Quick Reviews: Ad Infinitum & Kamelot

Do you like your metal melodic and spit-shined to the point they have absolutely no grit on them at all? This week is for you.

Ad Infinitum - Chapter III: Downfall

The first two Ad Infinitum albums were both quite good, but have fallen into that category of records I have never gone back to. Melissa Bonny is a great singer, and they write solid songs, but I can't say I have thought about a single song of theirs in between the release of the albums. I don't know why that is, and I don't know if it's going to change with this third album.

I think it might have something to do with the pristine production, which is so perfect is tends to cover up the bits of a band's performance we used to call personality. The guitars and drums are nearly robotic in their precision, which is impressive, but it doesn't do much to give the riffs any kind of swing or groove to latch onto. Musically, this is almost a canvas painted with a base coat so close to white you can't tell anything is there.

That leaves everything up to Melissa to deliver memorable melodies, which she proves herself capable of. Top to bottom, I would say this is easily the strongest Ad Infinitum album yet. Whether she's going for a poppier approach like on "Upside Down", or a more ethereal tone like on "Somewhere Better", these songs are direct and to the point about winning you over with plenty of hooks.

Only time will tell if this album endures better than the previous two, but it's starting off at a higher point. Definitely recommended.

Kamelot - The Awakening

This is one of those interesting cases where a band's profile seems bigger than ever, despite it feeling like their best work is long behind them. Kamelot has been treading the same water in the same way for many years, but their fans can't seem to get enough of it. Myself, I can't say I've ever been won over by them. I thought "Ghost Opera" was a good album back in the day, but whether it was their particular style, or Roy Khan in particular, I didn't find myself going back to their music at all. I thought switching Khan for Tommy Karevik would have made a big difference, but I was sorely mistaken.

Tommy has definitely made the role more his own over his tenure, but the scope and saturation of Kamelot's music doesn't give his voice as much room as he has in Seventh Wonder. The production on albums like this is so pristine, and so massive, it actually works against the music. Everything is so loud, the dynamics get swallowed up, and I got tired of listening to this before the album was close to done.

Kamelot is good at what they do, but they are going for an atmosphere that doesn't really mesh with my own attitudes. Couple that with just how similar the records have been, and it's a recipe for me to gloss over whatever is going on here. If you feel like you've heard this all before, it's because you have, and Kamelot doesn't have enough of my attention to overcome that.