Kamelot

Though wary of Kamelot to begin with, I eventually fell prey to the diabolical magnetism of "March of Mephisto,” the band’s 2005 single (from Black Halo) featuring Dimmu Borgir’s Shagrath, and now they’re a hard taste to shake. Follow-up album Ghost Opera doesn’t have any one song with that same persuasive lure but much of the record is satisfyingly tainted with the darkness that so often (arguably) saves progressive power metal from disaster. "Rule the World,” coming right after the instrumental intro, is one of the songs that shows Kamelot at their best, demonstrating the band’s successful reliance on Eastern influences. Midway through, Ghost Opera loses some steam, teetering between passionate and overbearing and damn near tipping onto the wrong side. The album closes with the redeeming momentum of "Silence of the Darkness” and "EdenEcho” bracketing the quiet serenade of "Anthem” and dispelling most of the pomposity (SPV/Fusion III)