Artist: KAMELOT
Album: EPICA (CD)

Release date: 2003/ 2007
EAN/UPS: 5050441802621
Media type: CD

Tampa, Florida's KAMELOT, created during 1991 by guitarist Thomas Youngblood and drummer Richard Warner, is a noted Progressive Metal band that has made strong headway into the European Rock market with a series of finely crafted, ambitious releases, breaking into the charts with 2003’s 'Epica'.

The formative KAMELOT would be fronted by Mark Vanderbilt with Sean Christians on bass guitar. The group, after issue of a three song 1991 demo, debuted commercially in 1995 with the album 'Eternity', recorded at the famous Morrisound Studios in Tampa by Jim Morris. Alongside Youngblood, Warner and Vanderbilt would be new bassist Glenn Barry and keyboard player David Pavlicko. Aiding in the studio would be MILLENIUM vocalist Todd Plant and keyboard player Howard Helm.

They followed up with in 1996, retaining a stable line-up with 'Dominion'. Both of these albums drew universal attention due to the uncanny resemblance of lead vocalist Mark Vanderbilt with Midnight, singer with an antecedent high profile Florida export, CRIMSON GLORY. Touring Europe to promote 'Dominion' KAMELOT allied with ANGRA and VIRGIN STEELE. A membership change then saw Warner replaced by Casey Grillo.

Prior to the recording of third album, July 1998's 'Siege Perilous', KAMELOT recruited Roy Khan (a.k.a. Roy Satre Khantatat) on vocals, previously with the highly rated defunct Norwegian Progressive Metal band CONCEPTION and also holding credits with CREST OF DARKNESS. His CONCEPTION colleague Tore Ostby donated a guest guitar solo to the song 'Siege'. David Pavlicko then exited as the band persevered as a quartet. Youngblood founded a side project MONARQUE in 1999 fronted buy none other than ex-KAMELOT vocalist Mark Vanderbilt.

KAMELOT made even greater strides into the European market with 'The Fourth Legacy', produced by Sascha Paeth at Gate Studios, Wolfsburg in Germany. These tracks were constructed by the core band unit, of Khan, Youngblood, Barry and Grillo but also seeing additional drums supplied by Dirk Bruineberg from ELEGY and Robert Hunecke-Rizzo of HEAVENS GATE. Expanding their horizons, KAMELOT also drew from a diverse range of embellishing artists, including the Fallersleben String Quartet, percussionist Farouk Asjadi, flautist Simon McTavish plus female vocalists Rannveig Sif Sigurdardóttir and Cinzia Rizzo.

The band drew in Günter Werno from VANDEN PLAS on keyboards and the Summer of 2000 witnessed the 'New Allegiance Tour', traversing Germany, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Greece and Spain, during which recordings for KAMELOT's inaugural live album 'The Expedition' were made. Arriving in October 2000, this album closed out with three previously unheard studio tracks.

The band's 2001 studio album was put in jeopardy by Khan becoming the victim of a car crash. The singer emerged relatively unscathed though and sessions for the 'Karma' album continued apace. KAMELOT would put in a series of European festival performances in the summer of 2001 appearing at Italy's 'Gods Of Metal', Germany's 'Bang Your Head' and Spain's 'Rock Machine' events. 'Karma', again executed under the supervision of Sascha Paeth, became the band's debut chart showing in Germany reaching no. 85 in the national charts. 'Karma' was suitably enhanced by a wide ranging arsenal of complementary vocalists, a string quartet and the Rodenberg Symphony Orchestra. Youngblood would also find time to contribute to the adventurous 2001 CONSORTIUM PROJECT debut album.

KAMELOT forged an alliance with AXXIS for a lengthy run of European tour dates commencing on the January 16th 2002 at the Planet B in Korbach, Germany. AXXIS headlined on the German dates before switching to opening act for shows in the rest of Europe. These shows would see KAMELOT employing the services of RHAPSODY drummer Alex Holzwarth as a stand in for the first nine shows. Regular drummer Casey Grillo took back the reins for the Offenbach gig.

