Ah, Kamelot. As power metal bands go, you could do
a lot worse. Right from the opening blast of 'Forever', this one is both
catchy and well executed. The musicianship and production (courtesy of
Rhapsody producers Sascha Paeth and Miro) are damn near flawless. That
said, there is something about Karma that just fails to hit the
spot. Despite some nice heavy riffing, Kamelot somehow don't pack the
kind of punch found in the music of Rhapsody, Iced Earth, or Nightwish.
This, I suspect, has a lot to do with the sickly romantic overtones throughout
the album. Vocalist Khan should honestly have left the likes of "Don't
You Cry" and "Temples of Gold" for serenading his lady
love. But it's the French translation of 'Don't You Cry' on track 13 that
just takes the fucking biscuit. I feel my stomach turn just thinking about
it.
Karma still has its charms though. "Wings
of Despair" and the title track provide the album with some of its
stronger moments, and the song arrangements throughout can't really be
faulted. It's a mixed bag with its heart in the right place, but fiery,
punchy power metal it certainly ain't.
