E t e r n i t y
E t e r n i t y
| 1. Eternity 2. Black Tower 3. Call of the Sea 4. Proud Nomand 5. Red Sands 6. One of the Hunted 7. Fire Within 8. Warbird 9. What About Me 10. Etude Longeur 11. The Gleeman |
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| There are literally legions of Crimson Glory fans on the planet,
that always wished there was just ...just one more CG disc with vocalist Midnight on it.
Well if you are one of those fans, then you might just be in luck. Although there were
only two "true" progressive metal Crimson Glory releases, there is a disc
lurking out there that is the next best thing. Enter Kamelot to come rescue the day. Vocalist Mark Vanderbilt is not just another Midnight soundalike, this guy is almost a clone. He's so close to Midnight in delivery sometimes that you will wonder if the two weren't seperated at birth. Its just another case of wondering how two vocalists could sound so much alike. This is of course a big plus, since I absolutely love Midnight's work, but unfortunately Vanderbilt overcopies the 'great one'. His voice lacks the delicate shadings and subtleties that was so enchanting and endearing in Midnight's vocals. All the little nuances that grasped the listener and forced them to pay attention. Mark goes for a more straightforward variation, that gets the job done, but with the high tone, it becomes slightly annoying after a little while, making Kamelot's music, amazing for the first few songs, but it starts to wear thin quickly and turns into more of an annoyance. Thomas Youngblood, the guitarist and main songwriter, must have realized Vanderbilt's potential in sounding like the now almost - legendary vocalist, for he styled the songs to mirror CG's style, and pull out every drop he could of that Midnight sound from Vanderbilt. The result is a batch of cuts, one short of a dozen, that are much more impressive as a whole album than individual songs. Youngblood's axeslinging skills are above competant. His playing style is interesting enough, with a bit of a noticable squeal at times, that helps put a different imprint on his riffs and runs. Still, even his playing sound mimics John Drenning's most of the time. The overall Kamelot sound is a mixture between Crimson Glory and Queensryche's edgier, harder material, but with a little medieval flair mixed in. Samples of ocean waves and the galloping of horses, set the mood. However, its the lyrics that truly set you inside the songs, and on "Eternity" there are tales of mystical black towers, dragons, crystals, knights and kings off in distant lands. |
| "Call of the Sea" strongly reminds me of Queensryche,
and is in the same kind of league as "Road to Madness" from The Warning. Strong,
soaring rhythm guitar work give the song an epic feel like the sprawling endless ocean.
The use of violin near the ending finishes the cut off on a very strong note, making this
one of the more solid songs on the album. "One of the Hunted" is driven by a
strong chorus and some glass shattering vocals by Vanderbilt. "Fire Within" is a
solid cut that is carried by a haunting guitar melody, that is the stand out quality of
the song. "What About Me" is absolutely my favorite song on the disc. It is an unleashing of pent up sorrow and dispair, a true cry from the heart. The chorus is silky smooth and very addictive. Of course it is a gentle ballad, with an almost lulling factor to it. The violin in the background, makes all the difference in the world, and helps create an epic atmosphere. He uses that Midnight quality to its fullest extent, to not shatter glasses this time, but to break your heart. Six stars and two thumbs up for "What About Me". "The Gleeman" is another good one, with a big chorus that gets that whole medieval feel going. The tight drum work and killer riffs spice up the center help seperate it from the other tunes on the cd. |
| Unfortunately, this disc, even with its obvious potential and
comparisions to a couple of the top bands in this genre, suffers from repetitiveness. The
songs simply do not vary in tempo or rhythm enough to make them stand on their own as
individuals, and even worse, with the kind of screeching vocals and heavy riffs that set
the basic standard of the music, this can become tedious and even irritating. The
fantastic ballad breaks up the disc a little and makes it easier to digest as a whole in
one sitting, but still its not enough. Even another ballad would have greatly helped the
overall flow of the cd. Still, you have to take what you can get, and even with the
sameness annoying factor, its great to listen to in moderation, especially during those
times when you just need a Crimson Glory fix but you've listened to
"Transcendence" so much you hum pieces of it in your sleep. by Alanna Evans |
