Silverthorn

Khan is one of my favorite singers of all time! When he left, I thought Kamelot was done for good. As a fan, I had been disappointed by the direction the band had taken in the last few albums. They seemed to have lost their way after the smashing success that was Black Halo. Instead of following that footprint, Ghost Opera came out, and though I actually like Ghost Opera, the band was taking on a darker tone and just seemed less happy. Poetry totally alienated me... couldn't even find a semblance of Kamelot in it... And then this was all compounded by Khan leaving.Enter Silverthorn...One of the best metal albums of the year!! Back to that traditional Kamelot sound! Some of the songs are reminiscent of the Karma era, I also hear some Epica, and definitely Black Halo. I was so skeptical of Tommy filling in these impossibly big shoes, but I have to say that seeing Kamelot live erased all my doubts. Tommy is not only an amazing singer but he is a complete showman. He's awesome at engaging the audience, and his voice is flawless! We only got to hear Sacrimony live, and though I loved it, I don't even think it's the best song on the album.As far as the songs go, I can say that it is an incredibly solid album from beginning to end. The run from Sacrimony to Silverthorn is amazing! Tommy in general sings higher than Khan (meaning stays on the higher register) for most of the songs. In some songs, I can totally picture Khan singing in his lower voice, but I can't say it detracts from the album. Tommy does his best at singing with some of Khan's modulations but he still manages to keep his own sound. It's hard to explain but Kamelot sounds like Kamelot, and Tommy sounds like Khan, but it doesn't come off as an imitation. Tommy has his own voice and sound, but the album still sounds like Kamelot.As far as the Box set goes, worth every penny! What a beautiful release! The book is gorgeous and I love how much was included for such a small price, really. This could have easily been a $30-$40 box set.The only negative comment I have to make about the promotional materials and pics is that they need to stop "over-photoshopping". Some of the band members barely look like themselves. Most notably Tommy. Seeing him in person you can't help but wonder what they did to him on the band pics.

When I'd learned that the wonderful Roy Khan was leaving Kamelot during their US tour, I was very, very disappointed. I had tickets to see them perform. The concert was still wonderful. But it made me wonder who would fill Khan's very big shoes. I'd never heard of Tommy Karevik but when this album came out, I read some reviews and even though I knew I would be purchasing the CD anyway just because it's Kamelot, I wanted to know that Khan's role had been filled with someone worthy. Tommy Karevik does a stupendous job! I was not disappointed at all. Whether it is intentional or just pure luck, he sounds remarkably like Khan that at times I actually forget Khan was not singing. I know that's probably not the best thing to say about a new singer but when I became a fan of Kamelot in the first place because of Khan's voice, well, to have his successor sound close to him, means I can appreciate the transition even more and grow to love Tommy's voice.This album surpasses Poetry by leaps and bounds, in my opinion. No offense to Khan on that. Poetry for the Poisoned was vocally beautiful but musically kind of dull. But Silverthorn is very much musically like a combination of Ghost Opera, Black Halo and Epica. Thomas Youngblood obviously just needed to get an okay album out between the wonderful Ghost Opera (my favorite) and Silverthorn in order to make Silverthorn beautifulI did have to listen to the whole album twice through completely before I could fully appreciate the beauty of it. Whether it's the powerful opening to the hauntingly beautiful choral Prodigal Son and the power driven Veritas, Silverthorn has put Kamelot back on the high road to success! I look forward with barely repressed eagerness for the next album!

To me, this is Kamelot's masterpiece. Set in Victorian England, "Silverthorn" is the story of how a family fell into disaster after the death of their daughter, Jolee, and the guilt of her twin brothers. Some time after this incident, every family member mysteriously dies, presumably by the hand of one of the twins. However, one must know the concept and pay attention to the lyrics to know the truth of this story.Tommy Karevik's vocals are powerful; the symphony and melodies are amazing. Some are more striking than others, but the album is made of pure awesomeness. "Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)", "My Confession" and "Falling Like the Fahrenheit" are my personal favorites.With many memorable moments, it begins with a calm but rising piano ballad, "Manus Dei", that culminates in "Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)", a fast paced, powerful song that uses a nice tenor, soprano and guttural vocal combo, with bonus points as the guttural is female. Follows up with "Ashes to Ashes", which reminds me of the "Ghost Opera" era, and "Torn".The breathtaking ballad "Song for Jolee" sets the stage and contrasts with the following "Veritas", one of the few songs from the evil twin Robert's perspective, and "My Confession", symbolizing the unnamed protagonist's guilt and desire to repent. These two are the absolute Moment of Awesome of this album."Falling Like the Fahrenheit" is slower, but gripping, and soon after "Silverthorn" (which is crucial to the story) and "Solitaire" we have 7 min of epic rocking finale, "Prodigal Son", followed by the simple, yet haunting "Continuum".Sadly none of these versions doesn't include the bonus tracks "Leaving Too Soon" (Japan exclusive) and "Welcome Home" (exclusive for a Swedish magazine), although you may find them online for a complete view of the concept. Both are great songs. The instrumental CD has a bonus vocal track, "Grace".If you're in doubt whether to get this or not, I strongly suggest watching the videoclips of "Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)" and "My Confession" on Kamelot's official YouTube channel.I bought the Limited Edition set. The Digipak comes with a nice storybook detailing the concept behind the album, along with some concept images. It's very well written and worth the read. Some blogs posted it online in case you get the regular edition. The second CD is instrumental with some background vocals, sadly I would've liked pure instrumentals better. Still, it was definitely worth my hype.

