THE FOURTH LEGACY

This early release by Kamelot creates the rubber stamp that the symphonic-power-prog-metal band has used on each of its follow up albums to date. Normally this comment might be criticism, but Kamelot is very very good at crafting artful examples of this genre, and Fourth Legacy sets the stage. Their brand of soaring/dramatic/orchestral/romantic/angsty metal may cause some to turn up their noses, but even if you think Kamelot is derivative, light-weight, or cheesy, its hard to argue that the band is just plain a blast to listen to - Fourth Legacy is no exception.

The album starts with a symphonic intro, then drops us into the rip-roaring title track which opens the album with a grandiose momentum and melody. The interplay of instrumental virtuosity, appealing riffs and melodies, and Khan's incredibly easy-on-the-ear vocals start things off right. Outstanding guitar work by the incredibly consistent Youngblood will get your energy level up and the double-bass onslaught of Grillo's drumming will get your foot tapping. Great stuff that continues through the first half of the album, culminating in the heavily nuanced and orchestrated "Nights of Arabia." The band slows things down here and there, but for the most part each song is a bite-sized, fist-pumping, uplifting sing-along example power metal excellence. The song writing accomplishes quite a bit, considering that songs run about 4-5 minutes in length, but is not as ambitious as we'll see them attempt later. Barry gives some some fat bass riffing, easily identifiable thanks to the album's squeaky clean production, Miro's keyboard contributions add that layer of class (and camp) that elevates the band's sound to be more than simple metal shredding. The album closes as powerfully as it began with the outstanding "Lunar Sanctum," which features a slow build to the wonderfully epic conclusion.

While still an early album for Kamelot, Fourth Legacy is of consistently high quality and a worthy purchase for those interested in the band. If you like metal music with clean vocals and production, minimal instrumental excess but great playing, and a bit of heavy-handedness in the lyrics, it doesn't get much better than Kamelot, and the Fourth Legacy. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because it's so much fun.

Songwriting: 3 - Instrumental Performances: 4 - Lyrics/Vocals: 3 - Style/Emotion/Replay: 4