Sing me a song for the ocean to part: A random review of Kamelot's Ghost Opera
lostgirl33 sent me an IM while I was blasting this album on my Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speakers (get them while you can), which I missed, and I appologise for missing. however, you can understand why given what I have to say about this album.
The situation was simple. After Bob woke up at 1 PM, we decided to watch a bit of the Islanders versus thePittsburgh Penguins from 1993, where the Islanders trashed the best team in the NHL, the best team Bob's ever seen Live. I decided, with the addage of "Wake me up", to crank up Kamelot's "Rule the world", a song I already knew. bob didn't wanna hear it though, so he left, telling me "I'll be right back". 43:59 later, he was. Thanks Blob!
This is a wonderful, heavy, well-produced, hooky, exuberant album that every music fan, metallic or not, should have in his collection. Producers Sascha Paeth and his buddy Miro give the album use of a sound palat rivaling any I have heard...I happen to think that this is actually the best produced album I have ever heard. From Casey Grillo's great sounding drums (there must be a kit in the Gate Studio that drummers have been using since Epica's "The Divine Conspiracy" album), to the great guitar work of Thomas Youngblood (Yea Tampa!) and guests, to Khan's clear vocal delivery, this album sounds amazing.
The album itself can be incapsulated into one track, "Rule the world". With an intro before it containing a long violin solo (welcome violin_notes), leading to a heavy, crushing, fast riff with a good vocal hook from Khan, this is a good tone setter. All of the tracks can be given the same treatment of words, because they're all of equal quality. I have never had this little trouble listening to an album all the way through before. However there are two standouts.
Incoming shot across the bow! "Blücher" is a fast, swinging rocker that features clean vocals from Khan, vocoded/synthetic vocals that only add to the imagery of the song, and...ohmygod...Simone Simons! Wish she'd sing a vurse, though innocent_youth did comment on the previous occurance of this entry, informing me that she does sing on one of the bonus tracks that I don't have. I wants it! Sascha Paeth takes his chance to shine, mixing in war sounds that do not detract, only making you wish you had a 5.1 mix of the album. God would I love to hear that!
The best song on the album (Bob even likes it), has to be "Anthem", written for Khan's son (Thanks, innocent_youth). Before production, this would be a strait piano balad with good vocals and poignant lyrics. But Paeth and his buddy Miro lean back and add orchestration and a choir, but not overbaringly so. You can still hear every word Khan sings, which is a danger you run into when producing symphonic-type balads. The lyrics implore one to "sing me the anthem of life", reminding the listener not to take life for granted. Again, this is not overly bombastic, not a drum-beating "go go go" type song, but a tasteful tap on the shoulder. Wake up and live!
If any album is capable of chalenging the Scorpions "Humanity: Hour 1" in my mind for 2007's best released work, this one has already done it, and comes very close to exceeding it. Only time will tell however if it does do that, dropping Within Temptation's "The Heart of everything" to number 3. All and all however, there is one thing we can say about it now. This sucker is a masterpiece!
Monkey Verdict: 10/10! Thanks, jdx_random, for letting me steal that from you.
Fader down.
The situation was simple. After Bob woke up at 1 PM, we decided to watch a bit of the Islanders versus thePittsburgh Penguins from 1993, where the Islanders trashed the best team in the NHL, the best team Bob's ever seen Live. I decided, with the addage of "Wake me up", to crank up Kamelot's "Rule the world", a song I already knew. bob didn't wanna hear it though, so he left, telling me "I'll be right back". 43:59 later, he was. Thanks Blob!
This is a wonderful, heavy, well-produced, hooky, exuberant album that every music fan, metallic or not, should have in his collection. Producers Sascha Paeth and his buddy Miro give the album use of a sound palat rivaling any I have heard...I happen to think that this is actually the best produced album I have ever heard. From Casey Grillo's great sounding drums (there must be a kit in the Gate Studio that drummers have been using since Epica's "The Divine Conspiracy" album), to the great guitar work of Thomas Youngblood (Yea Tampa!) and guests, to Khan's clear vocal delivery, this album sounds amazing.
The album itself can be incapsulated into one track, "Rule the world". With an intro before it containing a long violin solo (welcome violin_notes), leading to a heavy, crushing, fast riff with a good vocal hook from Khan, this is a good tone setter. All of the tracks can be given the same treatment of words, because they're all of equal quality. I have never had this little trouble listening to an album all the way through before. However there are two standouts.
Incoming shot across the bow! "Blücher" is a fast, swinging rocker that features clean vocals from Khan, vocoded/synthetic vocals that only add to the imagery of the song, and...ohmygod...Simone Simons! Wish she'd sing a vurse, though innocent_youth did comment on the previous occurance of this entry, informing me that she does sing on one of the bonus tracks that I don't have. I wants it! Sascha Paeth takes his chance to shine, mixing in war sounds that do not detract, only making you wish you had a 5.1 mix of the album. God would I love to hear that!
The best song on the album (Bob even likes it), has to be "Anthem", written for Khan's son (Thanks, innocent_youth). Before production, this would be a strait piano balad with good vocals and poignant lyrics. But Paeth and his buddy Miro lean back and add orchestration and a choir, but not overbaringly so. You can still hear every word Khan sings, which is a danger you run into when producing symphonic-type balads. The lyrics implore one to "sing me the anthem of life", reminding the listener not to take life for granted. Again, this is not overly bombastic, not a drum-beating "go go go" type song, but a tasteful tap on the shoulder. Wake up and live!
If any album is capable of chalenging the Scorpions "Humanity: Hour 1" in my mind for 2007's best released work, this one has already done it, and comes very close to exceeding it. Only time will tell however if it does do that, dropping Within Temptation's "The Heart of everything" to number 3. All and all however, there is one thing we can say about it now. This sucker is a masterpiece!
Monkey Verdict: 10/10! Thanks, jdx_random, for letting me steal that from you.
Fader down.