Kamelot released “Dark Asylum” on August 28, 2026 via Napalm Records. It’s the sixteenth record of their career, which spans 35 years, and the second after “The Awakening” (2023). The band plays power metal with symphonic and progressive elements, with Tommy Karevik on vocals since 2012.
Country: USA (Florida)
Genre: Power / Symphonic / Progressive Metal
For fans of: Nightwish, Symphony X, Seventh Wonder
The listen
The record starts with “Sanctorium”, a short track with recitation that doesn’t offer anything substantial. “Ashen World” is the real beginning: Thomas Youngblood delivers a strong guitar solo, which, however, gets somewhat lost in the symphonic instruments. “Dark Asylum” continues at the same strong pace, and “Sanctuary” stands out with the two female vocals of Clémentine Delauney and Ignacia Fernández.
The best track on the record is “Godlike Alchemy”, in the middle of the album: it has beautiful symphonic parts, big choruses and strong compositions. “One Last Masquerade” features Tobias Sammet of Avantasia, but the track has an interesting structure without staying in your mind. “Ivy, My Dear” is the album’s ballad, with folk instruments, but without the narrative power of older works of theirs like “Epica” and “The Black Halo”.
The main problem is that the record is long in duration, with tracks that could have been left out. Even so, no song is bad, and the best moments are enough for longtime fans. With stricter song selection, “Dark Asylum” would be stronger — either way, the band remains consistent in its quality. Those who heard “Sanctuary” as a single will find plenty of reasons to stay here, as will fans of the modern symphonic sound of Nightwish.
See also
KAMELOT: They present the new single “Sanctuary” · Noveria – Becoming After: A strong power metal album
