Going back to the most recognizable sound a band had some years or even decades ago is a tricky thing to pull off seamlessly. Yet this is exactly what KAMELOT have managed to achieve (quite successfully, I might add) with their upcoming fourteenth studio offering, the shadowy and Gothic-tinged “Dark Asylum.” Releasing on August 28th, 2026, via Napalm Records, this record is pretty much everything long-time fans of the band wished to hear since Roy Khan retired.
Stepping into the gloomy halls of RavenHill Asylum, you are met with earworm melodies, soaring choruses, dramatic storytelling, unbridled theatricality, and cinematic soundscapes; in short, the trademark elements that have made KAMELOT one of the most prolific names in symphonic metal. And while they deliver in spades everything that is expected of them to deliver on this album, there is also a familiarity to the music and a sense of security that you know where the experience of this album will eventually lead to, that some will really enjoy… others maybe not so much. As per usual, the guest vocalists fit in perfectly within the haunting sonic landscape and theatrical darkness the backstory demands, while still adding so much of their personality to the songs they are featured on.
To me, “Dark Asylum” doesn’t feel like a concept album in the classical sense of the word, as it is more nuanced than that, with the songs being more descriptive rather than following plot points that usually anchor a story. That being said, what “Dark Asylum” brilliantly does is take the listeners on a journey that starts in the heart of darkness and goes in search of light, salvation, and maybe even redemption. Thus, each song is a stepping stone in this direction, with the end result being an immersive experience that is as ominous as it is human. As such, the atmospheric intro “Sanctorium” sets the stage and mood for what is to come with eerie ambiance and unsettling voices telling the story of RavenHill Asylum and how the residents are actually “prisoners in a world of our own creation.”
The next three proper tracks – “Ashen World,” “Dark Asylum,” and “Sanctuary” – are some moody bangers that will tear down the stages and make the crowds sing along wildly if played live on the upcoming tours. The choruses of these songs in particular are some of the catchiest I have heard from KAMELOT in a while, and the overall energy they deliver is beyond infectious. The featuring with Clémentine Delauney (VISIONS OF ATLANTIS) and Ignacia Fernández (DECESSUS), “Sanctuary,” is especially easy to get into, as its uplifting melodies, energetic riffs, fist-in-the-air hooky chorus, and trade-off of clean and harsh vocals make it an early album highlight. It sits in stark contrast to the darker and broodier title track that rides high on an anthemic chorus, dramatic storytelling, and impassioned vocals.
After a brief respite offered by the interlude “Nocte Veritas” comes the very AVANTASIA-coded “One Last Masquerade,” which features Tobias Sammet acting as one of the residents of the asylum and telling his story on a backdrop of some very vicious riffs, backing orchestrations, and an all-around dramatic ambiance topped off by an interplay between Thomas Youngblood’s guitar lines and Oliver Palotai’s keyboard. This album highlight leads into “Ivy, My Dear,” a soulful and heartfelt ballad where delicate acoustic guitar and subdued percussion blend together with Tommy Karevik’s emotional delivery to make it the album’s most tranquil and introspective moment. Released as the second single, “Godlike Alchemy” is another moody banger driven by strong melodies, a crazy good sing-along chorus, and more dramatic backing orchestrations that enhance the mood.
On the back end of the album, tracks like “The Sleeping Mind (Orphic Paradigm),” “Kaleidoscope,” and “Cassandra’s Disease” further develop the themes of the album carried by powerful rhythmic sections, shadowy atmospheres, heavy guitar work, and potent vocal lines that showcase Tommy Karevik’s range and versatility. Unfortunately, it is also around these songs that the album starts losing steam and begins to feel like it drags a bit, not because the songs are somewhat subpar (they really aren’t) but simply because there has already been so much to digest thus far and the remainder of the tracks don’t really bring anything new – musically or thematically – to the experience. Which is a shame, seeing as I prefer the latter album ballad “Enigma (Think of Me)” and its heart-wrenching message to “Ivy, My Dear,” while the penultimate track, “The Puppet King,” harkens back to the energy and intensity of the opening trio of tracks. The only tonal mishap on this album (for me, at least) is the folky “Beneath the Moon (Tunglið)” – a bright and radiant track sung in Icelandic by the ethereal voices of Rannveig Sif Sigurðardóttir and Sólveig Sara Leupold, accompanied by violin lines from ELUVEITIE’s Lea-Sophie Fischer – that I can’t fit into what this album offers sonically. Orchestral outro “Sanctum Requiem” closes our visit to RavenHill Asylum in dramatic fashion on piano and swelling orchestrations.
All-in-all, KAMELOT offers an impressive introspective journey on “Dark Asylum” as themes such as self-discovery, self-acceptance, fractured memory, and the unavoidable inner struggles of the human experience are central to the album’s overarching narrative. Consequently, the album is more focused and cohesive, effectively guiding the listeners along this path of healing and finding the inner strength to cope with this existence. At its peak, it proves that KAMELOT can blend a melodic hook with riveting storytelling like few others can, in (big) part thanks to Tommy Karevik’s penchant for emotional and heartfelt singing. More to that point, on “Dark Asylum” he sounds more liberated from the band’s fixed formula, and thus he brings more depth, texture, and nuance to his vocals, which in turn benefit the whole album. Though far from reinventing the proverbial wheel, the band refine and redefine their strength, and in doing so KAMELOT prove once more why they are such a force to be reckoned with on the international metal scene.
Written by Andrea Crow
Tracklist
1. Sanctorium
2. Ashen World (feat. Ignacia Fernández)
3. Dark Asylum
4. Sanctuary (feat. Clémentine Delauney & Ignacia Fernández)
5. Nocte Veritas
6. One Last Masquerade (feat. Tobias Sammet)
7. Ivy, My Dear
8. Godlike Alchemy
9. The Sleeping Mind (Orphic Paradigm)
10. Kaleidoscope
11. Enigma (Think of Me)
12. Cassandra’s Disease
13. Beneath the Moon (Tunglið) (feat. Rannveig Sif Sigurðardóttir, Sólveig Sara Leupold, Lea-Sophie Fischer)
14. The Puppet King
15. Sanctum Requiem
Lineup
- Tommy Karevik – Vocals
- Thomas Youngblood – Guitars
- Oliver Palotai – Keyboards
- Sean Tibbetts – Bass
- Alex Landenburg – Drums
Label
Napalm Records
