In 1994 the band signed a deal with Noise Records; the release of their debut album Eternity followed in 1995. The next album, Dominion, was released in 1997.
Later that year, two of the band's members were replaced; drummer and founder Richard Warner and lead vocalist Mark Vanderbilt. Respectively, their replacements were Casey Grillo and Roy Khan (Roy Sætre «Khan» Khantatat from Elverum in Norway - formerly of Conception). With the two new members, Kamelot released their third studio album, Siege Perilous. The new line-up undertook an extensive tour through Europe during the fall of the same year only to return to the Gate Studio in Wolfsburg twelve months later to produce the fourth studio effort The Fourth Legacy.
The summer of 2000 brought the "New Allegiance Tour" through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Greece and Spain during which the recordings for Kamelot's first live album The Expedition were made. Only a few months later the band presented their fifth album entitled Karma, to the greatest critical success yet. Their sixth album, Epica was released in 2003. Both Epica and the band's seventh effort, The Black Halo, which was released in 2005, are based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's version of the legend of Faust, a man who sells his soul to the devil. To support the new album the band went on tour through Europe and Japan during the first leg of the "Black Halo World Tour 2005", with special guests Epica and Kotipelto in Europe and support Silent Force in Japan. They also played on the Bang Your Head!!! Festival in Germany and the Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium.
In 2005 they shot their first music videos ever, for the songs The Haunting (Somewhere in Time) and March of Mephisto from the album The Black Halo. Both videos were shot by acclaimed director Patric Ullaeus. The 5th of October 2005 saw the addition of Oliver Palotai as the fifth official band member. Oliver will handle both keyboards and (additional) guitars.
On the second leg of the "Black Halo World Tour" they visited North and South America (USA, Canada, Brazil) as well as Europe (The Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Norway). During this part of the tour the bands first live DVD was shot, with the main concert being shot on February 11th, 2006 at Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo, Norway. The shoot was again handled by Patric Ullaeus. The DVD (and live CD) called One Cold Winter's Night was released in November 2006.
Ghost Opera is the eighth studio album from Kamelot. It was released on June 1st, 2007 via SPV/Steamhammer Records, in Germany and then followed by releases on the fourth and fifth in Europe and the USA, respectively. The album was recorded and mixed at Gate Studios and Pathway Studios in Wolfsburg, Germany with producers Sascha Paeth and Miro. The first video from the album is for the track Ghost Opera, and can be seen on the band's official MySpace site. A video for the song The Human Stain was shot and released later.
Following this was their ninth studio album, Poetry for the Poisoned. It was released on the earMUSIC label, a subdivision of Edel, on September 10, 2010 in Europe, and four days later in North America by the band's own label, KMG Recordings. The release sees the return of founding member Sean Tibbetts (who formerly used the stage name Sean Christians) on bass guitar. A video was recorded for the song The Great Pandemonium and released on the band's official YouTube channel on September 6 (it's also included on the Special Edition DVD release of the album). Simone Simons returns to supply guest vocals on a few songs. Amanda Somerville, Gus G. and Björn "Speed" Strid are also featured.
On September 6, 2010, Kamelot announced that Khan wouldn't be able to perform with the band on their North American tour, just a few days before its scheduled start, and had returned to Norway. While it was initially reported that the band would continue the tour with the Norwegian vocalist Michael Eriksen of Circus Maximus in Khan's place, the band later announced that it would postpone the tour with Khan, though one show was performed with Eriksen at the ProgPower USA XI festival in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 10, 2010. However, on December 16, it was announced that Fabio Lione of Rhapsody of Fire would replace Khan for the remaining and rescheduled dates on the Pandemonium over Latin America, Europe and North America tours in 2011, and later the 70,000 Tons of Metal Cruise in 2012. Other guest singers appeared on selected shows, such as Simone Simons singing The Haunting (Somewhere in Time) and Don't You Cry, Tommy Karevik singing Center of the Universe, EdenEcho or The Human Stain, Snowy Shaw as Mephisto on March of Mephisto, Alissa White-Gluz also as Mephisto on March of Mephisto and Atle Pettersen on Karma.
