kamelot_2006_09

» Kamelot 2006 09 28

Reviewed by Michael the MettleAngel
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Tourname: One Cold Winter's Night Tour
Special guest: Epica, Eternal Legacy, Gravity
City: Cleveland, Ohio
Venue: Agora Ballroom
Date: 28 September 2006
Gravity set length 20 minutes
Eternal Legacy set length: 30 minutes
Epica set length: 50 minutes
Kamelot set length: 90 minutes

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Gravity

On this cold autumn night, the first youthful band to grace the stage were the instrumental variation of Gravity. This five piece ensemble of progressive ambience and heavy settle placated their patronage. They also at one time featured Jason and Shaun Vanek in their presence. We missed most of their set; still interviewing Eternal Legacy during this time. From what I could best surmise, they steadily projected their train of thought - dreamy ethereal termagent - and gravid teleological images and words onto avid fans, who were anxiously awaiting the epic allurement of Kamelot.

(Sorry, no setlist)

-- chalices of 10

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Eternal Legacy

The tempestuous crowd created a ruckus of faithful deliberation denoting the fecund coming of Cleveland's metal bretheren - brothers Shaun and Jason Vanek and their illusive brood of - time out of mind - mettle companions. This band's eternal devotion and bond to all thing metal, have garnered them the legitimate legacy to the realm of win and vice. Eternal Legacy were compelled to perform earlier than originally anticipated. The boys had just completed their round table recounteur with Wendy and I. They were all pumped and primed for action; ruled by a recusant, recrudescent alacrity and determination. Jovial Josh Gatka was still stringing and fine tuning his bass, even up until the moment they hit the stage.

Eternal Legacy initiated their set with Time Out Of Mind. This rise of demonstrable ability caused the crowd to tremor as Jason's vocal fall candidly erupted. The crushing cave-in consternation of Steve Dukuslow death droll drumming resonated in my head as he bashed those skins, never pausing; even though, that night he was injured with a sprained ankle. Jason and Shaun exchanged solos of fire and wrath while we watched, dissolved in awe. Shaun has an astute sense of spirit and bravado. He knows how to motivate the crowd; allowing them to participate in the madness and mayhem. Jason's singing is stellar as he hits so many elevated notes. Spencer Phillips flips and flails his fingers across the keyboard, forever free of waiting on any scales. He reminds me of a stripling rendition of Vadim from Dragonforce or Janne Warman from Children Of Bodom; exuding the talent of Jens Johannson of Stratovarius. While playing Realm Of Wind And Ice, Josh just jostled his four string guitar all the while emulating his bass sick idols of importance; proving that he has a grasp on the history of metal and can intuit everything afterward.

As Eternal Legacy seized the crowd with the title track from their forthcoming album - The Coming Of The Tempest, Shaun took the time to introduce his fellow musicians. Then, with one last hope, they hammered out the infectious Cyberplague, playing that grating guitar solo of expertise and adroit agility. Once again this rise of domination, who had built this city of ruin and recrimination, reeled, rented and had now torn down the walls of jeering echoes at it's very foundations. This is because every little thing Eternal Legacy does is magick. Prepare for the inevitable coming of the tempest and our metal apocalypse!

SETLIST:

Time Out Of Mind
Realm Of Wind And Ice
Coming Of The Tempest
Cyberplague

8,5 chalices of 10

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Epica

As the super manic infestation of Hunab K'u began to echo from the rafters, Wendy and I knew that our epic anticipation was realized. This facade of reality would have us all quixotically concerned, desiring to consign to oblivion. With an incandescent intrepidation, the pulchritude of purity - Simone Simons - sauntered onto the stage ever enchanted; dancing, gliding, thrashing all about as her crimson tied and flowing locks flailed with a sweet sense of rumination. Simone's subtle countenance bears resemblance to a more youthful, exhuberant Bree Van deKamp, however, Simone is not your desperate housewive ensconced in episodes of death and denial. She is simply a songbird of beauty; a nightengale of enchantment chirping her personal pellucid quietus! Guitarist Mark continued to growl and grind demonic, as the sagacious Simone gazed skywards sorrowfully to cry for the moon.

