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Customer Reviews of Karma

Previous reviews have included Freedom Call, Sonata Arctica, Dark Moor, Thy Majestie and Secret Sphere. Kamelot will complete the hexagon of top bands in this sub genre and the good news is, believe it or not, they are from America. Down in the back yard of the current Super Bowl Champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Maybe that's why they play swashbuckling Heroic music. It's a shame that their record label and most of their following is overseas.

What's that you say? I left off Rhapsody. Yes I know. They play their self described "Hollywood Metal", Italiano. Plus, It's my list, you can do your own.

Karma

Karma is the fifth of six studio albums released by Kamelot. It has been out for a couple years so if you're into this kind of music you probably own it. Therefore, this review is for the stragglers (there's always some), the fence sitters and the non-believers, if they haven't clicked off yet and the ever curious.

Before I start I would like to say a little something about the sub-genre. I have the feeling that many people think Epic Power Metal is an offshoot or a little brother of Death, Black or Doom Metal. This is absolutely untrue, I'm too old for anything that smacks of Death Metal and if I were younger I still doubt if I would like it.

Now there are different versions of Power Metal as well. My favorite bands are the ones that introduce a symphonic element, sometimes with choirs into their music. Kamelot is such a band and I am visibly impressed by their larger than life sound, so let's talk about Kamelot, shall we?

Kamelot was formed in 1991 and released their first album, Eternity four years later. Their lineup has changed slightly since then and has been greatly enhanced by the addition of ex-Conception singer, Roy Kahn, who is one of the best pure singers around. In 2003 they released their sixth album called Epica, which I will review at a future date.

I'm glad to tout an American band for a change for I'm afraid most young American musicians have abandoned heavy metal. I once read a statement by someone unknown, that has turned out to be very true, "Heavy Metal didn't die, it just emigrated to Europe".

Now this music is starting to come back to us in various sub-genres, via Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation, In Flames, Nightwish, Therion, Rhapsody, Sonata Arctica and others with a delicious exotic European seasoning.

Whereas, I warned readers that Blind Guardian, Evergrey and a couple other groups would take multiple plays to get used to and appreciate, this is NOT the case with Karma. I believe alternative, rock and pop affectionados could jump right in on Karma and dig it right away. Maybe thats because it's an Americanized version of Epic Power Metal but I think it's because Roy Kahn is a popular music style singer and the music really isn't all that much different from that played on top twenty stations.

Other American bands with an European slant

Symphony X, Dream Theater, Shadow Gallery, Nicodemus, Arise From Thorns/Brave, Agalloch, Defyence

Fantastic, melodious, moving...they crank
Another band that satisfies my jones for hard driving, melody centered music, with progressive creativities. I admit, I am pathologically addicted to Symphony X, and now to Kamelot as well.

Karma is all over the place, slow, fast, driving, pounding, epic sounding in some places. They are like the other bands I love, not ego driven, little gratuitous guitar thrashing, little bombastic showmanship that doesn't fit in the context of their overall music. Everything fits, they display teamwork, and there is no thrashing (thank heavens).

They never fall into the trap that so many guitar driven bands fall into (Rhapsody, or Malmsteen as an example), where guitar noise takes over and the melody and the message of the song gets lost in noise and pounding distorted technical playing. These guys just love music and it shows. Lots of interesting instruments, and different vocal interludes. And Khan simply cranks. King Khan is awesome!!

I love these guys. Karma is awesome,

VERY GOOD
I THOUGHT THIS WAS A EXCELLENT CD DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE LEAD SINGER KHAN,HAS AN EXCELLANT VOICE.THAT IS NO SMALL THING NOW THAT MOST OF THE POPULAR HARD DRIVING BANDS NOW HAVE SINGERS THAT CAN`T SING A LICK.GIVING AN EXAMPLE OF BAD BANDS OUT THERE ARE KORN AND SYSTEM OF THE DOWNOR DRONE IF YOU WILL.CHECK THESE GUYS OUT IF YOU ARE YOU ARE GETTING TIRED OF THE SAME OLD BS.THESE GUYS ROCK BUT CAN STILL GET MELLOW.CHECK OUT THE SONG DON`T YOU CRY,GREAT SONG.