Steerpike
11-18-2005, 09:46 PM
Wow. We're into the fourth chapter now. I wonder how much longer I can keep this up? Oh well. We'll just wait and see.
We have to give a quick glance back at our previous chapter for nostlagia's sake, and then we'll get started.
Candlemass - The Godfathers of Doom (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=392118)
Blue Oyster Cult - Dark Visionaries and Satirists (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=394772)
Rhapsody - Journey to the Enchanted Lands (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=397321)
Gamma Ray - Kai Hansen Still Rules (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=400025)
Warren Zevon - One of the Good Dead Ones (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=402849)
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Dark Queen of Goth Rock (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=405520)
Halloween Special, Part I: Mercyful Fate - Quake with Fear! (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=407685)
Halloween Special, Part II: King Diamond - Hail to the King! (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=408105)
The Atomic Bitchwax - Rock Is Not Dead (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=410200)
Firewind - Gus G Still Goin' Strong (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=412807)
See? Just a quick jog down memory lane.
Biography
I believe I mentioned this at some other point, but certain geographic locations seem to be conducive to musical movements. Seattle, Gothenburg, Washington D.C., and so on. But one particular American region is famous for its production of quality metal: Florida. The Tampa area specifically. It's home to Death, Deicide, Savatage, Iced Earth, and among the recent contenders, Kamelot.
The group originally formed in 1991 with Thomas Youngblood (guitars) and Glenn Barry (bass) who had been jamming together for a while. They worked with Mark Vanderbilt (vocals) and Richard Warner (drums) to release a demo album and do some local gigging to earn a fanbase. Power metal never had it that easy in America, so as you can imagine the going was pretty rough.
Their debut album Eternity was well-received in the underground, but was far surpassed by the follow-up, Dominion. Not bad, avoiding second album syndrome.
Of course, it seems this was all just a prelude. The band didn't actually get their break until they split with Vanderbilt and Warner in 1997. In need of new musicians, they first picked up drummer Casey Grillo. While looking for a new singer, they found Roy Khan who had been looking for new work since has band Conception split earlier that same year. Roy would have a demanding job ahead of him as frontman for a band as bombastic as Kamelot. To test his courage and dedication, the band told him he had one test to pass after rehearsal: skydiving. The four musicians all went skydiving together, and Kamelot had their new line-up.
Without a moment to waste, they embarked on a new European tour and dove right back into the studio when it was over to record Siege Perilous. The new line-up was truly a blessing, and the synergy even at this early stage was obvious.
Their break-out album came the next year however. Roaring into the American and European metal scene came The Fourth Legacy. Kamelot allowed their sound to evolve and branch out while still remaining true to form. They would clearly bo a force to be reckoned with.
Though the next two studio albums, Karma and Epica, were doubtlessly brilliant, they didn't enjoy the same amount of marketing that The Fourth Legacy did. The music was becoming more complex and intricate, so it was also a little less accessible. Lyrically speaking, Epica was an ambitious concept album based on the novel "Faustus" by J.W. von Goethe.
This concept was continued in their latest album, The Black Halo. The Black Halo has proved to be another hit for the band, getting heaped with praise from reviewers and fans alike and enjoying a commercial success comparable with The Fourth Legacy. It truly shows the experimental nature of the band as they delve into the dark reaches of their imagination, even recruiting guest artists including Shagrath of Dimmu Borgir and Jen Johansson of Stratovarius, who provided their talents for the opening track, March of Mephisto.
The band is currently finishing up the last leg of their tour for support of the album, supported by the up-and-coming power metal group Seven Witches, and Goth metal newcomers Epica (of whom their lead vocalist, Simone Simons, provided guest vocals on for The Black Halo). This weekend also includes them headlining at Quebec's International Metal Fest. It's a pretty exciting year, isn't it?
And to think, so many people out there think that American metal is dead. :rolleyes:
Official Web Site (http://www.kamelot.com/main_en_mephisto.htm)
We have to give a quick glance back at our previous chapter for nostlagia's sake, and then we'll get started.
Candlemass - The Godfathers of Doom (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=392118)
Blue Oyster Cult - Dark Visionaries and Satirists (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=394772)
Rhapsody - Journey to the Enchanted Lands (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=397321)
Gamma Ray - Kai Hansen Still Rules (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=400025)
Warren Zevon - One of the Good Dead Ones (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=402849)
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Dark Queen of Goth Rock (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=405520)
Halloween Special, Part I: Mercyful Fate - Quake with Fear! (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=407685)
Halloween Special, Part II: King Diamond - Hail to the King! (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=408105)
The Atomic Bitchwax - Rock Is Not Dead (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=410200)
Firewind - Gus G Still Goin' Strong (http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=412807)
See? Just a quick jog down memory lane.
Biography
I believe I mentioned this at some other point, but certain geographic locations seem to be conducive to musical movements. Seattle, Gothenburg, Washington D.C., and so on. But one particular American region is famous for its production of quality metal: Florida. The Tampa area specifically. It's home to Death, Deicide, Savatage, Iced Earth, and among the recent contenders, Kamelot.
The group originally formed in 1991 with Thomas Youngblood (guitars) and Glenn Barry (bass) who had been jamming together for a while. They worked with Mark Vanderbilt (vocals) and Richard Warner (drums) to release a demo album and do some local gigging to earn a fanbase. Power metal never had it that easy in America, so as you can imagine the going was pretty rough.
Their debut album Eternity was well-received in the underground, but was far surpassed by the follow-up, Dominion. Not bad, avoiding second album syndrome.
Of course, it seems this was all just a prelude. The band didn't actually get their break until they split with Vanderbilt and Warner in 1997. In need of new musicians, they first picked up drummer Casey Grillo. While looking for a new singer, they found Roy Khan who had been looking for new work since has band Conception split earlier that same year. Roy would have a demanding job ahead of him as frontman for a band as bombastic as Kamelot. To test his courage and dedication, the band told him he had one test to pass after rehearsal: skydiving. The four musicians all went skydiving together, and Kamelot had their new line-up.
Without a moment to waste, they embarked on a new European tour and dove right back into the studio when it was over to record Siege Perilous. The new line-up was truly a blessing, and the synergy even at this early stage was obvious.
Their break-out album came the next year however. Roaring into the American and European metal scene came The Fourth Legacy. Kamelot allowed their sound to evolve and branch out while still remaining true to form. They would clearly bo a force to be reckoned with.
Though the next two studio albums, Karma and Epica, were doubtlessly brilliant, they didn't enjoy the same amount of marketing that The Fourth Legacy did. The music was becoming more complex and intricate, so it was also a little less accessible. Lyrically speaking, Epica was an ambitious concept album based on the novel "Faustus" by J.W. von Goethe.
This concept was continued in their latest album, The Black Halo. The Black Halo has proved to be another hit for the band, getting heaped with praise from reviewers and fans alike and enjoying a commercial success comparable with The Fourth Legacy. It truly shows the experimental nature of the band as they delve into the dark reaches of their imagination, even recruiting guest artists including Shagrath of Dimmu Borgir and Jen Johansson of Stratovarius, who provided their talents for the opening track, March of Mephisto.
The band is currently finishing up the last leg of their tour for support of the album, supported by the up-and-coming power metal group Seven Witches, and Goth metal newcomers Epica (of whom their lead vocalist, Simone Simons, provided guest vocals on for The Black Halo). This weekend also includes them headlining at Quebec's International Metal Fest. It's a pretty exciting year, isn't it?
And to think, so many people out there think that American metal is dead. :rolleyes:
Official Web Site (http://www.kamelot.com/main_en_mephisto.htm)