Review by Rexorcist for Kamelot - The Fourth Legacy (1999)

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.