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Tracklist
1. Solitaire
2. Rule the World
3. Ghost Opera
4. The Human Stain
5. Blücher
6. Love You to Death
7. Up Through the Ashes
8. Mourning Star
9. Silence of the Darkness
10. Anthem
11. EdenEcho
12. The Pendulous Fall" (limited edition bonustrack)
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‘Ghost Opera’ is the eighth studio album from power metal outfit Kamelot, formed in 1991 in the famous Tampa, Florida death metal scene. You may or may not be familiar with Kamelot’s previous material, so this reviewer will stick to judging ‘Ghost Opera’ on its own merits. Kamelot may not be what you'd expect from the Florida death metal scene that spawned such greats as Morbid Angel but it is definitely a metal band. What you will get from Kamelot is Smooth Geoff Tate inspired vocals, heavy double bass rhythm, and scale ridden guitar riffs layered with big brass orchestra in a truly grand fashion.
'Ghost Opera' is an album where everything is done in a big way. The vocals are big, the drums are big, the solos are huge and there is even an orchestra involved (though I'm not sure if it’s synthesized or not). Reminiscent of Queensryche, Kamelot is not surprisingly doing really well in Europe.
As far as the songs on 'Ghost Opera' some highlights are ‘Up From the Ashes’ which starts with a double bass drum and orchestra brass intro, then smooth, menacing vocals creep in as the song builds up into the inevitable big chorus with choir accompaniment. ‘Anthem’ is a piano ballad with a great melody that sounds almost like it is taken from a classic musical. The title track ‘Ghost Opera’ skips all the business of an intro and goes immediately into the high octave guitar solo and big chorus of the song, then calms down into a heavy, rhythmic verse before kicking back into the chorus. Kamelot is not turning any new corners but they are damn good at what they do. The musicianship is amazing and entertaining enough to keep the listeners attention throughout the classical inspired opus that is ‘Ghost Opera’.
Review by: Colette Claire
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