Reflections of Darkness - Music Magazine - Kamelot

Details: Written by: Silvia Deurwaarder; Published: 27 February 2006

Article Index

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Boederij, Zoetermeer, the Netherlands
February 2nd 2006
Kamelot, Xystus

Kamelot are back on the road. After a successful tour in December and some summer festivals later six months went by quickly. With this small tour they are preparing themselves for the DVD recording in Oslo. For the second time they will enter the stage in Zoetermeer, not to promote an album, but to show that they are still happy with their fan base here in Europe.

Xystus

To support your hero and musical inspiration seems to be the dream of every band as is to share the stage with those artists you respect and maybe pulled you into the music scene. Well today is the day for Dutch metal band Xystus. They are all fans of Kamelot and Tim (bass guitar) tells us before the show that he is very nervous and excited.

Music
With their heavy up-tempo songs Xystus really need a clear sound on stage. Today in the Boederij there are difficulties with that. In the beginning front man Bas is hard to hear and there are also some problems with the sound of the keyboards and even with the guitars. Kamelot have the same disturbed sound, so maybe the venue is partly to blame, but everything sounded much better during the sound check. Back to the gig: luckily Bas’ voice is clear and much better after the first song. They play an up-tempo set and Ivo (drums), especially, creates a heavy live sound. The guitarist is also very clear today in his solos. He is sick and still stands there, he deserves respect for that.

Performance
Bas starts the set with a small talk to the audience, something that not everyone likes. They scream ‘play’ and even though he’s a little confused he sets in. Maybe he was nervous, but still it is a bit confusing for those people who haven’t seen the band before. They have a strong fan base today: many people came to see them and that motivates them for sure. There is a lot of interaction with those fans in the front and the band focus more on that. Their performance is more professional in the end. By the end of their set people are moving and in spite of the band’s sound the show is very dynamic and shows a mature band.

Rating
Music 6
Performance 7
Sound 5
Light 6
Total 6 (6,3)

Kamelot

Six months ago these Americans stood on the same stage as Epica and Kotipelto, just after the release of ‘The Black Halo’. It was the beginning of a successful period: good reviews, summer festivals, more promotion and they ended in the year list of many magazines. Now they are back to get the right feeling for the recording of their first DVD.

Music
Xystus is not the only band with vocal problems in the beginning of their show. Roy Khan also screams and is hard to hear. Even in front of the PA his voice is thin and distant. The power soon comes back on, but the front man needs half the gig to get his voice warm and in good shape. Maybe he is just recovering from the flu, but it is a shame that the power isn’t there today. That doesn’t mean the interaction with the audience isn’t there. Khan is a natural front man who easily translates the emotions of the songs and keeps the attention of the audience without making too many tricks or forced movements.

Thomas Youngblood, the spiritual father of the band, is the most active and impressive today. With his clean guitar sound (which reminds me of the 70’s sometimes) he brings professionalism and quality. The new keybord player Oliver moves that much that the small backdrop falls down. The drum sound of Casey is not very strict today, he is playing with the sticks more then he focuses on the technical balance. Sometimes he seems to be too slow or just chaotic or negligent. For the first time they play songs like ‘Moonlight’ and others in a different setting. During ‘March of Mephisto’ Thomas does the grunting part. He does need to practice a bit more, but it sounds fine today.

Performance
When you say Kamelot you have to think about heavy up-tempo songs and also their performance requires a lot of energy. Today there no doubt a lot of energy between the members. The musical quality is not as good as the first time in Zoetermeer, but there is more space for the movements and enjoyment from the show itself. Thomas runs around between Khan and Glenn and talks with the audience as well. Liselotte Hegt is the guest singer for the evening to take care of the duets. Her voice is very clear and fits very well with the powerful melody. It is the first time she sings the parts and it comes very naturally. It is a shame that Khan doesn’t give her the space to stand more in the spotlight. Simone Simons is a special guest today during the duet ‘The Haunting’ but her voice is thin and hard to hear in the back. The venue is packed and the audience sings along during the whole gig, but there is not such a chemistry in the beginning. It takes a long time before the band is ready to put it all on a higher level. When they play some very old songs from ‘Karma’ and more the older fans are excited. Kamelot return twice for an encore and then finally the show is over. The fans are happy and the band managed to perform a strong set, but they have to do a lot of work before the DVD recording will be successful.

Rating

Music 7
Performance 8
Sound 6
Light 7
Total 7 (7,3)