Kamelot - The Black Halo (2005)

I've tended to be a bit eeehhh about American power metal, and Kamelot has been a band I've grown to like, without adoring, but it must be said that they've been getting better and better with each album, and THE BLACK HALO, which continues the story they started on EPICA, and kind of based on Goethe's "Faust", would be their best yet.
Considering the subject matter, the record itself (which includes appearances by Stratovarius' Jens Johansson, Epica's Simone Simon and Dimmu Borgir's Shagrath), is reasonably straight forward, but the production is beautiful and the performances first class.  I should also admit that I don't think I've given Khan's voice enough praise in the past - he really is one of the best in his field, and he shows it here.
Such songs as "When The Lights Are Down", "The Black Halo" and "Nothing Ever Dies" are just a few of the higlights of this very impressive release from a band who maybe I've undervalued so far.

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