Metalcatto
I’ve known of Kamelot since The Black Halo. The band is one of the few Power Metal acts that has a 5/5 in my book. A career full of twists and turns, but overall filled with consistency and—I can’t believe I’m saying this—quality. If there’s a cheesy band I trust can pull off a good performance, it’s this one. So, Dark Asylum has got some level of expectations, I guess. Yes, it’s geeky music, so I’m apprehensive again.
This album should be called Kamelot‘s networking mastery, because almost half of the tracks have a guest. This gives more texture to what otherwise would be another melodramatic release. Bombastic writing, intense ups and downs—this feels like the band’s compilation of hits instead of a single idea manifested across several tracks. The variety is impressive, but it also makes the album feel less cohesive.
The vocals, whether clean or harsh, are top notch. Same can be said about the guitar solos. I assume there’s a bass player here, but the production is so clean that I can’t hear any nasty distortion anywhere. You’ll have every single type of track Kamelot has ever done, because the album is longer than The Magic Mountain ( ifyou don’t know that one, you should read more), but at least it’s more fun. Yet this is still a difficult ride for me.
I don’t want to say Dark Asylum is full of indulgence, because in general most tracks here are good. But fifteen tracks? Really? Do we really need so much dark drama? We even get an interlude that could perfectly be gone. Did my guys get paid per track? Maybe. I’d love something more compact and focused, with obviously fewer power ballads. If that’s doable, then I’m in for more cosmic soap opera.
I know I just trashed these guys a little, but you know how many bands of this kind still make decent music thirty years into their career? Almost none. So more than bashing our elders, I’ll try to respect them for once. The Dark Asylum is all over the place—it’s full of everything Kamelot is known for—but it’s made with real love for the game. That’s something, right? They can still deliver an enjoyable record. And in a world of endless cynicism, that’s worth acknowledging. Now, I’m going to listen to some disgusting Black Metal to recover from this.
Label: Napalm Records
Release date: August 14th, 2026
Website: https://kamelot.bandcamp.com/album/dark-asylum
Country: USA
Score: 3.4/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 