by Susan on 19.11.2012 at 15:12 Jiri agrees 100% with everything you wrote
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| Jiri Posts: 708 |
"without sounding like a Roy clone"? Jiri thought that is what he was trying to do! He sounds eerily like Khan with very little variance.
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| kalmah999 Account deleted |
kalmah999
Account deleted
Nice review! good album, safe but still good better than poetry (and I like poetry very much) in my opinion
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| Zenzero Zenzero Posts: 472  |
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| R Lewis Posts: 935  |
Great album and great review! Good job 
---- We could be so much more than we are. Stop.
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| Dark Forever Ruído Sonoro Posts: 699 |
Written by Zenzero on 19.11.2012 at 18:40 Your opinion doesn't count, you gave 10 to The Unforgiving by Within Temptation 
---- Taste the DARK... ... and you'll live FOREVER!
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| Yugosaki Posts: 140  |
Not that good album in my opinion.
---- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaEBpRWr2IA
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| ManiacBlasphemer Black Knight Posts: 1085  |
Once again, another one of those disputes for a briliant album. I do not get what the people want from Kamelot. The more I look into these pointless debates here, I see that people focus way too much on trivial things while forgetting to enjoy the music. One cannot say that Poetry is better than Silverthorn, for one simple reason. Who is used with Ghost Opera, Karma, Epica or TBH, they know that the entire albums I mentioned are enjoyable, without exception. All the songs fit pretty well, so well that casting aside one of them ruins the balance and the harmony of the said album. Poetry was divided in half, a patch of songs that were worthy of listening twice or more, and some filler songs that after 2-3 auditions, they can be easily cast aside, and you can get a better audible experience. Silverthorn on the other hand, leans to the Ghost Opera influence. It focuses heavily on orchestration, Palotai in pretty much any song grasps the spot-light and delivers impressive keyboard performance. I do not want to anger anybody, but I think some people are more eager to dive into pointless debates and forget to enjoy the Kamelot experience. Silverthorn delivers what Kamelot has always been delivering since The Fourth Legacy, of course, with some small differences. I think Silverthorn is a safe album too, but being safe, does not mean that it is bad. The band can't please everybody, there were people that wanted to see an evolution from the PFTP, others that wanted a continuation of Ghost Opera, others that wanted a come back to TBH performance. I would give Silverthorn more than just an 8.0, it is a very memorable album, except for like 1-2 songs, this is an album that should take a spot in everybody's music shelf, period. If there is a power metal album that deserves praise this year, then Kamelot's Silvethorn surely deserves it.
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| atkmetal123 Posts: 60 |
Not too long but very solid and detailed review conducted by an Elite and a Staff, nice dual you guys did there Along with superior replacement by Karevik with his amazing voice (and actually sounds like Roy Khan most of the way), Kamelot did invest in instrument solos, Thomas and Oliver did some amazing work in the album. I have to say Silverthorn owns best solos offered by Kamelot so far, for example the sound of guitar solo in Veritas gave me shiver. And the album brought back some Karma and The Black Halo's spirit, as the sound is somewhat very familiar but yet delivered something new with the new line-up. The additional guest vocalists also provided more color to be added into the album. I didn't enjoy Silverthorn much after the first spin, but after a few more the whole album sucked me in pretty much, but not that temped like The Black Halo. Prodigal Son reminds me a lot of Memento Mori too. I love all Kamelot's album (except the first two when there was no Roy!), especially I enjoyed PftP more than Ghost Opera, but I must say Silverthorn is amazing!
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| Fredd Account deleted |
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| Winterthrone Posts: 289  |
Written by Guest on 19.11.2012 at 19:28 Man you made my day! I miss Ponderer so much. he was definitely the best unintentional comedian on this whole forum! Getting back on topic, I never cared for Kamelot that much except in a short period at the beginning of the 2000's, however I liked a few songs of them when I'm in a Powermetal mode (which is quite rare these days). But I might check this album out since this review got me interested! good job Milena and ag fox!
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| Winterthrone Posts: 289 |
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| Stabby Account deleted |
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| Zenzero Zenzero Posts: 472 |
Written by Dark Forever on 19.11.2012 at 19:15 I think it's 10 times better than this.... Variety is the spice of life!
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| Italics Posts: 294 |
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| Italics Posts: 294 |
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| M C Vice ex-polydactyl Posts: 3353  |
Written by Susan on 19.11.2012 at 15:12 Doing the same thing over and over hasn't hurt Motorhead. Although now I'm curious as to what a symphonic Lemmy would sound like...
---- "Another day, another Doug." "I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples." " 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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| Crème fraiche Posts: 694  |
Written by M C Vice on 20.11.2012 at 05:03 LOL xD
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| Cynic Metalhead Paisa Vich Nasha Posts: 6813  |
I'm not quite familiar with this band to be honest( rarely checking out their stuff), but I can confidently say that this record was pretty "FULL BLOWN SATISFACTORY STUFF". A couple of good songs here and there but overall....I didn't enjoy that much.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Susan on 19.11.2012 at 15:12 Most people didn't freak out because the band pushed the boundaries, most people freaked out because it was very very very average to bad song writing which they used to try and push the boundaries Quote: So you'd rather listen to boundary pushing mediocre to bad albums instead? 
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Cynic Metalhead Paisa Vich Nasha Posts: 6813 |
Written by Winterthrone on 19.11.2012 at 23:40 bit offtopic/ but I think he's here with his new account? You know his account name?
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| qlacs "The Quaker" Posts: 1537  |
Another off: woah, sexy girl on the cover. awaiting the funpic of the cover... silverhorny?
---- 
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| musclassia staff Posts: 7037  |
Eh, it's better than PftP, and it is still decent, but it's not up there with Ghost Opera, and definitely not with anything prior. It quite often just sounds weak, and that's not due to the new vocalist, more... everything else. The songwriting is nowhere near as gripping, the vocal lines (Angel of Afterlife aside) aren't as catchy as Kamelot can be, and the arrangements of the instruments often just give the songs a thin feel that I would never accuse this band of having on GO, TBH or Karma. Probably the time it really stuck out was the chorus to Solitaire, which sounded so, idk, barren, which is (whether people like it or not) something I would never accuse any of the songs on TBH of being. And Song For Jolee's a pretty soppy and bland ballad, it's not Don't You Cry. A low-mid 7 album, so still good, but was a bit of a disappointment
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