Metal Reviews

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Good review, and good to see you back, Thomas! Will give this album another try based on your review.

He's quite right, actually. It really is a good album, just takes some time to grow.

It might be because nowadays me has a profound distaste for almost everything Kamelot does but couldn't get into this at all. Songs have no flow.

Upon first listen it was rather boring. I'm hoping you guys are right and it's a grower. Even though I don't mind the new direction I still find myself missing the soaring choruses of Epica and Karma.

+1

I have listened to this album three times so far and
If I should quote it, it would get a low 40's score. To me this is unworthy of Kamelot, their worst album hands down and it doesn't grow just yet. I will give further listens if I can bear them b4 entering a quote of my own. Except a couple of songs and some moments I find this album slow, mellow and borderline boring.

The review makes me
Want to give it another chance but I'm unsure it will change my opinion. And it will never be nowhere near 8X/100 in my book. At least I highly doubt it (never say never).

Anyway, just my 2 cents
Chris

I don't understand what the hell you guys expect from this band. Deal with the fact that they'll never release anything up to par with Epica or The Black Halo. It's a brilliant album for what it is, nothing more, nothing less, and extremely enjoyable.

A low 40's score for this would be ridiculous, the song-writing is excellent and the performance altogether is worth a 70 alone. The way above average power metal put on display here justifies a a score in the eighties.

I'll never understand the ones who praise whatever Edguy, Avantasia, Stratovarius or Sonata Arctica do, no matter what it is, and for some reason do not enjoy a brilliant album like Poetry for the Poisoned. As I mentioned here and in the review, lower your bar a little. They showed with Ghost Opera that they were heading in a more straight-forward direction, and this is further proof of just that. It's damn good.

It took me about 7-8 spins to like it, so I understand the disappointment early on, but it'll grow. Give it time.

imo the songwriting is terrible. The choruses come out of nowhere. They don't flow out of what comes before them in any coherent way. They aren't a climax or a release of tension; they're just the part where Khan starts singing something memorable. Then there's stuff like The Zodiac where instead of writing a break that has anything to do with the rest of the song, they just go quiet, throw in a guitar solo, then go back to the chorus.

Worse yet it took me like 3-4 listens before I even noticed a riff.

I listened the album today, and my first impression is that PftP is indeed, one of the worst Kamelot albums, around 50-60. Not gonna say it THE worst, that goes for Eternity or Dominion, pre-Khan albums. This more "straight-forward" direction sucks, doesn't fit Kamelot nor Khan's voice. I know they're not gonna release Karma or Epica again, but this is unworthy of Kamelot, like Chris said. It's one of my deceptions of the year. Thankfully, the new Labyrinth is really good!

I've said it before: This is my favorite Kamelot album. Most of their stuff is overrated as hell, but this is just so completely different from anything they've done before that it really did catch my by surprise with how good it was.

I don't really see the changes that everyone is talking about. This is more or less the same path they've been on for a few albums now. It's a good album, I've certainly spun it a number of times. There's really strong tracks like Hunter's Season, as mentioned in the review. I also really like The Zodiac, Necropolis, and Seal of Woven Years. The Great Pandemonium is also pretty damn sweet.

Once Upon a Time and Thespian Drama are good as well.

I prefer their more upbeat and catchier songs. This album seems to have more of that and less of the ballads and slower songs... Which is awesome.

Honestly I really like the whole album. I dock it points because it's not really a step in any certain direction with Kamelot. Other than that, I'd say a must buy for fans. I don't see what people are crying about.



What do you mean?



Those are the types of people who insist that Mayhem is like the only black metal band and all that shit.



Epica is alright but it's really pretty generic power metal. Better than their earlier stuff.

Pssh. Generic power metal? It's extremely awesome power metal. Don't you claim to not really like the genre? I'll take your little lecture with about 100 grains of salt.

The first couple times I listened to the albums I only really noticed the guitar during the quiet parts, playing chords in the background, or solos. Giving it another chance b/c of this review I noticed a decent riff in The Great Pandemonium (after the boring chuggy intro but before Roy starts talking). I try to be open-minded and not pidgeonhole bands because of their genre, but one thing I think is necessary for a metal album not to suck is a plethora of awesome riffs that jump out at me and grab my attention. Metal is a guitar-centered genre and on this album or the new Dimmu Borgir song, the guitar is relegated to a backing instrument (except during solos) which is just wrong. There was some cool guitar stuff like the wah pedalled funky part in the verse of The Great Pandemonium and the arpeggios in one of the quieter songs tho.

You mad

Noods... I like the guitar work a lot on this album but I agree it sounds like it's almost been placed in the backround. Everything else seems to overpower it just a bit.

Great just great not the typical responses I wanted to see since I haven't gotten this in yet

Don't worry Helloween is making a new album

Just got this yesterday and I actually think it's pretty good overall!

The main thing that is bothering me though is the too gentle guitar tone. It seems to lack bite and is way lower in the mix than most of today's metal albums. I noticed this on Ghost Opera as well compared the guitars on The Black Halo which sounded much fuller.

Anyone else notice this? This is really taking away from my enjoyment of the album.

All you guys that claim this album suck, just check out Pathfinder's album that also got reviewed this week. Totally awesome band that reminds alot of old Kamelot.

You're deaf, Pathfinder is quite different from early Kamelot. It's a very good band though, one of the surprises of the year.