Following a period of uncertainty, Khan and Kamelot released separate statements on April 21 and 22 2011 respectively, announcing Khan's departure from the band for burnout and religious reasons.
On June 22 2012, Kamelot introduced Seventh Wonder's Swedish vocalist Tommy Karevik as their new official vocalist. Karevik had previously appeared as one of the guest singers on the 2011 Pandemonium World Tour, and was thrilled about his new position: “I am so honored to now be a part of this family and I can't wait to move into the new era of the band together with the guys. I fully understand that this comes with great responsibility and that it will be a big challenge for me as a singer as well as a person, but you can rest assured I will give it my all. From this day, a new journey has begun and I am really eager to meet you all along the way to share my passion for this music!”. Their first show with Karevik was on July 12, 2012 at Masters of Rock.
Kamelot returned to the German label SPV GmbH to release their tenth record, which was unveiled as "Silverthorn" in July 2012. Silverthorn was released on October 30th in North America, October 26th in Germany, and October 29th in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. The CD marked the band’s first release with new singer, Tommy Karevik.
Silverthorn went directly to the top, debuting at the #1 position on Amazon’s Heavy Metal Chart. Along with this accomplishment, KAMELOT also impacted major charts in other categories including the #9 position on Billboard’s Hard Rock Chart, #24 on the Rock Charts, #79 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, as well as appearing on multiple international charts.
A music video was released for the first single from Silverthorn, Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife). The band joined Nightwish on their North American tour as special guests during September and October 2012 in the period leading up to the release of Silverthorn, along with guest vocalists Elize Ryd and Alissa White-Gluz. Following the North American tour, Kamelot embarked on a headlining European tour during November 2012, with support on the tour coming from Xandria, Triosphere and Blackguard. The band also toured new countries on the Silverthorn world tour including Australia, Korea and Taiwan.
On February 23, 2015 the title, artwork, track listing and official release dates for Kamelot's new album were revealed. The new album titled "HAVEN" will make Kamelot's history as it will be released worldwide (excl. Asia) on Napalm Records/Universal and Napalm Records/ADA/Warner as an exclusive licensing deal through the band’s Kamelot Music LLC on May 5, 2015 (North America) and May 8, 2015 (Europe and rest of the world).
Produced by acclaimed music producer Sascha Paeth and mastered by Jacob Hansen, Haven "features all the signature elements of KAMELOT but the band steps out to add new and modern elements along with bringing some amazing emotions that harken to the band’s earlier days." (Source: official press release). Additional guests include Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), Troy Donockley (Nightwish) and Charlotte Wessels (Delain).
Following the release of HAVEN, Kamelot will embarque on a massive world tour, starting with North America in April/May 2015 followed by European shows in the Summer 2015 and with The Haven European Tour in September/October 2015 the band will return to Europe for their biggest headliner tour to date.
Current Members:
Current members
Thomas Youngblood – guitars, backing vocals (1987–present)
Oliver Palotai – keyboards, additional guitars (2005–present)
Sean Tibbetts – bass (1991–1992, 2009–present)
Tommy Karevik – lead vocals (2012–present)
