March of Mephisto - mp3

'The Black Halo' is Roy Khan's fourth studio release with Kamelot and guitarist Thomas Youngblood, and the third straight that reaches the level of power/prog "opus." This continues the musical sound and progression of the past two, as excellent drum and guitar dances create some great and cutting rhythms. There is plenty of atmosphere, courtesy of keyboards, Khan, and a few guest vocalists. Many of the songs are a bit more riff-based, as was the case with 'Karma.' The music is true "melodic power," as it's hard to find songwriting that has more punch and flow than this.
The appropriately-titled "March of Mephisto" has a continuous and prancing rhythm that's wrapped around biting verses, with guest vocals provided by Dimmu Borgir's Shagrath. Back-strutting guitar chops are the building blocks upon which "This Pain" sits, while the title track is heavy-handed and solid.
Epica's Simone Simons lends some female layering to the tremendous lyric-based melody of "The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)," and "Moonlight" is similiar in nature. "Abandoned" is a light piano track, with the expected great vocal performance by Khan.
Virtually all other tracks have their excellent points as well: "When the Lights are Down" is a swift mover, the eight-plus minute "Memento Mori" has a strong kick-in, and all of "Soul Society," "Nothing Ever Dies," and "Serenade" are solid.
In the world of power/prog it used to be thought that Khan/Ostby was an untouchable songwriting duo. It now appears that Roy Khan may be the sole key ingredient, as he and Thomas Youngblood have clearly turned out some of the genre's best tunes of the past four years.

TRACK LIST: March of Mephisto/When the Lights are Down/The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)/Soul Society/Interlude I - Dei Gratia/Abandoned/This Pain/ Moonlight/Interlude II - Un Assassinio Molto Silenzioso/The Black Halo/Nothing Ever Dies/Memento Mori/Interlude III - Midnight - Twelve Tolls for a New Day/ Serenade