Thanks for providing an alternative point of view of this album. I find it brilliant as well. Kamelot is one of the few bands who honestly enjoys exploring music with every album and never fails to bring us something interesting and exciting.

I love The Fourth Legacy for its classic power metal feel (though even it's far from typical), and I love The Ghost Opera and Poetry for the Poisoned for their dark, highly energized prog power goodness. What a ride this is.

Power metal album of the year, by far.

I am a fan of Kamelot, but I was really disappointed with this one...maybe it's because the production is so bad that the keyboards and guitarwork come across as muddled...
The only track I really llked was "Hunter's Season" while "The Great Pandemonium" and "If Tomorrow Came" are good as well, whereas I absolutely detest "Dear Editor"...man I hate that one!

This is a much better review than the last one. I'd give it an 8.6.

Uuuum, it's not a bad album, but 9?... Besides "The Great Pandemonium" and "Poetry For the Poisoned", there is not a single memorable song in the album, maybe "Hunter Season". From "House on the Hill" until "Sea of Wolven Years", there are the most boring composition of Kamelot. I find Ghost Opera better than this one, the songs have no energy (and not talking about beign "power metal" or something like that, there is not feeling in the songs...).

However, it's a good thing that someone did a review to show another point of view.

I think its a great album and that dear editor thing is sorta creepy yet funny. Saying all that im a huge prog metal fan so thats probably why i liked it. Black Halo is still my favorite though

Yeah I don't think they'll ever top The Black Halo. I'm not really expecting them to.

So now we have two super bias reviews for this album. haha. Now we just need one which is completely unbias and we have all major arguing points. Personally, though, i'm not much of a fan of this album. I've always loved the faster and more upbeet songs of Kamelot, but this album doesn't really have too many. There are some good songs here, but I only enjoy half of the album, which is a shame because before this there wasn't a single Kamelot song I didn't like.

Well, this review gave me another reason to try out this disc again, after a few months of letting it sit on the shelf. My initial feelings about Khan's vocals haven't changed; I still think they are the unnerving flaw in the album, as they are just touched up in a way I don't like many times. I still think the opening track is very good, but the "House On The Hill" ballad is just disappointing.

However, the title track and its four parts is much better than I recall, and Simone sounds great in it, many times outdoing Khan in the song. This really doesn't change my middling feel of the album itself though, even if I still feel the band is evolving and hopefully getting somewhere I'll love again. (I mean, I love the idea of progressive and symphonic additions to their music, it's really ideal for Khan's style). Maybe if I'd had that chance to see them live when they had to cancel their tour here, I'd have a more advanced opinion, or maybe not. Nice to see this review, though.

So the first sentence of the review is a judgemental cop out condemning anyone who doesn't like the album. "You just don't get it." Rubbish, there's nothing there to get, this album is void of songwriting and inspiration.

Written by Susan on 12.12.2010 at 19:37

I love The Fourth Legacy for its classic power metal feel (though even it's far from typical), and I love The Ghost Opera and Poetry for the Poisoned for their dark, highly energized prog power goodness. What a ride this is.

Power metal album of the year, by far.

*agrees*
I thought that nothing else could be said in melodic power metal after Kamelot issued The Fourth Legacy and Karma, and after Sonata Arctica issued Winterheart's Guild and Silence. It's interesting to see how both bands are exploring dark waters now; the typical power metal fans will be scared off, but, frankly, I've always enjoyed those two because they were smarter than the bunch of other power metal bands out there. The lyrics were always a lot smarter, playing more interesting and singing godlike.

Glad to see someone give this album a just review instead of insta-flaming it the day it was released. I love the direction Kamelot are headed. The power is still there but it seems like they are exploring the music more and more. Raw talent across the board in this band. I can't get enough of the song Lunar Sanctum!

Lunar Sanctum is brilliant.

A good review, I was going to write a review for this but you said it all:)
People got to get use to the album and realize this is an awesome album and sadly Roy's last.....for now

I never actually understood the dislike of this album. I'm completely baffled as to why most fans don't consider it their best. It's not like they drastically changed their style and abandoned anyone, which is why most fans rebel. No, they just played their usual stuff, a little darker and slightly more interesting, and better than usual. What are people actually upset about?

Fucking brilliant.

