ETERNITY

Walking in the path of a maiden

"Eternity" takes us back to where it all began for Kamelot. This is therefore the first of just two albums by them to feature Mark Vanderbilt on vocals, as he and drummer Richard Warner would quickly move on after the recording of the following "Dominion".

While the music here may not be that which now defines the band, there are nevertheless strong indications of their potential. The symphonic intro to the opening title track for example offers the reassurance that the band are confident enough to embellish what would otherwise be a straightforward rock/metal number.

The sound is that of Iron Maiden and the myriad of bands who have followed in their path. Vanderbilt has a strong voice which is suited perfectly to the style the band adopt here. His delivery is very much in the Bruce Dickinson way as he delivers suitably imaginative lyrics. The track actually has a reasonably prog structure, but while the guitar work of Thomas Youngblood is impressive, it is very much in the multiple notes to the second vein of the metal style.

Despite some rather predictable sound effects, "Call of the sea" is one of the album's highlights, the powerful anthemic riff supporting some fine guitar work and a compulsive hook. "Red sands" also shows a willingness to develop a track beyond the simplicity of its basic structure, perhaps not to the extent of becoming a prog epic, but the softer core of the song makes for a pleasing diversion.

The tracks are all of a similar pattern in terms of composition and arrangement, each falling within a narrow 4-6 minute running rime. Personally, I would have liked to have heard a bit more variety, especially in terms of the guitar soloing and the under exploited keyboards. Towards the end of the album, we do finally find that variety. "What about me" is a well constructed rock ballad with fine acoustic instrumentation over orchestral keyboards. A brief acoustic guitar and flute (sound) interlude "Etude Jongleur" link this to the final track "The Gleeman" which returns us to the substance of the album.

Overall, this is a highly competent first album from a band who would go on to greater things. Recommended for those who enjoy melodic metal.

Eternity is Kamelot´s debut album. I have read much about Kamelot since the mid-nineties but only listened to a few songs here and there at friends houses and on online radiostations. With a name like Kamelot I always assumed they were a fully fledged euro power metal band of the german school ( Helloween, Gamma Ray etc.). I see now that I was wrong in my assumptions and it´s good that I have given Kamelot a chance to prove me wrong as this album is really good.

The music does have some euro power metal tendencies ( double bass drums) in the influence from classical music, but there are more traditional heavy metal tendencies and a few progressive metal tendencies here than power metal IMO. Bands like Iron Maiden and especially Queensrÿche ( just listen to Call of the Sea and you´ll know what I mean) have not lived in vain. The singer on Eternity Mark Vanderbilt has a very strong voice that sometimes sounds like Geoff Tate ( Queensrÿche) and sometimes remind me of Bruce Dickinson ( (Iron Maiden). Besides the really strong vocals you should also notice the really excellent, raw and melodic guitar playing from Thomas Youngblood.

The songs are of equal high quality throughout the album but the title track which opens the album is my favorite. It´s such a heavy song.

The musicianship is excellent. Everything works here.

The production is really good. The guitars have bite which is something that is sadly missing from many heavy metal productions.

The cover artwork is a bit boring and again I´m deceived into believing this is a euro power metal album.

Now with all the good things I have said about Eternity why do I only give it 3 stars ? Well first of all this is not very original music and I must say that I think the album does get a bit trivial towards the end. Song for song this is a great album, but the style just bore me a bit over the course of a whole album. With that said I did consider giving Eternity 4 stars for a long while but decided that it´s a big 3 star album for me in the end.

What About Me?

Most people, I suppose, (including this reviewer), got to know Kamelot from one of their later albums featuring Roy Khan on vocals, and only later, if at all, went backwards chronologically in the band's discography to investigate the band's earlier efforts. When doing so, one immediately notices how different the band's first two albums are from what came thereafter.

Eternity was Kamelot's debut release and it sounds quite different from what one would expect after hearing the group's later efforts. Even though Kamelot is an American band, the sound here is very much that of the so-called New Wave of British Heavy Metal, particularly Iron Maiden comes to mind. Vocalist Mark Vanderbilt reminds very much of Bruce Dickinson and also of Queensryche's Geoff Tate.

There were some minor symphonic and Neo-classical elements already present, though nothing here is particularly progressive. The musical connections to later albums is rather weak, but there were already here some hints and indication of things to come including the symphonic introduction to the opening title track, the tasteful power ballad What About Me, and the acoustic guitars and keyboard sounds.

The material is strong keeping in mind that this is a debut album. The musicianship is highly professional already and I definitely enjoy this album, even more so than many more recent Kamelot albums. Yet, one cannot deny that the band's best efforts were still ahead of them at this point in time. Fans of Iron Maiden and early Queensryche should check this out.

Kamelot first album named Eternity from 1995 is without doubt my fav Kamelot album together with The forth legacy, no matter what other said and think this is a pretty solid debut. I know this band since this album hit the shelves and I was quite impressed back then as now. The music offered is something between Queensryche (The warning, Rage for order era) with hints from Crimson Glory or even from Conception (being contemporary with Kamelot) - Kamelot later on got the excelent vocalist Roy Khan from the norwegians. A mixed of heavy/melodic power metal with progressive metal tendencies, the result is great IMO. No weak moments here, in fact on this album are quite fantastic pieces, where the guitar of Thomas Youngblood really shines, he is one of my fav guitarists ever, what he done here and later on with the band is impressive. Pieces like Black tower, Proud nomad, Call of the Sea, One of the haunted, the beautiful both lyricaly and musicaly What About Me show a very big potential in musicianship and in ideas. To me was not another american power metal band back then, even the voice of Mark Vanderbilt who is very much in Geoff Tate zone, done some fantastic vocal lines. Maybe I'm little biased here but I love this album since the beggining and I have a soft spot for it. So, to me easy 4 stars, better then Dominum their follow up and in same league with the rest to come. Very eficient progressive/power metal for fans of Queensryche, Crimson Glory, Mercury Risisng. I was really shocked how low rated this album is here as on other prog pages.