Throughout the set, Epica alternated songs from their two studio releases. The audience actively ensued the serenade singing along as Simone spun her head like a windmill intent on perfidious perdition. The apex of the evening ocurred when Mark introduced the symbolic Death cover of Crystal Mountain in honour of "Shuck Shuldiner". The keyboards sounded crisp and majestic, even though prior to learning this song, keyboardist Coen Janssen had never even heard of the band Death. This gave Simone an opportunity to rest her voice before the closing title track - Consign To Oblivion. Personally, I would have really enjoyed Simone singing on the Death cover; but, I can see why they wanted to leave it pure and original. Essentially in the near future Epica will definitely be a major force with which to contend in the beauty and the beast wars, as the new age dawns...

SETLIST:

Hunab K'u - A New Age Dawns - Prologue
Sensorium
Quietus
Cry For The Moon
Seif Al Din
Facade Of Reality
Cystal Mountain (Death Cover)
Consign To Oblivion

7,5 chalices of 10

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Kamelot

After Epica, the enthusiastic crowd was excited for Kamelot's sovereign reign. Having just returned from Canada, this was the band's first time in Cleveland. The sole society of devotees had longed for this moment as Roy Khan, now in full leather attire, began to sing. As guitarist Thomas Youngblood drove the audience into a frenzy; letting them tickle and touch his fretboard, each eager fan felt like the center of the universe, forever on the edge of paradise. As the mourning spell continued, a beautiful brunette wearing a white fur coat sang backing vocals on Abandoned. Roy discussed the advent of their new double live CD/DVD coming out October 24th called One Cold Winter's Night, which was filmed in Norway. Then the band played Moonlight. Sean Tibbits from Royal Anguish was the active touring bassist. He was doing an awesome job; especially, when Simone joined the band on stage to sing a duet with Khan on The Haunting, a song caught somewhere in time. Oliver Palotai, the band's permanent keybardist is also Simone's current love interest. She danced quite sensually in front of him, all the while, banging her head dynamically. Earlier, he had performed a rather entertaining ragtimesque keyboard solo.

At this juncture, given my proximity to the stage, I had to choose between sweating balls under the intensely well lit stage lights, or moving to a more visible location under the ceilling fans, blowing like an airport turbine. This, of course, meant that my red locks continued to flap in my face, thereby obstructing both my view and writing capabilities. Apparantly, Kamelot's tour manager is also their lighting technician. I do congratulate him on doing a fantastic job, nonetheless.

The enchanted lady in white regrouped with her epic ensembled legacy for a final expedition for the song Memento Mori. Then Casey - the man of Battery - Grillo enthralled us with a drum solo. After the first farewell, Kamelot returned and introduced us to our inevitable Karma - a Khanception of intrinsic delight. Then as fans incessantly yearned and savagely screamed "Camels Light" (or was it "Kamelot") as I could not discern given all the smokey, murky, excrescence surrounding me, and choking Wendy. It was here when Kamelot played Epiloque - the bonus track from the Japanese version of The Black Halo. I also noticed that as Khan sang this quaint ballad, that he was now clad in a leather catalfalque raimant; this accounterment must have seen him soaked in serious sweat. Then he introduced the final track, the majestic March Of Mephisto with Shagrath screeching over the speakers. The crowd just went wild, then it all suddenly ended; a moonlight night to remember, forever, and recount in glory abandoned.

SETLIST:

When The Lights Are Down
Soul Society
The Edge Of Paradise
Center Of The Universe
The Spell
Abandoned
Moonlight
Forever - Keyboard Solo
The Haunting (Somewhere In Time)
Memento Mori - Drum Solo
Farewell
Karma
Epilogue
The March Of Mephisto

7 chalices of 10

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