Poetry for the Poisoned

I dig Kamelot, I'll let you know right away.

And this one, which came out last July, does not disappoint. They continue to develop musically, thematically, lyrically . . . Lead singer Eric Khan is in fine voice, as you'd expect, but these guys flex their creative muscles.

The one is darker than their previous work. The guitar work is a bit more pronounced, and there are more solos than I normally expect from them. All of this is a Good Thing. Getting Epica's Simone Simons to contribute vocals on a couple of songs is also a Good Thing--she's no stranger to Kamelot's recording sessions but here she's especially wonderful. Check her out on "House on a Hill." Absolutely wonderful song.

There aren't that many albums--not even by these guys--that I usually listen to from beginning to end. This one is that good, though. There aren't any songs I want to skip over. Check it out. It's quite wonderful.

I give this one an A+. And I do not hand those out lightly.