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Studio album number 14 for Kamelot has the multinational band delving into concept album territory.
Set within the halls of Victorian-era RavenHill Asylum, ‘Dark Asylum’ conjures up cinematic imagery of fictional establishments like Arkham Asylum and Peter Jackson’s early masterpiece, ‘The Frighteners’, where the backstory is that two delinquents went on a killing spree at the local psychiatric institution, murdering numerous patients and staff, and decades later, supernatural forces are at work inside the decaying, abandoned sanatorium. Spooky as shit, but great fun.
Equally scary but less fun: how about Nurse Ratched, the antagonist of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest? Asylums are fantastic staging grounds for the arts because most of us will never see the inside of one, meaning the artist has, to an extent, artistic freedom in how they portray what goes on behind the closed doors. And it is this concept that Kamelot principal musical songwriter, founding member/guitarist Thomas Youngblood, and vocalist/lyricist Tommy Karevik turn to on ‘Dark Asylum’.
Like all good concept albums, ‘Dark Asylum’ begins and ends with short instrumental pieces of music that help to elevate the cinematic and theatrical atmosphere that Kamelot creates throughout the length of the album.
‘Ashen World’ comes to life once opener ‘Sanctorium’ fades out, and it is instantly recognisable as Kamelot. It’s packed to the rafters with Kamelot trademarks, like an explosive performance from drummer Alex Landenburg, crucial keyboard fills from Oliver Palotai, and the usual thick, bootstomping grooves from the ever-reliable Sean Tibbetts on bass. Youngblood is more prominent here than he has been on previous albums, and it’s great to hear his guitars high up in the mix. That only leaves the majestic vocals of Tommy Karevik, who is on stunning form. It’s a fast-paced opener with Karevik’s otherworldly clean vocals meshing seamlessly with the harsh vocals from Ignacia Fernández (Decessus). There is also a fantastic waltz-like quality to parts of the music, Disney’s Haunted Mansion ballroom scene ramped up to the max.
The title track quickly follows on, with Landenburg leading the charge in fine, galloping style. Full of life, if you needed to explain to a stranger what Kamelot are all about, then this would be a perfect example. Fast, heavy, with huge, hooky, melodic choruses, another standout performance from Karevik, and a riproaring solo from Youngblood. The more commercial side to Kamelot lands with one of the highlights of the album: ‘Sanctuary’. Massive single-potential, it is stunning. Three-way vocals from Karevik and guest vocalists Clémentine Delauney & Ignacia Fernández, where the harsh vocals from the latter perfectly offset the clean vocals from two of the best around today. Heavy and bombastic, with some incredible earworm moments.
Karevik excels in this theatrical medium, as his work with Arjen Lucassen on his Ayreon project proves; Lucassen wrote the part of Daniel for his ‘Transitus’ album with Karevik in mind, and it’s special hearing him go toe-to-toe with another purveyor of grandiose storytelling, this time on ‘One Last Masquerade’, where Tobias Sammet pops up for a guest vocal performance. The dual vocals are obviously the main selling point, but Youngblood’s guitar solo just about steals the show, as do the huge arrangements. Karevik will be a huge Broadway star in the future; his wonderfully expressive vocals are ideal for a musical, and slower moments like ‘Ivy, My Dear’ and ‘Enigma (Think of Me)’ highlight that thought.
Much to admire on ‘Dark Asylum’: the gradual build of ‘Godlike Alchemy’, which is going to sound massive when performed live; the sheer fun and bombast to be found within ‘The Sleeping Mind (Orphic Paradigm)’; the ethereal tones of Rannveig Sif Sigurðardóttir and Sólveig Sara Leupold on ‘Beneath the Moon (Tunglið)’ which also features Lea-Sophie Fischer (Eluveitie) on violin; and the ballsy, full-tilt closing track ‘The Puppet King’.
Like most Kamelot albums, ‘Dark Asylum’ is bold and ambitious. Arguably the strongest of the Karevik era. Curated with the live stage in mind. It’s going to be interesting to see how the album slots into the current setlist, as several tracks deserve their place in a setlist that must get more difficult with each new album.
Available now via Napalm Records.
Review – Dave
Photo credit: Timo Maczollek / Nat Enemede
KAMELOT Live 2026: Dark Asylum World Tour
North America Pt. 1
w/ VISIONS OF ATLANTIS & FROZEN CROWN
08/31/26 – The Studio at the Factory – Dallas, TX
09/02/26 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ
09/03/26 – House of Blues – Las Vegas, NV
09/04/26 – House of Blues – Anaheim, CA
09/05/26 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
09/07/26 – Vogue Theater – Vancouver, BC
09/08/26 – Neptune – Seattle, WA
09/10/26 – Rockwell at The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
09/11/26 – Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
09/12/26 – The Truman – Kansas City, MO
09/14/26 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
09/15/26 – The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
09/17/26 – The Arcada Theater – St. Charles, IL
09/18/26 – Globe Iron – Cleveland, OH
09/19/26 – Phoenix Concert Theater – Toronto, ON
09/20/26 – MTELUS – Montreal, QC
09/22/26 – Theater Capitole – Quebec City, QC
09/24/26 – Keswick Theater – Glenside, PA
09/25/26 – The Palladium – Worcester, MA
09/26/26 – Palladium Times Square – New York, NY
09/27/26 – The Fillmore Silver Spring – Silver Spring, MD
CAMFEST DARK ASYLUM
30/10/26 NL – KAMFEST – Tilburg / O13 (XANDRIA, Leaves Eyes, Elegy)
31/10/26 NL – KAMFEST – Tilburg / O13 (Black Briar, EXIT EDEN, TEMPERANCE)
Europe Pt. 1
w/ EXIT EDEN & TEMPERANCE
01/11/26 UK – London / SBE
03/11/26 UK – Manchester / O2
05/11/26 DE – Oberhausen / Turbinenhalle
06/11/26 CH – Pratteln / Z7
07/11/26 FR – Lyon / Rayonne
08/11/26 DE – Stuttgart / LKA
10/11/26 PL – Krakow / Klub Studio
11/11/26 PL – Warsaw / Progresja
13/11/26 HR – Zagreb / Boogaloo
14/11/26 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra
15/11/26 RS – Belgrade / Hangar
17/11/26 IT – Trezzo sull’Adda / Live Club
18/11/26 IT – Padova / Hall
20/11/26 FR – Toulouse / Metronum
21/11/26 ES – Barcelona / Razz 1
22/11/26 ES – Madrid / Riviera
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