The Black Halo

The Black Halo is one of the band’s finest works, on which KAMELOT layered dark riffs and symphonic arrangement while Roy Khan’s expressive singing carries the story. As the conclusion of the Faust-based concept continued from Epica, its choruses stay clear and never lose their emotional core despite the many dramatic turns. Heaviness, sorrow and grandeur connect tightly within a single world. The opening “March of Mephisto” features guest Shagrath of Dimmu Borgir, adding a demonic force, while “The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)” offers a beautiful duet with Simone Simons of Epica. On “When the Lights Are Down,” “Abandoned,” “Memento Mori” and “The Black Halo,” catchiness and drama meet at a high level. On “Soul Society,” “This Pain” and “Nothing Ever Dies” too, dramatic development and robust melody join tightly, with interludes throughout tying the story. With a structural command that makes the whole album play like a single journey and the most vivid union of melodic strength, it is the peak of KAMELOT’s concept albums and a record that shines in symphonic-metal history.