Kamelot - O2 Forum Kentish Town, London 02/11/24
I don’t get to many metal shows these days, so I jumped at the opportunity to visit North London for a rare UK visit from Kamelot. The Florida-born but now multi-national act are deep into their ‘Awaken The World’ tour with impressive looking support from Ad Infinitum, Blackbriar and Frozen Crown. I’m, unusually for me, bright and early for the start of tonight’s proceedings and expecting good things.
The honour of opening the show falls to Italian power metal act Frozen Crown, who, despite the early start (6.30pm), thundered their way through an impressively epic-sounding, well-received set, with statuesque blond singer Giada "Jade" Etro giving it her all vocally - while looking every inch the metal goddess - and with no less than three guitarists, Frozen Crown are not to be trifled with. The drums pound, bass gallops ala old-school Iron Maiden, and the guitarists deliver big riffs with plenty of opportunities for Federico Mondelli (who also added growly vocals on occasion), Fabiola "Sheena" Bellomo, and newest member Alessia Lanzone to shred, tap and sweep their way through the songs. Luckily, the band also understand the need for melody. I especially liked their use of triple guitar harmonies, ably captured by a surprisingly clear sound mix for an opening act. Admittedly, everything Frozen Crown played could sound similar to the uninitiated, such as myself, but ‘Steel and Gold’, from their recently released 'War Hearts' album, perfectly captured both muscle and melody and bodes well for their future.
Next up, we’ve Blackbriar from Assen in the Netherlands. In a surprising announcement, drummer René Boxem took to the stage to inform us that the band had got sick on the tour and asked us to bear with them as they didn’t want to cancel. He promised they’d give it their best shot for as long as they, and especially singer Zora Cock could manage, which they certainly did. I’m unsure if they curtailed the set a little (a random keyboard intro tells me they probably did), but they were still impressive. Blackbriar are at the gothic end of the symphonic metal spectrum, utilizing plenty of gothic imagery lyrically and visually as Zora, in a black veil, sang the intro to ‘Mortal Remains’ tossing it aside as the band crashed in. Highlights included the epic grandeur of ‘Arms of the Ocean’ and Zora performing a vocal tour-de-force of almost birdlike trills over the chugging guitars, swirling keys and crashing drums of ‘Deadly Diminuendo’. Blackbriar certainly gave it their all, with bassist Siebe Sol Sijpkens unashamedly having a whale of a time and lead guitarist Bart Winters impressing with a couple of tasteful breaks while generally preferring to let the songs breathe. If this was Blackbriar under the weather, I’d love to see them again at the top of their game.
Two bands in, and I’d say everyone present had probably had plenty of bang for their buck, and it’s only halftime. Originally a solo project for ex-Evenmore/Rage of Light singer Melissa Bonny, Ad Infinitum quickly evolved into a band with four albums to their credit, the latest of which is the recently released ‘Abyss’. Melissa Bonny is a terrific singer with a wonderfully clear mezzo-soprano (I’m told) voice but is equally adept at a deep growl. The band utilises a minimalist and modern-looking backlit panel lighting effect. Bonny looks the part in a no-nonsense, just-been-to-the-gym outfit. The look is in keeping with the sound of Ad Infinitum in 2024, which is far removed from what might be considered stereotypical symphonic metal - this is a modern metal act. The quartet employ a tried and tested guitar/bass/drums approach with notable use of electronics. Opening with a stormin’ ‘Follow Me Down’, the sound and look complement each other perfectly. Melissa’s guttural vocal chops are on full display on the catchy yet intense ‘Upside Down’ featuring a wonderfully precise lead break from guitarist Adrian Theßenvitz. The vast majority of the set is taken from ‘Abyss’ Ad Infinitum are making a musical statement, with the likes of ‘My Halo’ and the swirling orchestrations and off-kilter drum patterns underpinning ‘Anthem for the Broken’ proving particularly effective. A crowd-pleasing ‘Unstoppable’ concludes Ad Infinium’s set, but it’s not the last time we’ll see Melissa Bonny this evening.
This brings us to headliners Kamelot. Guitarist Thomas Youngblood formed the band in 1987, and Kamelot have been a mainstay of the power metal scene since 1995 and the release of their debut album. The band are back in the UK after a long absence with 'The Awakening' their first record in five years. Kamelot’s set certainly looks the part, with an impressive backdrop, metal platforming and drummer Alex Landenburg’s impressive kit, complete with a pair of overhead cymbals, dominating the stage. The venue is awash with Kamelot tour shirts, old and new, so anticipation is high. A typically overblown orchestral introduction builds anticipation before the band hits the stage with a grandiose ‘Veil of Elysium’. Youngblood's guitar crunch is perfectly complimented by Oliver Palotai’s swirling keys and topped off by a suitable huge chorus delivered with style and conviction by singer Tommy Karevik, while Melissa Bonny adds backing vocals. The band delivers an old-school, crowd-pleasing feast of a metal show with plenty of smoke, pyro sparklers and even a few blasts of a confetti cannon. Karevik plays his frontman role with gusto, working the crowd at every opportunity. Who knew you could do power metal with a feel-good party atmosphere?
With an extensive back catalogue to mine, Kamelot dipped into many of their albums during an impressive ninety-minute set. Youngblood and bass player Sean Tibbetts repeatedly crisscrossed the stage, keeping the energy high. Karevik is an excellent singer with a theatricality that perfectly compliments the songs. This works equally well on the epic power balladry of ‘Willow’ as it does in tandem with Bonny, reprising her role from the album on the epic ‘New Babylon’ complete with guttural growls as Youngblood delivers a tasty guitar solo. Karevik and Bonny also do a great job together on the monstrous ‘March of Mephisto’ before the main set concludes with expertly played keyboard and drum solos and a rousing ‘Forever’. The band encores with a fittingly flag-waving ‘One More Flag In The Ground’ and takes their leave with a crowd-pleasing ‘Liar Liar’.
This is how a live show should be. All the bands were great, the sound was excellent throughout, and the venue had friendly staff (not always a given). A big shout out to the team who put the tour together because the four bands complimented each other perfectly.
Review by David Vousden.
I don’t get to many metal shows these days, so I jumped at the opportunity to visit North London for a rare UK visit from Kamelot. The Florida-born but now multi-national act are deep into their ‘Awaken The World’ tour with impressive looking support from Ad Infinitum, Blackbriar and Frozen Crown. I’m, unusually for me, bright and early for the start of tonight’s proceedings and expecting good things.