Reviews list for Kamelot - The Fourth Legacy (1999)

Released in 2000, 'The Fourth Legacy' is the album which saw Kamelot rise to prominence as one of power metals most popular bands of the new millennium. Following on from 1998's 'Siege Perilous', which saw the debut of vocalist Roy Khan, the band's sound was starting to incorporate a heavy use of keyboards, which added some exotic and middle-eastern touches to the music.

The production has been massively improved upon as well, and it's this which has ushered in a new era for Kamelot. With a polished sound which does justice to the atmosphere and sense of storytelling the band are trying to set, 'The Fourth Legacy' shows a huge step up in quality over its predecessors. The musicianship is also much more confident than before. With faster, galloping riffs intertwined with some interesting keyboard melodies, the group are certainly headed in the right direction in all aspects but one...

Unfortunately, the compositions themselves are still a mixed bag. While there's some instant classics in the form of 'Until Kingdom Come', 'The Fourth Legacy', 'The Shadow of Uther' and 'The Inquisitor', the rest are fairly average at best. Certainly not anything overly memorable when compared to the bands later output.

'The Fourth Legacy' is a huge leap forward from the bands prior work though, and while it still has its flaws, they're mostly overshadowed by the huge improvements in production and musicianship. At best, I could only say it's a decent album, but better things are definitely on the horizon.

Kamelot is one of the world's best and most notable acts in the power metal scene.  Their most famous albums, Epica and The Black Halo, are considered to be among the greatest albums in the world.  But Kamelot needed some practice before they got as good as they became.  After three albums nobody cared about, their fourth album marked a new age for the band, as they had proven that they had learned how to be true artists.

Kamelot is able to do several things at once on this album, making this one of their most artistic and outgoing.  Taking occasionally worldy influences and mingling with the power metal isn't an easy thing to pull off.  Most bands make it cheesy, but for Kamelot it's clearly natural.  And there aren't many power metal songs as badass and dark as "Silent Goddess," which carries the dark and mythological vibe from the title track like it was nothing.  Kamelot's strongest point is consistency without getting monotonous, and it shows on all of their best albums.  This album seems to thrive on it.  And the lyrics are not just mythical and empowering, but deep and sometimes romantic.  The imagery here is remarkable.  And when they're not riffing away in a monster of a power metal song, their riffs are very intriguing and catchy at the same time, with a great example being the opening riff of "The Inquisitor."

The ironic turn off for some Kamelot fans is that it's not as heavy as a power metal album should be, which is understandable, but it's still heavier than Holy Land and it does practically everything I expect from a perfect album correctly regardless of this oversight.  Honestly, I'd say this is an underrated album which should be up with Kamelot's giants, as well as other power metal giants.

Seeing a review appear here for this album made me remember what a brilliant power metal band Kamelot still is. They're part of my personal power metal Big 4 alongside DragonForce, Power Quest, Dragonland that has shaped my like for the genre and metal in general. Despite moving away from most of power metal, I know my metal taste wouldn't have been how it is today without those bands. They'll forever be my never-forgotten heroes! And this is the first of 4 albums that would prove Kamelot's worth....

1999 was power metal's pinnacle year, along with the year I was born. DragonForce and Dragonland were formed, Freedom Call released their debut, and Rhapsody (of Fire) already had two masterpieces. While Kamelot only had their breakthrough 5 years after, The Fourth Legacy is what allowed this band to ride the notable tide of the genre.

The grand keyboard-symphonic intro "New Allegiance" is a bit pompous for me now, but I still like it. Great hint at their later symphonics! Then the power metal action bursts in with the energetic title track. The amazing singing by Roy Khan speaks of Viking adventures, and there's a Latin choir in the bridge, a first for the band at that time. Epic for an opening full song! Then more variation comes in the mystical "Silent Goddess", showing more of a storytelling side in the lyrics.

"Desert Reign" is an interlude where keyboards reign supreme again, this time conjuring a scene from BC Arabia or Al-Kharid (from RuneScape). I liked the Eastern music-metal crossovers better in my power metal teens, but it still sounds cool. Then it segues to a nostalgic favorite of mine, "Nights of Arabia", continuing the Middle-Eastern themes and reliving the story of Shahrazad. The female vocals by Cinzia Rizzo mark the first of many guest vocalists Kamelot would have over the years. The keyboards are still dominant in the more upbeat highlight "The Shadow of Uther", adapting King Arthur's legend. The haunting love ballad, "A Sailorman's Hymn" is an emotional tear-jerker.

The catchy "Alexandria" explores another legendary character, Alexander the Great. That song and "The Inquisitor" has more progressiveness present in their writing, and it's really great, especially in the latter song that helps builds the album's strength. The history of Crusades is looked back upon in another heartfelt ballad "Glory", which isn't the best of the bunch, but it certainly beats the similar "Bard's Song" by Blind Guardian. The agitated "Until Kingdom Come" stands out with powerful keyboards similar to what Sonata Arctica would have with their debut the same year, and what Freedom Call wish they would have. Well, Kamelot would not have a full-time keyboardist until after The Black Halo. The cyber-synth-powered progressive 6-minute epic "Lunar Sanctum" is one of the best album closers for Kamelot!

All in all, The Fourth Legacy is a h*lla amazing power metal album and it came at the right time when the genre was really rising. And I already knew that 15 years after that year, when I was 15. Such great memories back then of the impact power metal received on the year I was born. A progressive-ish power metal must-have!

Favorites: "The Fourth Legacy", "Nights of Arabia", "The Shadow of Uther", "The Inquisitor", "Until Kingdom Come", "Lunar Sanctum"