Kamelot - Ghost Opera
So amazing, it's a shame this album couldn't be rated an 11/10.
Review by Sirus

Kamelot has been around for a while as a power metal group but only since Roy Khan started singing for them did they really become something great. Ghost Opera is the fifth CD they have had with Khan singing (not counting live release One Cold Winter’s Night). Kamelot has always succeeded at making their music a beautiful combination of melody and metal guitar. The only thing missing from the new CD is the interludes they had on the others but they weren’t all that special. I always loved how Kamelot’s songs focus on the powerful vocals of Khan and these songs are no different.

The first full track on the CD, “Rule the World,” is a great song to start the CD with because it is upbeat and exciting. “Ghost Opera” is one of the two best non-ballad songs on the CD. It has a Phantom of the Opera feel to it that makes it fun to listen to multiple times. The background singing complements Khan perfectly. “The Human Stain” is heavy on electronic bass that makes it stand out from the rest of the songs on the CD. The combination of piano and heavy electronic bass is exceedingly refreshing. The song also has a nice touch because, while the lyrics are talking about the ticking of a clock, you hear ticking in the background of the song. “Blücher” is a strange song on the CD. It isn’t particularly bad but it’s overshadowed by the other, more interesting songs. The synthesized voices during parts of it are a little irritating to me and the use of military sounds in the background, where appropriate, help set it apart at least somewhat.

“Love You to Death” is by far the most beautiful and touching song on the entire CD. It starts out as what seems like a ballad and, while it stays that way throughout the entire song, it adds in a good amount of bass for the second half. The female vocalist who joins Khan in “Love You to Death” is absolutely phenomenal and adds a ton of emotion to the already powerful voice of Khan. “Love You to Death” is even more moving and powerful than “Abandoned,” my previous favorite Kamelot song. “Up Through the Ashes” is a powerful song that uses the story of Christ’s Passion to strengthen the power felt by the listeners. The story of the Passion fits perfectly with the refrain, “Raise me up from through the ashes, take me on into the light,” which works on the symbolism used by the Catholic Church. It is as if the singer is next to Jesus on the cross and asking for some sort of redemption.

“Mourning Star” is interesting because it starts out with a Gregorian chant. The refrain is particularly beautiful because Khan once again does a duet with a female vocalist. “Silence of the Darkness” has a feel similar to “Ghost Opera” and “Up through the Ashes”. It is also one of the shorter songs on the CD. I can totally feel the power of Khan’s voice and the guitar. “Anthem” is the other ballad on the CD and, unlike “Love You to Death,” stays slow throughout the entire song. “Anthem” is absolutely beautiful from start to finish with beautiful strings and piano backing up Khan. The lyrics express emotions every person feels at some point, the lost feeling many encounter while searching for their path. The lyrics wisely suggest that prayer and self application are the best tools a person can use to understand life.

“Edenecho” is a fitting end to the CD. It is a powerful song about a man searching for his love who has lost him. One of the best parts of this CD is that all the songs tell a story so the songs have much more meaning. With a genre that can sound all the same, it is refreshing to have Kamelot put such variety in their music. The many different styles of music keep the CD fresh from beginning to end and bring in listeners who wouldn’t otherwise consider themselves into metal. Kamelot’s Ghost Opera is by far their best and likely the best metal CD ever created.

Top Songs:
1. Anthem
2. Ghost Opera
3. Love You to Death


Final Score: 10/10