Okay, Khan's not the greatest singer in the world. Youngblood's not the greatest guitarist. But we know from basketball that it takes more than just having the greatest players to make a good team, and Kamelot proves that the opposite is true as well. You can have a band made up of artists who are lesser than the best, but who still can blow other bands out of the water.

Blind Guardian has Hansi, probably the best singer in power/speed metal, but they have yet to release anything that blows my mind completely.

Angra has some of the best keyboards and choral arrangements, but Andre Matos and their latest lead singer (can't remember his name) are both far too high-pitched for my taste.

Iced Earth has Jon Schaffer, probably my favorite power metal guitarist.

If you put all my favorite power metal artists together, however, you'd probably come up with one crappy album. Demons and Wizards was good, but try adding Angra's keyboards to that or something. It would be awful.

So what Kamelot has here, with Karma, is a few talented musicians who are able to work together and make an album where nothing sounds out of place. No cheesy over-the-top Blind Guardian/Rhapsody choruses, for example. Perhaps what I like about Kamelot is their ability, despite the subject matter, to actually get in there at the humanity behind it all. We have all wondered what we would give to have eternal life, so "Elizabeth" parts 1, 2, and 3 is especially haunting. "Forever" is about our wish to be united with our loved ones in the afterlife. "The Spell" is about our desire for fantasy, or rather, our desire to transcend the ordinary. Somehow, Kamelot even pull off "Don't You Cry" without sounding cheesy, and that is a real feat. Of course, there is real emotion behind that song, and every instrument carries it perfectly, including Khan's voice.

This is a surprisingly good power metal album, and can probably even be approachable to those who beforehand have turned away from the genre because it is "too cheesy". Don't get me wrong, I do like some of the cheesier stuff, but this recording shows that you can have epic music without the cheese.

I prefer Epica over Karma, but this is the first one that got me into Kamelot so it deserves its place right below that outstanding album. I would start with Karma or Epica if you are new to the band and purchase the good, but not as great, The Black Halo after.

First of all: I was eating in a japanese restaurant and for atmosphere they were playing over and over this compilation of classical pieces. I heard Satie, Brahms, Debussey, etc. One piece I did not recognize had the EXACT melody from FOREVER on this album. I wonder if this was subconscious on the part of Kamelot.
Anyway, on to the review: Kamelot and especially the singer, get so much hype. But then again the world of power metal is full of hype anyway. Don't get me wrong: enjoyable band with strong melodies. But there is an element of style that I really don't like, that is hard to explain, but if you can find the similarities between Nevermore's DHIADW and Dimmu Borgir's PEM, then you know what I mean (some of you are probably wondering what the hell element I am talking about). Also, some songs have a good melody but the structures are very boring. The thing is, in some power metal it works ok, and that holds true here as well.
The main complaint I have is that the singer's voice is too sweet and not ballsy enough. He never quite lets rip like Rob or Hansi in that metal scream. He is too reserved. But the other complaints are minor. Worth a used purchase or something, but not the 15-20 for a new copy.