Biography

In 1991 Kamelot was founded by guitarist Thom Youngblood and drummer/ school mate Richard Warner but it took until August 1995 for their debut album “Eternity” to be released. Signing to Noise Records Germany in Spring 1994. Fans and critics alike praised Kamelot as being one of the most promising newcomers in Metal.

In 1996 their second album “Dominion” received even more attention, because it showed the variety of the band, spanning all the way from European metal to classical music and progressive. The fans and sales for Kamelot would grow over the year and the group was being touted as one the new leaders in Melodic Metal from the U.S. Not resting on their laurels the group went back to work on their 3rd and most important release. But obstacles were ahead…

1997 was a year of major changes. After the success of “Dominion” many tour opportunities came to Kamelot. Unfortunately drummer Richard Warner and vocalist Mark Vanderbilt could not tour and there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel for the two to ever tour. Kamelot’s first goal was to find a new drummer. After one audition Casey Grillo was the man. Local music veteran at the age of 21, Casey was a perfect fit for the opening. After listening to between 75 and 100 audition tapes of vocalists the band was a standstill. A whole record had been written but no one worthy enough to grab the mic. Enter Norwegian born Roy Khan. Khan’s former group “Conception” had split up the year before: That was the genesis of the new Kamelot. Before he was taken on as a band member though he had to pass a final test – he had to skydive with the other members of Kamelot. Apprehensive at first, he came through with flying colors. The chemistry was perfect from the beginning and it is a great sign of what’s to come from this union.

In 1998 new vocalist Roy Khan and drummer Casey Grillo were enlisted and the record “Siege Perilous” was now a reality. The record spawned great reviews from fans and critics led to the groups first tour of Europe in late 1998. Upon returning to their hometown of Tampa, Florida the band decided to take some time off to write and relax. In December 1998 the journey for “The Fourth Legacy” would begin after the Kamelot tour. Writing began in Tampa, Florida but after a month of work Thomas Youngblood decided to relocate to the mountains of Virginia to concentrate on songs and get a different vibe for the record.

March 1999 – after 3 months of ideas, Thomas traveled to the small village of Sorskogbygda in Norway, home of vocalist Khan. 3 weeks of isolation in the snowy village proved the songwriting team of Youngblood/Khan to be a new force to reckon with. Now to find a producer, Sascha Paeth was first on the list. His work with Rhapsody and Angra called attention to Thom’s wish list and a few phone calls later the deal was set. Final preproduction would need to be done: Where else but in the home of Kamelot in Tampa Bay, Florida. For a month the group worked out the kinks of the new songs with producer Sascha Paeth. In August 1999 recording began in Wolfsburg, Germany in August 1999 and continued til October. Choirs, real string sections and guest keyboardist Miro would round out the final songs to a beautiful blend. Mixing would be done over the next month and final mastering complete in November. The new record will set a new standard for Kamelot and the Melodic Metal genre.

January 2000 – “The Fourth Legacy” is released in January and receives rave reviews from the media and is touted as album of the year by many. April 2000 – Kamelot tour Europe with Crimson Glory and Evergrey, and are accompanied by Gunter Werno (Vanden Plas) as guest musician on keyboards. September 2000 – The live album “The Expedition” was recorded during Kamelot’s tour through Europe in April 2000. The songs were recorded and mastered by Sascha Paeth and then the album was completed by adding three rare tracks.

Spring 2001 Thomas and Khan reside in Wolfsburg, Germany from December 2000 til March 2001 to record the latest album “Karma”. Like “The Fourth Legacy” the new album Karma is produced by Sascha Paeth and Miro in the Gate Studio, Wolfsburg. Miro not only works as a producer and sound engineer, but also contributes all keyboards and orchestral arrangements to the album. On top of that, Olaf Hayer (Luca Turilli etc.), Robert Hunecke-Rizzo (Virgo, Heavens Gate )and Cinzia Rizzo (backing vocals) are engaged. Kamelot present 12 new songs, among them the opener “Forever” being the speedy track on the album, “Don’t You Cry” being an homage to Thomas Youngblood’s father who died when Thomas was 12, and the musically experimental title track being inspired by New Age and world music.The centre of the album consists of the trilogy “Elizabeth”, divided into three parts (“Mirror Mirror”, “Requiem For The Innocent” and “Fall From Grace”) and telling the story of Elizabeth Bathori who lived in the 14th century and is aid to have had more than 600 people killed as she hoped to gain eternal youth from their blood. Kamelot’s approach in this case can only be called masterly as all tracks on this album are intense and ambitious in their intention. The new album “Karma” completes the band’s history and also opens new perspectives for the future. Kamelot are definitely standing at the beginning of a glamorous year.

2003 is the year of Epica. Epica is concept album loosely based on Faust by Goethe, and follows the character of Ariel as he searches for the meaning of life, and in the process sells his soul to the devil, Mephisto, and loses the woman he loves, Helena. That’s putting the whole story in simple terms (and it is not a direct retelling of Faust).

