Review by Saxy S for Kamelot - The Awakening (2023)

Hindsight is going to be gracious for Kamelot this year because I did not expect much from The Awakening, but was pleasantly surprised. This new album seems to have refined a few quips that many noticed about the last record, The Shadow Theory, with how same-y it all sounded. An extended break between albums allowed for lackluster records from Within Temptation and Nightwish to drop uncontested and Kamelot knew better than to make those same mistakes.

The first half of this record is very good, from "The Great Divide" until "Midsummer's End". These tunes have variety and the choruses are well constructed and easily memorable. I was quite disappointed by how soft in the mix Tina Guo's cello is on their two features, especially "Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem).

The back half of the album is much more hit and miss. Tracks begin to blend together when they have the same tempo and style like "Bloodmoon" and "Nightsky"; which structurally sounds horrible when these two songs are back-to-back. "New Babylon" features some counterpoint vocals from Melissa Bonny and Simone Simons, which was nice to hear; the rest of the record does have harmony vocals as well, but it was a welcome change of pace when those backgrounds were by someone other than Tommy Karevik.

The album is bombastic and powerful (as it should be) and when it hits its moments, Kamelot are firing on all cylinders. But the frequency in which these happen is not as frequent as I would have liked. It draws from Epica, but cannot perform its dynamic swells as concisely as an album such as Omega. A strong recommendation for fans of symphonic power metal, but then it's up to you to pick out the eye opening moments.

Best Songs: The Great Divide, One More Flag in the Ground, The Looking Glass, New Babylon, My Pantheon (Forevermore)