The Shadow Theory

Now that I've had two weeks and have listened to the album in its entirety a good 10 times (at least), these are the tracks from Kamelot's new album, The Shadow Theory, that I consider to be my 5 favorites.

1. Vespertine (My Crimson Bride) [track 11]. An almost instant favorite, this song is so classic Kamelot that I almost expect Roy Khan to be singing it. It stands out among the rest of the album, and although I love the heavier, darker sound they have now, I appreciate this throwback to when they were a bit more upbeat and power metal. Despite becoming my favorite so quickly, and despite listening to it many times (on repeat on a few occasions), I show no signs of getting tired of it.

2. Burns to Embrace [track 5]. There's something chillingly beautiful about a choir of children singing, "We are the last to walk the Earth." It was a great choice to end the song that way, basically saying, "If things don't improve, there is no future and this generation will be the last." I appreciate the apocalyptic imagery and sound of the outro, especially after the majority of the instruments cut out to focus more attention on the children's voices. And the chorus in general is pretty great, whether it's sung by Tommy or the apocalyptic children's choir.

3. In Twilight Hours [track 6]. While I'm normally not the biggest fan of female vocals and adding them unnecessarily into every male-fronted album, I really like the duet on this song. Especially after I learned it well enough to sing it. Ballads are always fun if they're well-done, and I really like this one. The male and female duet works really well with the lyrics here, and doesn't feel like it was done for the sole purpose of having a female guest singer.

4. Kevlar Skin [track 7]. This one's lyrics remind me of Darth Vader, so as a Vader fangirl, that's a plus. ("Underneath this kevlar skin, I'm waiting for you to uncover me. And in this armored prison cell, I'm hiding my scars - come discover me." And overall, it's just a good metal song. The speed and heaviness of it hearkens back to my favorite song from the previous album (Revolution) and I like that sound a lot.

5. Amnesiac [track 4]. "Say my name, no beautifying filters. I'm craving that honest pain." I love this line about craving something honest and raw in a sometimes overly-airbrushed, social media-dominated world. Another great chorus on this song.

Overall, I like the album a lot more than I was expecting to. I don't know why I thought I'd be disappointed, but I definitely wasn't, and the more I listen to the album, the more I like it. Really cool lyrical themes and amazing vocal performances throughout the whole album. The drums are fantastic, as well, even if it isn't Casey Grillo doing the drumming. It's basically impossible to listen to this album without drumming on something. I guess I should have expected nothing less from Kamelot, but I still try to go into things with the realization that the artists aren't perfect and there will be letdowns once in awhile. This isn't one of them, however.