Allow me to go back to Kamelot for a moment if I may. I love this band for one primary reason...the melodies. They understand how to write a hook.
I agree. It’s the reason I own five of their records.
Let me lift just one song from the 'Haven' disc...'Veil Of Elysium'. I can play that song through a couple of times and an hour or two later I will find myself humming the melody as I go about my day. And I honestly cannot say that about very many metal bands at all. When I play most metal music, I usually will remember one thing...a powerful guitar riff. But when I play Kamelot's music, I hear and remember the SONG itself. The vocal line. It just sticks in my head and I cannot get it out. And this is the band's most amazing strength musically imo...the ability to write songs that stick with you melodically.
I would agree with this as well. Where our paths diverge lies in how much their newer songs continue to stick in my head; not at all. Rather than being absorbed by the melody, I’m bored of it. I feel as if these are all melodies I’ve heard from them before. Do the songs sound exactly like any one specific song from their catalog? Not necessarily. However, do they sound just like the whole of the catalog? Absolutely. Without fail, upon first listening to “Haven”, I knew when the song would get softer, when they would soar, when they would change pace, when Tommy would hold a note, etc. It’s become predictable to the point of being tedious. Now, if you’re someone who simply can’t get enough of this style, I appreciate why another album of more of the same is a welcomed addition. But I don’t fall into that demographic. And at this point, “Haven” is an unnecessary addition to my collection.
Again, I must use my wife here as a sounding board. Please understand she is not a metal fan. Her tastes run to the mellower side of classic rock and folk rock. However, she heard 'Under Grey Skies' one time in our car and pronounced: "If there were any justice in this world, that would be a massive radio hit." So I asked her why she felt that way. And she said: "Just listen to the vocalists, the male and the female. And that chorus...You may call me a dreamer...it just sticks in your head after one listen."
Had I never heard a Kamelot song before, I’d feel similarly.
Now, say what you will, but that is an art form in it's own right in my opinion. Is it a wanky widdly shreddy display of musical chops and instrumental prowess? Nope. But is it incredibly musical? I would argue yes.
Just to clarify, my position is not at all based on the skill level of the musicianship. The musicianship in Kamelot is excellent. My criticisms are only directed toward the sameness of the songs.
Another song is 'My Therapy'...which just came up on my play list at work. That song is just so well written. Take the chorus: "Come and take me off my daily dose of pain, take me off and shelter me from this static nothing. You’re the antidote for solitude injected in my veins. May the touch of your hand forever be...my therapy." That entire melody just RULES imo. The very first time I played it here, all of my work mates were asking 'Who is that? Sounds amazing.' I don't find that to be soporific or uncreative at all. I think writing a hook which captures emotion and feeling and sticks in people's brains is just as valid as writing a fifteen minute musical opus filled with crazy starts and stops and time signature changes and all kinds of cool instrumental twists and turns. Don't get me wrong. I love complex and challenging music also...as much or maybe even more than the next guy. But I also love music which connects on a more visceral and emotional level too. It's not that one is great and the other sucks...at least in my opinion. Music connects on many levels. There's more than one way to appreciate it. .
Again, my position is not at all based on song duration, odd time signatures, or some unholy need for lyrics to be derived from Greek tragedies. As for your friends and wife who immediately found these hooks appealing, how many of them are familiar with the five records that preceded “Haven”? All along, my argument has not been that “Haven” wouldn’t sound fresh and hooky to someone who’s never heard Kamelot before. My point is that the hooks, although quality, are hooks I’ve heard from Kamelot many times before. Does writing more quality hooks take talent? Yes. Can you consider that an art form? Sure. Are you exploring your art if you simply churn out ten new songs that are interchangeable with any of the songs from your previous three records? No. Not in my opinion.
EDIT: I will go back and give Haven another listen.