Alex Landenburg – drums, percussion (2019–present)
Former members
Rob Beck – lead vocals (1987–1991)
Dirk Van Tilborg – bass, keyboards (1987–1991)
Richard Warner – drums (1987–1997)
Mark Vanderbilt – lead vocals (1991–1998)
David Pavlicko – keyboards (1993–1998)
Glenn Barry – bass (1992–2009)
Roy Khan – lead vocals (1998–2011)
Casey Grillo – drums, percussion (1997–2018)
Johan Nunez – drums, percussion (2018–2019)
Live/Session members
Howard Helm – keyboards (1998–1999)
Günter Werno – keyboards (2000)
Michael Eriksen – lead vocals (2010)
Fabio Lione – lead vocals (2011–2012)
Sascha Paeth – additional guitars (1999–present)
Michael "Miro" Rodenberg – keyboards, backing vocals, orchestral arrangements (1999–present)
Live guest musicians
Elisabeth Kjærnes – additional vocals (2006)
Mats Olausson – keyboards (2003; died 2015)
Heather Shockley – additional vocals (2005)
Mari Youngblood – additional vocals (2005–2007)
Anne-Catrin Maerzke – additional vocals (2007–2009)
Amanda Somerville – additional vocals (2009)
Jake E Berg – vocals (2010–2011)
Charlotte Wessels – additional vocals (2010, 2018)
Elize Ryd – additional vocals (2010–2015, 2017, 2018)
Edu Falaschi – lead vocals (2011)
Simone Simons – additional vocals (2006–2012)
Alissa White-Gluz – additional vocals (2011, 2012–2016, 2018)
Coen Janssen – keyboards (2013)
Linnéa Vikström – additional vocals (2012, 2015)
Floor Jansen – additional vocals (2013)
Marcela Bovio – additional vocals (2013–2014)
Kobra Paige – additional vocals (2015–2017)
Aeva Maurelle – additional vocals (2016)
Noora Louhimo – additional vocals (2018–2019)
Lauren Hart – additional vocals (2018–2019)
Session guest musicians
Dirk Bruinenberg – drums, percussion (1999)
Robert Hunecke-Rizzo – drums, percussion (1999)
Cinzia Rizzo – vocals (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005–2007, 2012)
Mari Youngblood – vocals (2003, 2005–2006)
Luca Turilli – guitars (2003)
Amanda Somerville – vocals (2005–2012)
Simone Simons – vocals (2005–2008, 2010)
Shagrath – vocals (2005)
Jens Johansson – keyboards (2005)
Elize Ryd – vocals (2012)
Anne-Catrin Märzke – vocals (2008)
Jon Oliva – vocals (2010–2011)
Chanty Wunder – vocals (2010–2011)
Björn "Speed" Strid – vocals (2010)
Gus G – guitars (2010)
Alissa White-Gluz – vocals (2012, 2015)
Charlotte Wessels – vocals (2015)
Troy Donockley – uilleann pipes, tin whistle (2015)
Jennifer Haben – vocals (2018)
Lauren Hart – vocals (2018)
Studio albums:
1995 - Eternity
1997 - Dominion
1998 - Siege Perilous
1999 - The Fourth Legacy
2001 - Karma
2003 - Epica
2005 - The Black Halo
2007 - Ghost Opera
2010 - Poetry for the Poisoned
2012 - Silverthorn
2015 - Haven
2018 - The Shadow Theory
Live Albums:
2000 - The Expedition
2006 - One Cold Winter's Night
2020 - I Am the Empire – Live from the 013
Live DVDs:
2006 - One Cold Winter's Night
Demos:
1991 - Demo
2) Kamelot is a czech folk/rock band from Brno found in 1982. The only member who has been in the band the whole time is its founder, Roman Horký.
Current Members:
Roman Horký
Viktor Porkristl
Jiří Meisner
Pavel Plch
Discography:
Studio albums:
1990 - Zachraňte koně
1991 - Tajný výpravy
1992 - Vyznavači ohňů
1993 - Roman Horký a jeho hosté
1994 - Duhová cesta
1995 - Zlatá ryba
1996 - Cesta do ráje
1997 - The Best Of
1997 - Vyhaslý oheň
1998 - Země antilop
1999 - Větrné město
2000 - Vzpomínka na kamaráda
2001 - Paměť slonů
2001 - Pozdní návraty
2002 - Valerie
2004 - Zvláštní svět
2005 - Dlouhá pláž
2006 - Modrá planeta
2007 - 25 - Výběr největších hitů
2009 - Mořská sůl
2010 - 19 ztracených písní Wabiho Ryvoly
Singles:
1995 - Tomáš
1996 - Rio/Hardegg
2004 - Island
Elizabeth
Kamelot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mirror can you tell me
