Kamelot

Kamelot is an American power metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed by Thomas Youngblood, in 1987. The Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album ''Siége Perilous'', and shared songwriting credit with Youngblood until his departure in April 2011. On June 22, 2012, Youngblood announced on their website that their new vocalist would be the Swedish singer Tommy Karevik, who was first featured on Kamelot's album ''Silverthorn'' as the main vocalist, co-songwriter, and lyricist.

As of 2022, Kamelot had released twelve studio albums, three live albums, two live DVDs and twenty music videos.

History

Early years, ''Eternity'', ''Dominion'' and ''Siége Perilous'' (1987–1998)

The band was formed, in Florida, in 1987 by guitarist Thomas Youngblood, with Richard Warner on drums, Rob Beck on vocals and Dirk Van Tilborg on bass and keyboards, as "Camelot". This name was originally suggested by Youngblood's mother, since she loved John F. Kennedy.

In 1988 they recorded the song "Breaking The Silence", composed by Youngblood and Warner, for "Tampa Bay's Metal Mercenaries: The Invasion", a cassette-only compilation of various Heavy Metal bands from Tampa Bay produced by Keith "Thumper" Collins (ex-bassist for Savatage).

In 1991 Sean Tibbetts (then using the stage name Sean Christians) joined as bass guitarist, Rob Beck was replaced on vocals by Mark Vanderbilt and Dirk Van Tilborg left the band. The band changed its name to "Kamelot" due to there being a local record store named Camelot, and to set it apart from the Camelot mythos. This line up recorded, in the same year, the band first demo.

In 1992 Glenn Barry replaced Sean Christians on bass guitar and, the following year, the band recorded its second demo. After this, David Pavlicko was recruited as keyboardist; in 1993 the band signed a deal with Noise Records and released its first album, ''Eternity'' in 1995.

The band's next album, ''Dominion'', was released in 1997. Later that year after a tour in Europe, founder Richard Warner departed the band and drummer Casey Grillo was brought in. In 1998 Mark Vanderbilt was unable to tour and Roy Khan (of Conception) was recruited as the new lead vocalist. When Roy Khan was selected, he had to prove himself by skydiving with the band. With these two new members, Kamelot released its third studio album, ''Siége Perilous''. The band undertook its first tour later that year, playing shows across Europe.

''The Fourth Legacy'', ''Karma'', ''Epica'' and ''The Black Halo'' (1999–2006)

Following their first European tour and the departure of keyboardist Pavlicko, the band returned to Tampa to write music for a new album titled ''The Fourth Legacy'', released in 1999. In mid-2000, Kamelot undertook the "New Allegiance Tour" through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Greece and Spain, during which the recordings for Kamelot's first live album ''The Expedition'' were made. A few months later, the band released its fifth album, ''Karma''. The sixth album, ''Epica'', was released in 2003. Both ''Epica'' and the band's seventh album, ''The Black Halo'', which was released in 2005, are based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's version of the legend of ''Faust'', a man who sells his soul to the devil. To support the new album, the band toured through Europe (with At Vance as a supporting band) and Japan. During the first leg of the "Black Halo World Tour 2005", Kamelot played a headliner show with Epica and Kotipelto. In Japan, the supporting group was Silent Force. The band also played at the Bang Your Head!!! Festival in Germany and the Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium.

In 2005, Kamelot made its first music videos for the songs "The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)" and "March of Mephisto" from the album ''The Black Halo''. Both videos were shot by the prolific director Patric Ullaeus. On October 5, 2005, Kamelot added Oliver Palotai as the fifth official band member; Palotai played both keyboards and (additional) guitars. On the second leg of the Black Halo World Tour, Kamelot visited North America (Canada and the United States), South America (Brazil), and Europe (Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden). On February 11, 2006, the band's live DVD, ''One Cold Winter's Night'' was filmed by Patric Ullaeus at the Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo, Norway. It was released on November 17, 2006, in Germany, on November 20 in other parts of Europe, and on November 21 in the US and Canada via SPV Records.

