Haven

This was a tricky one, borderline 5 stars. There were many really brilliant things about this album that made the deluxe version worth every penny. To get the obvious out of the way, the production was once again flawless from Kamelot and therefore like the previous few albums the sound quality was definitely impeccable.The album starts very confidently, the start of falling star reminded me of 'The Great Escape (song)' from SW and I wasn't disappointed at all, falling star was a great album opener instead of an orchestral track or a 'build up' track.The two singles that follow close after are 'Veil of Elysium' and 'Insomnia', Both were also really good songs but I preferred 'Veil of Elysium' because the solos in 'insomnia' just felt a bit forced to me.'Under Grey Skies' is quite frankly in my opinion the best ballad Kamelot have ever done, Charlotte (Delain) was a brilliant addition to the song because she has such a nice voice and I was also really exited to hear some folk elements courtesy of Troy Donockley from Nightwish which made this song one of my highlights of the album.'End of Innocence' , 'Beautiful Apocalypse' , 'Liar Liar' and 'Here's to the Fall' were all brilliant tracks that made the album thrilling for the whole length where many mainstream albums would use up all their best songs at the start and trail off toward the end. In my opinion, the use of the title track as an orchestral album closer was cool, it was a soft and emotive piece as the credits roll (sort of thing).Tommy's voice sounded really good in the album, I also found him to be doing a few more Roy Khan-esqe sort of things with his voice like the use of vibrato and falsetto at times, because of this, Tommy is no longer like a new member to Kamelot when I listen to him. Because of his own unique style in addition to the few adaptations he has made, I think he now sounds really natural in the band. (That and just the fact that he also has an amazing sounding voice)I am really happy about the deluxe version giving the instrumentals as well some orchestral versions and acoustic versions of songs, these are always great to listen to, I really enjoyed the less heavy version of 'Veil of Elysium'.The reason why I didn't give a five star rating is that I found 'Citizen Zero' and 'Insomnia' to be quite similar to the other tracks except not quite as amazing which is why in an album full of 10/10 tracks, it is good to have a bit more variety instead of good tracks like the two I have mentioned that don't quite have the same effect as others.To conclude, I really do think that 'Haven' is worth ever penny because of how many great songs there are, another stellar effort from the band and it sounds really good for the whole length of the album, there is no filler material at all. I would say this and Black Halo are my favourite releases to date. Enjoy!

After the really strong comeback that was Silverthorn, I was very intrested to see where Kamelot went from there. The end result is one of the strongest Kamelot albums since the double whammy of Epica/The Black Halo.This album really builds on the more symphonic and softer sound of Silverthorn, with very well blended ochestral pieces. Tommy Karevik vocal's really shine on this album, and he sounds a lot more confident in his vocal delivery on this album. This album is quite different lyrically with an almost Sci-Fi feel, rather than the more fantasical lyrics of most of the previous albums. It actually works really well, with songs like Citizen Zero and Beautiful Apocalypse having a dissonent sound quite unlike anything Kamelot have ever done.The two stand out tracks for me are Insomnia and Under Grey Skies. Insomnia is probably the most 'metal' sounding song on this album, with churning guitars and Tommy giving a commanding vocal dilvery thats powerful and angsty without descending into whining.Under Grey Skies is the best ballard Kamelot have ever done, and one of their best ever songs. The guitars are dropped down in the mix and the ochestra adds some highlights but this song is all about the vocals. I'm not familar with Delain but Charlotte gives an amazing vocal preformance on this song, as does Tommy. There's so much power and sadness in this preformance that's beautiful to listen to.Another plus is that this album has really good production. So many metal albums of late sound ok when listening to mp3's on headphones, but the second you put them on a decent Hi-Fi they sound awful. Haven avoids this trap and they have found a balance where is sounds good on pretty much everything from mp3 to Hi-Fi's. I recommend listening to his on a hi-end sound system if you can because you get some amazing sutble tones that don't quite come across on mp3 or on lower end equipment.I find the album runs out of steam a little by the end - the strongest songs are all definatelty in the first part of the album, but it's never to the point that it outstay's it welcome. The ending instrumental is also a really nice touch.I have a few minor niggles - the album lacks a lot of guitar leads and solo's, which does mean the album lacks dynamics, and the drums are barely noticable on most of the songs, which does mean that the album has a whole lacks some punch. But it's a beautifully crafted piece of work and well recommened for old and new fans alike

Really good album but songs are not as awesome as Silverthorn but there still good and worth buying.

I am a huge Kamelot fan and have been for years, but it's not my bias talking when I say that this is one of the best albums they have ever done. It's not your typical record where some songs stand out and others are filler - every single song is absolutely on point, and all five members are at the top of their game. The songwriting maintains that familiar Kamelot sound, but is still very fresh, and singer Tommy Karevik, who seems a lot freer and more established in this album than he did in Silverthorn, adds a generous dose of Seventh Wonder-ness to the proceedings. The guest musicians, Charlotte Wessels of Delain, Troy Donockley of Nightwish, and established Kam family member Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy are all used to great effect, particularly the latter, who absolutely shines in Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy) and Revolution, two of the heavier tracks on the album.I could not recommend this album more, not just to anyone who loves melodic metal, but to anyone who loves good music. It's an emotional journey from start to finish, masterfully crafted and executed. It's early days still, and it's going to take time for these songs to truly find a place in my heart, given my deep love for Kamelot's back catalogue (particularly the classics Epica and The Black Halo), but it's been two days and I already do love them, and I am certain that, with repeated listens, I will grow to love them just as much as I love the older songs. I already cannot wait to hear them played live!My rating - 97/100.