How to stay forever young
Let me know the secret
I will hold my twisted tongue
Please protect my beauty
Velvet skin so pure and white
Like a hymn at dead of night
Once I struck a servant
She's a virgin free from sin
Drops of blood caressed me
And refined my aging skin
Could this be the answer
Uncorrupted carmine red
Voices keep resounding
In my dazed bewildered head
Have I found myself eternity
Someone has heard my prayers
Now I'll become divine
Have I found myself divinity
I'm no longer a slave
To the vicious hands of time
Elizabeth II. Requiem for the Innocent
Mother can you hold me
One more time again
Whisper "I still love you?" in my ear
Mother did you lie
Would you tell me why
There is something deeper that I fear
Justify the malice I portray
Daggers in the darkness find your way
When the moon is full and piercing bright
Drench me with your innocence tonight
Don't you want to die
Walk beside me evermore
Don't you feel alive
Like you've never felt before
Visions of the future
Unprofound and blurred
I have passed the point of no return
Justify the malice I portray
Let me keep my beauty one more day
When the moon is full and piercing bright
Drench me with your innocence tonight
Don't you want to die
Walk beside me evermore
Don't you feel alive
Like you've never felt before
Don't you want to die
Souls transcending, silver shine
Don't you feel alive
Your blood preserves my place in time
Elizabeth III. Fall from Grace
Breathe in deep
Smell these halls of hate
Carve your name into these walls
Before it is too late
Cold and twisted, they resisted
What was I to do
All I ever wanted was a fraction of the truth
Walking in the shadows
Of my blackened mind
Lost inside this shallow
Vanity of time
What if there's a God a hell and heaven
Fire is the torment I must face
Dying by the souls I have forsaken
No one's going to catch my fall from grace
(Bleed on me)
Watch me from your cage as I rejoin my painful prime
(Suffer and exhale)
You and I are relics, we provoke and we recline
Walking in the shadows
Of my blackened mind
Angels crave my sorrow
Sorrow they will find
What if there's a God a hell and heaven
Fire is the torment I must face
Dying by the souls I have forsaken
No one's going to catch my fall from grace
The song Elizabeth by Kamelot is divided into three parts, and the first part is called "Mirror Mirror." The lyrics depict a woman's desire to stay young forever, and she asks her mirror to reveal the secret to her. She wants to protect her beauty and maintain her youthful appearance. The woman confesses to striking and killing a servant in the hopes that the virgin's blood will rejuvenate her skin. She wonders if she has found the answer to eternal youth and divinity.
The second part of the song is "Requiem for the Innocent." Here, the woman addresses her mother and asks if she truly loves her. She justifies her malicious actions by saying that she needs to maintain her beauty for one more day. The woman has reached the point of no return and has dark visions of the future. As the moon shines brightly, she desires to drench herself in the innocence of others to preserve her youth.
The third part of the song is "Fall from Grace." The woman is in a state of despair as she realizes the consequences of her actions. She feels trapped and lost inside her own mind. She acknowledges that there may be a God, hell and heaven, and that she may face torment for her sins. The woman knows that she has forsaken many souls, and no one will be there to catch her fall from grace.
Overall, the song Elizabeth explores the themes of vanity, youth, and mortality. The woman in the song represents the human struggle to come to terms with the impermanence of life and the desire for transcendence.
