LKA-Longhorn, Stuttgart, Germany8th November 2026
Kamelot - “Dark Asylum World Tour 2026” - Special Guests: Exit Eden, Temperance
Some evenings give away what they have in store even before the first note is played. Long before the doors opened, a line of people in black T-shirts snaked its way in front of the entrance to the LKA-Longhorn: KAMELOT, NIGHTWISH, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS, with the occasional EPICA hoodie here and there. No one had come just to spend a quick evening there. Three bands, three sets built around powerful choruses and some of the genre’s strongest voices: for anyone who loves symphonic and melodic metal, the line-up was nearly perfect.
Temperance
Founded in Italy in 2013, the band TEMPERANCE has become one of the most prominent names in Italian Melodic Metal. The band is best known for its three-part vocal arrangements: Kristin Starkey, Marco Pastorino, and Michele Guaitoli share lead vocals. Over the course of several albums, the band has developed a sound that lies somewhere between Symphonic and Power Metal with a Hard-Rock edge.
Music & Performance
Opening slots are rarely easy and with KAMELOT’s elaborate stage set taking up most of the space, TEMPERANCE had very little room to work with. They didn’t seem to notice, however. From the very first second, the four musicians moved around the stage, switched places and captivated the audience as if they had the entire stage to themselves. The sound was clear and powerful right from the start.
Something that’s not always a given for an opening act. Kristin Starkey sounded particularly strong live, even more so than on the album and the interaction between the three singers kept the setlist varied. After just a few songs, the first hands were in the air, spontaneous clapping began and the LKA was warmed up. This was a strong first impression from a band that clearly loves what they do.
Exit Eden
EXIT EDEN started in 2017 as a studio project and made an immediate impression with their debut ‘Rhapsodies in Black’, which turned well-known pop and rock songs into big Symphonic Metal arrangements. The second album, ‘Femme Fatale’, followed in 2024 with more original material. This tour is the band’s very first, a rare chance given that the singers are usually busy with their main bands around the world. Marina La Torraca is touring with BATTLE BEAST, so Chiara Tricarico (MOONLIGHT HAZE) stepped in alongside Clémentine Delauney (VISIONS OF ATLANTIS) and Anna Brunner (LEAGUE OF DISTORTION).
Music & Performance
To put it simply, these three women can sing. Each has a very distinct voice and when they came together the harmonies were superb. At times it was hard to know who to watch. The covers did exactly what they were meant to: JOURNEY’s ‘Separate Ways’, LADY GAGA’s ‘Paparazzi’, the PET SHOP BOYS’ ‘It’s a Sin’ and Mylène Farmer’s ‘Désenchantée’ turned the hall into a singalong even for people who had never heard EXIT EDEN before. The originals held up just as well.
‘Femme Fatale’, ‘Dying in My Dreams’ and ‘Buried in the Past’ showed that the band have long outgrown the cover-project label and ‘Run!’ got an extra lift when Michele Guaitoli joined them on stage. Behind the singers was a very capable band: Nils Courbaron (SIRENIA) on guitar, Siebe Sol Sijpkens on bass and Marco Sacchetto, who played double duty after his TEMPERANCE set. This was no line of three vocalists taking turns. It was a proper show with real chemistry between them and the applause at the end was well earned.
Kamelot
Founded in 1991 in Tampa, Florida, by guitarist Thomas Youngblood, KAMELOT have spent more than three decades becoming one of the reference points of symphonic and melodic metal. Albums like ‘The Black Halo’ and ‘Ghost Opera’ are genre classics from the Roy Khan era. Since 2012 Tommy Karevik has fronted the band, first heard on ‘Silverthorn’, and has made the role entirely his own. In August 2026 KAMELOT released their 14th studio album, ‘Dark Asylum’, via Napalm Records. The current line-up is Karevik, Youngblood, Oliver Palotai (keyboards), Sean Tibbetts (bass) and Alex Landenburg (drums).
Music & Performance
The intro ‘Sanctorium’ rolled through the hall, the noise from the crowd grew and then KAMELOT went straight into ‘Ashen World’. The mix was the first thing that stood out. With guitars, keyboards, orchestral layers and backing vocals all going at once, this music can turn into mush quickly. In Stuttgart every detail came through clearly and whoever was on the desk did an excellent job.
Then there is Tommy Karevik. His range, control and power seem almost effortless. He moved between the newer material and the older classics without any strain. ‘The Great Pandemonium’ kept up the pace and ‘Rule the World’ got one of the loudest reactions of the night. Guest vocalists Ignacia Fernández and Clémentine Delauney, back on stage after her EXIT EDEN set, appeared several times and added extra colour to songs like ‘Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)’ and the dramatic ‘Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem)’.
The setlist covered the band’s whole career. Five songs came from ‘Dark Asylum’ and live they sounded fresh and confident. The title track and ‘Ivy, My Dear’ showed how much range KAMELOT have without ever losing their signature sound. Visually the show matched the music with perfect lights, fog and stage set looked grand without pulling attention away from the musicians. Thomas Youngblood and his bandmates kept working the edges of the stage and even the drum and keyboard solos fitted the flow instead of stopping it. By ‘One More Flag in the Ground’, ‘Sanctuary’ and ‘Veil of Elysium’ at the latest, the LKA had become one big choir.
Of course KAMELOT weren’t leaving without an encore. ‘March of Mephisto’ came first, with its unmistakable opening and dark weight This was my personal highlight. The night ended with ‘Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)’, the first single with Tommy Karevik on vocals back in 2012 and its huge chorus summed up everything that makes this band special. As ‘Sanctum Requiem’ played out, the faces around the hall said it all.
Setlist
01. Sanctorium (Intro)
02. Ashen World
03. The Great Pandemonium
04. Rule the World
05. Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)
06. Godlike Alchemy
07. Karma
08. Revolution
09. Nocte Veritas (Intro)
10. Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem)
11. Dark Asylum
12. Ivy, My Dear
13. Drum Solo
14. One More Flag in the Ground
15. Keyboard Solo
16. Sanctuary
17. Veil of Elysium
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18. March of Mephisto
19. Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)
20. Sanctum Requiem (Outro)
Three bands, three great performances and not one moment where you wanted to be anywhere else. TEMPERANCE showed that a small stage is no obstacle, EXIT EDEN delivered a vocal masterclass and finally KAMELOT closed the night with a headline show full of emotion, precision and sheer class. A night that showed why this band has been among the very best in symphonic metal for decades.
All Pictures by Nina Sure (@ninasurephotography)