After the somewhat mixed Poetry for the Poisioned; and then the loss of front man Roy Khan, the future seemed bleak for Kamelot. Enter new vocalist Tommy Karevik and a return to the concept album.This is a really strong album. Karevik is not too far removed from Khan's vocals, but still is unique enough to lend his own spin to the band. The concept itself deals with the story of two brothers, who lose their sister to a tragic accident, and vow never to tell of what really happened that day. From that point, disaster strike the family down one by one.The concept is bleak, but it is well presented. It deals with the ideals of guilt, shame, betrayal and redemption. The band are on fighting form; the guitars soar and scream, the keyboards are more of a focal point than ever, the drums pound and the orchestra add a real layer to the sound. It's the most "symphonic" of any Kamelot album by far. It's the sound of a band revived and inspired.Favourite Tracks include lead single Sacrimony(Angel of Afterlife) and Veritas. Both feature duets; which add an extra layer to the already lush sounds.Kamelot fans will find much to like, and even for people new to the band, they will find much to like.It's very much a softer sound; there are no real "metal" parts in this album, so fans of the harsher sounds of Epica and the Black Halo may find this album lacking somewhat, but the atmosphere is so well constructed you hardly notice.The special edition is well worth getting. The presentation box is good, and the instrumental version of the album adds a new spin to the concept. The book and poster are a nice touch as well.

Such a strong album this - I like this one far more than there last (Poetry for the Poisoned).I find their new singer Tommy as good, if not slightly better than Roy Kahn - And I personally prefer the sound of his voice more than Roy's (I feel Tommy has a better range).The music is very good and Kamelot sounding, but with a difference though because they stated this is a 'concept album' but for me, it is far superior to most metal released recently and a massive contender for kamelots best work to date (for me).My favourite song is probably 'Sacrimony' based on mainly the lyrics, but the sound is incredible too & with guest singer Elize Ryd, who sounds fantastic, just makes this song stand out above the others. But all their songs in this Album are fantastic. I love the incredible intensity, but incredibly sad sounding 'Song for Jolee' and I love the dark and light tones of 'Torn' - I love Torns chorus - just brilliant. And finally I have to mention 'Solitaire' for its musical strength.The Boxset I bought is great with a hardback book containing the Story Of Silverthorn, theres also a large Poster, Another Disc with all the songs instrumental and obiously the main album disc within a booklet with lyrics to all songs and pictures of the band and guest singers.Brilliant 5/5

With the change of lead singer for the band, I was concerned that it would lose some of its balance and strength. I was a massive fan of Kahn's vocals. I could not have been more happily surprised. If anything it seems to have reinvigorated the band's efforts. The previous albums were always going to be a hard act to follow (like Nightwish's follow-up to "Once"), but the sound is different enough and yet familiar enough to be worth the listening time. If you're a Kamelot fan, you've already bought this. If you're not, then it isn't a bad album to start with. It is certainly more accessible to new listeners than their much earlier album "Epica", and not quite as dark as "Poetry for the Poisoned" or "Ghost Opera". Probably the strangest change is that the new vocalist has brought in a new element for the band's sound in the same way that Nightwish's switch from Tarja to Anette did for them.

Received this item this day. I won't write a lot about the music, because the album was out for a considerable amount of time. In my opinion, this is one of the best Kamelot albums, along with Epica and Karma -- I don't like The Black Halo that much. That would be all about music, down to the items and packaging.The box is nicely packed and easily opened. No complaints on this one. Inside the box you'll find: one mediabook with the actual CD, lyrics and few nice pics; bonus instrumental CD in separate package, another book with the full Silverthorn story (didn't read it yet, but looks nice), and the poster with all band members and "Kamelot - Silverthorn" written on the front. Poster is horizontal and is probably like A4x3 or A4x4, don't have time to measure it now. My biggest complaint is that the bonus CD isn't somehow included in the main book, but put in the box separately. Not really convenient. Oh, and poster is folded to the size of CD, so be ready to carefully iron it. The books itself are spot on, as is the box. Though comparing with mediabook of Ayreon - The Theory of Everything (latest digibook I've bought), the books are a bit bigger on the vertical scale. Doesn't really matter if you're going to keep them in the box, though.

Another I fell in love via You Tube [beginning to think You Tube is seriously bad for the wallet].Just love the album