Excellent album

Todo llego en tiempo y forma, sobre todo el precio muy bueno

☆が6個あれば、そう評価してた。kamelotのアルバムでもベスト3の中に入るくらい好き。アリッサとの曲のrevolutionはかなり良い。他にも良い曲多し。

It has been a long 3 years since the excellent Tommy Karevik debut (Silverthorn) with Kamelot and so Haven comes with much anticipation for long-time fans. First impressions are important, and on that front this release sounds really good. In fact, these songs sound great. Where Silverthorn was deeply conceptual - both in presentation and in musical continuity - Haven is loosely conceptual (no storytelling here) yet musically no less intense. Actually, these songs are really heavy for Kamelot and this may be their most musically aggressive release since The Fourth Legacy. I love this band because they perfectly meld traditional power, symphonic and progressive metal in a way really not matched by anyone out there. And while the departure of Roy Khan was a big event, Tommy Karevik is the perfect replacement - he proved that on Silverthorn and once again demonstrates his vocal brilliance on this release. To me, the vocal mix is perfect, but the music takes on a much bigger role here which is positive.So there is no big story this time, but the songs do have a lyrical focus - with the brutality of the world around us and our own personal demons where do we go for a haven? There is no fantasy here - these are lyrics we can all relate to. In this regard "My Therapy" is a highlight for sure - "Come and take me off my daily dose of pain/take me off and shelter me." Yeah that.One of the great things about Kamelot is that they sound like Kamelot. This is a compliment of course and probably partly due to long-time producer Sascha Paeth who has been helping to steer the course of this band for over a decade. Sacha Paeth is to Kamelot what Paul O'Neill was to Savatage. So everything from the songwriting to the concept to the presentation to the media is brilliant. And let's not forget these very talented musicians. Youngblood has never been a shredder, yet he perfectly plays his part in this theater, along with drummer Casey Grillo who puts forth one of his best performances to date. In the tradition of cooperation, label mate Charlotte Wessels (Delain) lends her very capable voice in duet with Karevik on the melancholy "Under Grey Skies." Alissa White-Gluz contributes her harsh and melodic vocals on two of the strongest tracks here - "Liar Liar" and "Revolution." Her shrill vocals on these two tracks lends to the heavy nature of both the music and the lyrics. And the choral elements are still present as well so there are plenty of connections with prior works - it all comes together very well.Whereas the first part of the album is pretty much in the traditional Kamelot vein, the final four full length songs really make this album special because they are emotionally and musically intense - dark yet hopeful, the Kamelot paradox. "Here's To The Fall" is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that perfectly encapsulates the themes of the record and is followed by the climactic "Revolution" - one of the heaviest Kamelot tunes to date. Grillo's uncharacteristic four on the floor approach to the beat is a refreshing change-up from the 16th and 32nd note driven speed he so often delivers. The instrumental title track closes things out in cinematic fashion. Overall, while not quite as enthralling as the complex and emotional Silverthorn, Haven is an excellent follow-up and one of the heaviest Kamelot releases ever.This is the jewel case version but Napalm has released this in Mediabook edition with bonus instrumental CD, limited edition versions in earbook, canvas and wooden box versions (all with the 2 CDs) and finally an LP version. Sadly the limited edition versions were only released in 500 quantity counts and were directly sold from Napalm.

Kamelot est, depuis ses débuts, un très bon groupe qu'on devinait prometteur. Ils n'ont cessé d'avoluer jusqu'à leur grandiose "black halo"."Ghost Opera" et "poetry for the poisoned" qui suivirent étaient tout bons aussi, que ce soit clair. Cependant, pour moi, quelque chose était en train de changer. l'atmosphère des albums était différente. Puis, avec le départ de Khan, on aurait pu craindre pour l'avenir du groupe qui parvint à rebondir de la façon la plus étonnante avec Tommy Karevik au chant (seventh wonder), qui offrait une performance sans faille sur "silverthorn". Cet album était en soi un pari risqué : qu'allaient penser les fans?Rassurés par le succès de Silverthorn, le groupe semble avoir trouvé un nouveau souffle et offre, avec Haven, peut-être leur meilleur album à ce jour.On retrouve à nouveau des refrains impossibles à oublier, des rythmes emplis d'énergie, et un côté mélodieux toujours présent.L'apparition d'Alissa White-Glutz (the agonist, arch enemy) est parfaite sur le titre Liar Liar. Tantôt rageuse et sombre, pour offrir un final à vous donner des frissons par la beauté de sa voix sur la montée en intensité du titre. Bref...un album comme je les aime!