The band decided upon an even more adventurous undertaking for 'Epica', hinging the entire affair on the ‘Faust’ epic of J. W. Von Goethe. Repeating a successful formula, guests abounded once more with RHAPSODY’s Luca Turilli putting down a flurry of notes onto ‘Descent Of The Archangel’, ELEGY’s Ian Parry donating vocals to ‘Interlude VI - Dawn’ and an enriching backing choir comprising Mari Titania, Robert Hunecke-Rizzo, Herbie Langhans and Cinzia Hunecke-Rizzo utilised to striking effect. Keyboard landscapes were given shape by Günter Werno and Jan P. Ringvold.

The record arrived in January 2003 and touring in support of the album, including debut shows in Japan, saw KAMELOT drafting former YNGWIE MALMSTEEN keyboard player Mats Olausson. That same year Casey Grillo formed up part of the project band CONSORTIUM PROJECT for their third album 'Terra Incognita (The Undiscovered World)'. Mexican dates into early 2004 found the band employing VANDEN PLAS man Gunter Werno on keyboards. New studio recordings throughout the Summer would be cut for the album 'Soul Society'. However, by September this project had taken on a new title of 'The Black Halo'. Produced by Sascha Paeth and Miro at Gate Studio in Germany the sessions featured guest appearances by keyboard player Jens Johansson of STRATOVARIUS on two songs, Shagrath of DIMMU BORGIR, Mari of MASQUERAID, Herbie Langhans from SEVENTH AVENUE, Thomas Rettke of HEAVEN'S GATE and Simone Simmons from EPICA. Recording was punctuated by a live performance at the 'ProgPower' fest in Atlanta, Georgia, the band being joined onstage by former members of CRIMSON GLORY.

Casey Grillo aided IAN PARRY on recording of his fourth solo album in late 2004. That December the band shot two promotional videos for the tracks 'The Haunting', featuring a cameo appearance from EPICA singer Simone Simons, and 'March Of Mephisto' with director Patric Ullaeus.

KAMELOT, introducing German keyboard player/ guitarist Oliver Palotai, a veteran of the ULI JON ROTH band, DORO and CIRCLE II CIRCLE, to the ranks, announced a return to the European touring circuit in March 2005, partnering with KOTIPELTO and EPICA. Japanese dates were scheduled for April with support from SILENT FORCE. KAMELOT notably made their Canadian live debut on 20th November as the headliners of Quebec's 'International Metal Fest' at the Capitole Theater. US dates in November saw SEVEN WITCHES supporting.The band united with Dutch act EPICA for US concerts in September then South American shows in December.

Casey Grillo sessioned on the debut ALMAH solo album project of ANGRA lead singer Eduardo Falaschi in early 2006. KAMELOT released the double live album and DVD set 'One Cold Winter's Night' in October. The concert was taped on February 11th at the Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo, Norway. Guest participants included guitarist Sascha Paeth on 'Moonlight', Simone Simons of EPICA on 'The Haunting', Mari Youngblood on 'Center Of The Universe, 'Abandoned' and 'Elizabeth Parts I, II & III' together with Snowy Shaw of KING DIAMOND and DREAM EVIL on 'March Of Mephisto'.

TRACKLIST:

1. Prologue
2. Center Of The Universe
3. Farewell
4. Interlude I (Opiate Soul)
5. The Edge Of Paradise
6. Wander
7. Interlude II (Omen)
8. Descent Of The Archangel
9. Interlude III (At The Banquet)
10. A Feast For The Vain
11. On The Coldest Winter Night
12. Lost & Damned
13. Helenas Theme
14. Interlude IV (Dawn)
15. The Mourning After (Carry On)
16. III Ways To Epica

LINE-UP:

Roy Kahn (vocals)
Thomas Youngblood (guitar)
Glenn Barry (bass)
Casey Grillo (drums)