''Ghost Opera'', ''Poetry for the Poisoned'' and Khan's departure (2006–2011)

In late 2006, the band returned to Gate Studios in Wolfsburg, Germany, to record the album, ''Ghost Opera'', which was released on June 1, 2007, in Germany, on June 4 in the rest of Europe, and on June 5 in the US. The album was recorded and mixed at Gate Studios and Pathway Studios in Wolfsburg with the producers Sascha Paeth and Miro. Music videos were made for the songs "Ghost Opera", "The Human Stain", "Rule the World" and "Love You to Death". A re-issue of ''Ghost Opera'', labeled ''Ghost Opera: the Second Coming'', was released shortly after its predecessor. It contains the entire original ''Ghost Opera'' album and a second CD with ten live songs recorded during a concert in Belgrade, Serbia, with the additional bonus tracks, "Season's End", "The Pendulous Fall", "Epilogue" and "Rule the World (Remixed)". The World Tour 2008-2009 for ''Ghost Opera'' included three legs in Europe and one US Tour, support bands were Edguy, Firewind, Leaves' Eyes, Delain and Serenity. During the summers of 2008 and 2009, they played festivals like Wacken Open Air, Rock am Ring, Sonisphere Festival and Metal Rock Fest in Lillehammer. At the TT Circuit Assen they played as support with Within Temptation for Iron Maiden.

In December 2009, Youngblood announced that the bass guitarist Glenn Barry had officially left the band and had been replaced by the touring bass guitarist and former member, Sean Tibbetts. In January 2010, Kamelot started working on their ninth studio album, in a cabin in Norway. It was said that the band was exploring "new sounds" and that the topics on the new album would be diverse. During early 2010, Kamelot published the titles of three songs from the upcoming album on their official website: "The Great Pandemonium", "Hunter's Season" and "Thespian Drama". They also revealed that guest musicians would appear: Simone Simons (she provided vocals for the ballad "House on a Hill" and the album's title track), and later Gus G, of the Greek power metal band Firewind.

On March 25, 2010, they began the "Pandemonium over Europe" tour, which ended on April 26, 2010. Afterward, the band revealed the title of their ninth studio album as ''Poetry for the Poisoned''. It was released by earMUSIC (the international label of the entertainment group Edel) in Europe on September 10, 2010, and by the band's own label KMG Recordings (via Knife Fight Media and Dismanic Distribution) in North America on September 14, 2010. A music video for "The Great Pandemonium" was directed by Owe Lingvall and was released on September 1, 2010. ''Poetry for the Poisoned'' entered the US ''Billboard'' 200 charts at number 74, selling 6,100 copies in its first week. During the summer of 2010 they played a festival summer tour which included festivals like Wacken Open Air, Rock am Ring, Tuska Open Air Festival. The last festival of the tour was Sziget Festival on August 14.

On September 6, 2010, the band announced that Khan had fallen seriously ill during rehearsals for the upcoming North American tour, just a few days before its scheduled start, and had returned to Norway. While it was initially reported that the band would continue the tour with the Norwegian vocalist Michael Eriksen of Circus Maximus in Khan's place, the band later announced that it would postpone the tour with Khan, though one show was performed with Eriksen at the ProgPower USA XI festival in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 10, 2010. However, on December 16, due to Khan's lingering illness, it was announced that Fabio Lione of Rhapsody of Fire would replace Khan for the remaining and rescheduled dates on the Pandemonium over Latin America, Europe and North America tours in 2011, and later the 70,000 Tons of Metal Cruise in 2012. Other guest singers appeared on selected shows, such as Simone Simons singing The Haunting and Don't You Cry, Tommy Karevik singing Center of the Universe, EdenEcho and The Human Stain, Shagrath as Mephisto on March of Mephisto and Memento Mori, Alissa White-Gluz also as Mephisto on March of Mephisto and Atle Pettersen

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