Written by Susan on 31.10.2012 at 00:43

I never actually understood the dislike of this album. I'm completely baffled as to why most fans don't consider it their best. It's not like they drastically changed their style and abandoned anyone, which is why most fans rebel. No, they just played their usual stuff, a little darker and slightly more interesting, and better than usual. What are people actually upset about?

Fucking brilliant.

For me it's a matter of staying power mostly, really forgettable songwriting with a hollow kind of sound and overall pretty messy. I actually thought they deviated a fair bit from their usual style, the previous album was much more cohesive and, at times, "samey."

Written by Susan on 31.10.2012 at 00:43

I never actually understood the dislike of this album. I'm completely baffled as to why most fans don't consider it their best. It's not like they drastically changed their style and abandoned anyone, which is why most fans rebel. No, they just played their usual stuff, a little darker and slightly more interesting, and better than usual. What are people actually upset about?

Fucking brilliant.

Let me start with a quote from my post in the other review:
Since Kamelot have just released a new album, I went back to Poetry for the Poisoned to see how it stands now, after 2 years. I'd rate it even lower, with a full round 5 now, if I were to write this review again.
The band tried to expand their sound and they failed in my opinion. In their case, incorporating more prog influences was a bad idea, or at least a badly implemented one. It seems that they had the same thoughts, because Silverthorn is less adventurous, but much better. Sometimes it's better to stick to a proven formula it seems.

Written by Daniell on 31.10.2012 at 10:37
It seems that they had the same thoughts, because Silverthorn is less adventurous, but much better. Sometimes it's better to stick to a proven formula it seems.

Ok now that makes some sense. I crave adventurous music whereas many people probably do not.

Written by Susan on 31.10.2012 at 13:53

Ok now that makes some sense. I crave adventurous music whereas many people probably do not.

I do too dear, but not every adventurous album is good. This one isn't

Written by Daniell on 31.10.2012 at 15:16

Written by Susan on 31.10.2012 at 13:53

Ok now that makes some sense. I crave adventurous music whereas many people probably do not.

I do too dear, but not every adventurous album is good. This one isn't

I think Byfrost is the only thing you and I will ever agree on.

Written by Susan on 31.10.2012 at 00:43

I never actually understood the dislike of this album. I'm completely baffled as to why most fans don't consider it their best. It's not like they drastically changed their style and abandoned anyone, which is why most fans rebel. No, they just played their usual stuff, a little darker and slightly more interesting, and better than usual. What are people actually upset about?

Fucking brilliant.

Susan, I agree with you! I love this album! Although, I'm not sure I'd stretch it as far as you in the sense that it's their best ever (as it would be very hard for me to choose a personal favorite). Still, I agree, I think people are venturing too far with complaints about this being so removed from their usual realm.

To the critics (Just my two cents, and with utmost respect):
A slightly bigger sense of Prog-and-Gothic, with stronger presence of macabre mood and more premanent darkness overall, is probably the biggest difference in comparison to previous works. Actually when we think about it, half a decade earlier, The Black Halo pretty much brought the same kind of changes to the table as a follow-up to its predecessors.
Complaints have also been uttered towards Khan on this album. The album is darker and his voice is darker. Sure, his range might not have been fully realised as in previous albums. However, he more than makes up for it with added depth and all the playful things he does with his voice. IMO he's never sounded as insane, mysterious and morbid as he does in this album. A masterful and theatrical performance.
The melodies, while not being perhaps as "far-reaching" or uplifting as they once were are still very well-developed and are IMO sounding more "sophisticated" than ever. Plus, this gels rather well with the darker atmosphere and Khan's performance.
Then there have been shouts about not being nearly enough speedy/fast/upbeat moments and so forth contained on this album. Well, check out "The Great Pandemonium", "If Tomorrow Came", "Hunter's Season", "My Train Of Thoughts", "Seal Of Woven Years", "Once Upon A Time" and also even big chunks of the title-track as well. In theory there should be enough to go around here for the Symphonic Power Metal fan (given there's also an interest geared towards Prog and Gothic as well perhaps).

This is just my opinion of the album, as I love it to bits just like everything Kamelot has done since Karma. I am of course respectful when it comes to differing tastes and the fact that it's all subjective. I just feel the same way as Susan. This album has a bit of an unfair reputation going for it. However, we all have our own opinions and it was not meant as a thorn in anyone's side at all.