Line by Line Meaning
Mirror can you tell me
The singer is seeking knowledge from a mirror
How to stay forever young
The singer desires eternal youth
Let me know the secret
The singer is asking for the hidden knowledge
I will hold my twisted tongue
The artist will keep the knowledge to herself
Please protect my beauty
The artist values her beauty and seeks its preservation
Velvet skin so pure and white
The singer is describing her own appearance
Hear my name resounding
The singer desires recognition and fame
Like a hymn at dead of night
The artist wants her name to be glorified, even in the darkness
Once I struck a servant
The artist has harmed someone in the past
She's a virgin free from sin
The servant is pure and innocent
Drops of blood caressed me
The singer's contact with the servant's blood had a transformative effect on her appearance
And refined my aging skin
The artist believes that the blood somehow improved her appearance
Could this be the answer
The singer wonders if the blood is the secret to eternal beauty
Uncorrupted carmine red
The singer is describing the color of the servant's blood
Voices keep resounding
The singer hears mysterious sounds in her head
In my dazed bewildered head
The artist is confused and disoriented
Have I found myself eternity
The artist believes that she has discovered eternal youth
Someone has heard my prayers
The singer attributes her transformation to a higher power
Now I'll become divine
The singer sees herself as godlike
I'm no longer a slave
The artist has become free from the effects of time and aging
To the vicious hands of time
The artist personifies time as an enemy
Mother can you hold me
The artist is addressing her mother
One more time again
The singer desires physical comfort from her mother
Whisper "I still love you?" in my ear
The artist wants to hear a comforting assurance of love
Mother did you lie
The singer questions her mother's honesty
Would you tell me why
The singer seeks an explanation
There is something deeper that I fear
The singer has a sense of impending doom or danger
Justify the malice I portray
The artist asks for rationalization or excuse for her cruelty
Daggers in the darkness find your way
The artist suggests that her enemies may come for her
When the moon is full and piercing bright
The singer is setting the scene for a dramatic event
Drench me with your innocence tonight
The singer wants to be cleansed or purified, perhaps through another's sacrifice
Don't you want to die
The artist suggests that death is desirable
Walk beside me evermore
The artist wants someone to accompany her in death
Don't you feel alive
The artist paradoxically associates death with life
Like you've never felt before
The singer suggests that this life-death state is elevated or unique
Visions of the future
The artist is experiencing a prophetic vision
Unprofound and blurred
The singer can't make sense of the vision
I have passed the point of no return
The singer acknowledges that she cannot go back from some event or action
Angels crave my sorrow
The singer believes that even angels find her sorrow and suffering beautiful or desirable
Sorrow they will find
The artist understands that her sorrow is inevitable
Souls transcending, silver shine
The artist is describing some kind of spiritual experience
Your blood preserves my place in time
The singer's continued existence is dependent on another's sacrifice
Breathe in deep
The singer is suggesting a meditative or contemplative practice
Smell these halls of hate
The artist is surrounded by negative emotions or events
Carve your name into these walls
The artist is suggesting a metaphorical or literal marking of her presence
Before it is too late
The artist is suggesting some time limit or sense of urgency
Cold and twisted, they resisted
The singer has experienced opposition or resistance
What was I to do
The artist is questioning her own actions or decisions
All I ever wanted was a fraction of the truth
The singer suggests that the knowledge she sought was not absolute
Lost inside this shallow
The singer feels disconnected from a meaningful purpose
Vanity of time
The singer is suggesting that time is meaningless, or that everyone is driven by their own self-interest
Fire is the torment I must face
The artist is anticipating some kind of punishment or reckoning for her actions
Dying by the souls I have forsaken
The artist is suggesting that she will suffer a spiritual death because of her past deeds
No one's going to catch my fall from grace
The singer acknowledges that she will have to bear the consequences of her actions alone
Contributed by Jake Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Phil Kakid56
Thomas has said in an interview that the Elizabeth trilogy is the work for which he is most proud. As one listens to the three pieces flow seamlessly into one another, the power, emotion and tension, you can see why he feels this way. A masterpiece of which he should be proud!
Massimo Omeri
@Thomas Griffith Tommy K. is not a baritone and has neither the expressiveness nor the technique to sing such songs.
Steven Edmonds
Perfect
Andrey Latinsky
@Lunna Apocallyptica Avenger yeah, totally sucks 😣
Lunna Apocallyptica Avenger
The worst part of this trilogy is on 12:48...
Roxana Feregrino
@Thomas Griffith I've never listened to Tommy getting such notes live, I think not even recorded... Even if he could, I think he lacks the theatricality a Song as 'Elizabeth" recquires, so it could be the reason... I don't know, I'm just guessing, they must have a reason... Perhaps they want to leave those masterpieces untouched, there are a couple other iconic Khan songs that Tommy hasn't ever performed (at least that I know).
Pandemonikus Superbus
16 years later and this album still one of the best in metal history
senditkevin
@necroplastful I respectfully disagree, but they don't sound the way I would like them to, Epica, TBH and OCWN sound better to me.
necroplastful
@senditkevin nah man, Karmas analog mix sounds so perfect. Its a major part of the charm.
Frostien
INDEED