In 2005 we receive the continuation of Faustus adaptation about the battle between good and evil that began on the predecessor album, Epica , again combines Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s opus with the band’s own experiences and views. The story is as multi-layered as it is deep, and it works on several levels. “This part is clearly more complex than the previous one; it deals extensively with political, cultural and religious events at Goethe’s time, and there is no obvious red line through the story. On The Black Halo however there are many cross references relating to our own lives, fragments of private experiences and our political opinions, like of the war in Iraq.”

As would appear fitting in view of the ambitious theme, Kamelot were supported by various guest musicians during the recordings of The Black Halo , the most renowned among them Shagrath, vocalist with Dimmu Borgir, and Stratorvarius keyboard magician Jens Johansson. The opener, the gripping mid-tempo number ‘March of Mephisto’ features a sensational meeting of Kamelot, Shagrath and Johansson. “This song embodies the album’s atmosphere,” Khan explains. “On the one hand you have Kamelot’s typical stylistic means, then Shagrath, the frontman of the world’s currently most important black metal band, and an amazing solo by Jens, whose “violininstic” approach represents the devil’s instrument.” Another impressive track is ‘Memento Mori’ with around nine minutes playing time, Kamelot’s longest number not only on The Black Halo but also in the band’s entire history. Khan: “An epic, bombastic track that stands for the end of the concept, but not for the end of the album; a little piece of art in itself.” We don’t need to mention the fact that next to unusual tracks, there are also typical Kamelot numbers along the lines of ‘Soul Society’, which feature the musicians from their speedy, powerful and at the same time deeply melodic and melancholy side. “We are always reaching for new sounds and goals with our music, but remaining true to our roots and the “Kamelot Sound” that we have created over the years”, states Youngblood.

The Black Halo was produced mainly at the Pathway and Gate studios in Wolfsburg under the direction of Sascha Paeth and Miro.Guest musicians, next to Shagrath and Johansson, are Simone Simons, vocalist with Dutch act Epica, Mari (Masqueraid), and the Kamelot choir consisting of Herbie Langhans (7 th Avenue), Amanda Somerville-Scharf, Miro, Gerit Göbel, Thomas Rettke (Heaven’s Gate) and Elisabeth Kjaernes plus additional guests. “I’d like to give a special mention to Cinzia Rizzo, who sings in Italian on the intermezzo ‘Un Assassinio Molto Silenzioso’, adding an authentic cabaret feeling to that part,” says Khan.

The Black Halo deals with Love & Wonder, Life & Death through the eyes of Kamelot.

In 2006, following the hugely successful album, Kamelot released their first live DVD, called One Cold Winter’s Night, directed by the well known film company Revolver Films and world-renowned director, Patric Ullaeus. The DVD was heralded by the press and fans alike and set a new standard for DVDs in the genre.

“With the worldwide success of The Black Halo, we knew the follow-up had to be special”, Youngblood confesses. “With Ghost Opera, we wanted to try some new things and also work with new people. I enjoyed the camaraderie very much and it has refuelled my love for this band. It gave me some perspective.” Musically, Kamelot combine different styles which they blend into their own homogenous, distinctive trademark. “We have fans in many musical camps,” Youngblood characterises the band’s unique standing. “We play power metal as much as progressive metal and gothic metal.” All these elements come to bear on Ghost Opera. “Our music is pure versatility – double bass rhythms, progressive arrangements, but also ballads and straightforward mid-tempo numbers. We don’t care what you want to call this mix. To us, the most important criterion is our own style which can’t be compared to any other band”. “Our goal is always to top ourselves” states Khan.

Youngblood and Khan can rely on longstanding comrades-in-arms in Casey Grillo and Glenn Barry, while Oliver Palotai is a new addition to the Kamelot fold. In 2006, Kamelot added the German keyboardist as a permanent member. Fans of the bands Doro and Blaze know Oliver’s skills very well, and he proved to be a force live, on Kamelot’s Black Halo World Tour. “We have been using guest keyboardists for several years now, but Oliver was different and special. We had to ask him to join us as a permanent member and would not take no for an answer,” adds Youngblood.

The production team: Sascha Paeth and Miro with Olaf Reitmeier engineering has repeatedly proved its worth. “Sascha and Miro understand us on a musical and on a personal level,” Khan and Youngblood praise the producers from Wolfsburg. “They always succeed in getting the best out of us without taking away our typical trademarks. As a result, our earlier albums still sound contemporary and fresh.”

In the first video, ‘Ghost Opera’ the band goes over the top visually with actors, choirs, orchestral members and incredible graphics seldom seen in the genre. Kamelot tell the (fictitious) story of a young-and-hopeful opera singer who is attacked, raped and injured on her way to her great debut, she could never recover from this traumatic event and every day and night she wonders what that night would have been like on her debut. This somewhat sinister story is underlined by the dark, melancholy basic mood of the song. The song features astonishing riffs and soaring melodies that surely will make it another Kamelot metal classic. “The new tracks are heavier and more complex than many of our earlier compositions,” says Youngblood. “We aimed at a tougher sound in connection with lugubrious melodies that are still extremely catchy.” Listening deliberately to Ghost Opera , you will discover a total of ten monolithic-sounding, self-contained numbers. “Some lyrics are very personal whilst others are interpretations of historical events & myths as well as comments on the world we live in. They all have a spiritual dimension to them, but these are ten songs that tell ten very different stories.” says Khan.