Modern heavy symphonic metal leaders KAMELOT have announced the 2023 “Awaken The World” North American headline tour, featuring special guests BATTLE BEAST and additional support from XANDRIA. The tour kicks off in Silver Spring, Maryland on August 17, visiting several major cities in the U.S. and Canada before coming to an end on September 9 in Orlando, Florida.
KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood offers: “We are beyond excited to return to North America for the ‘Awaken The World’ tour! We just returned from four weeks in Europe to packed houses, so we cannot wait to play new songs and the new set to the KAMELOT Nation U.S. and Canada. Joining us on the journey will be our good friends and live legends BATTLE BEAST from Finland, as well as our friends XANDRIA, who are returning to our shores to round off an amazing lineup. See you all at the shows!”
A special BLABBERMOUTH.NET presale will begin on Wednesday, April 26 at 7:00 a.m. PDT and end on Thursday, April 27 at 10:00 p.m. local time. When prompted, type in the presale code “AWAKEN” to access tickets before the general public. General on-sale will be Friday, April 28 at 10 a.m. local time.
KAMELOT‘s “Awaken The World” North American tour with BATTLE BEAST and XANDRIA:
Aug. 17 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
Aug. 18 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
Aug. 19 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Aug. 21 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre
Aug. 22 – Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
Aug. 24 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater
Aug. 25 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
Aug. 26 – Kansas City, MO @ The Truman
Aug. 27 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
Aug. 30 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Sep. 1 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
Sep. 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
Sep. 3 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
Sep. 5 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
Sep. 6 – Dallas, TX @ The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
Sep. 8 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage (ProgPower USA) (KAMELOT only)
Sep. 9 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
KAMELOT‘s first full-length album in five years, “The Awakening”, arrived on March 17 via Napalm Records.
Having reigned supreme with the release of internationally top-charting melodic metal pinnacles such as “The Fourth Legacy” (1999),“The Black Halo” (2005),“Silverthorn” (2012),“Haven” (2015) and most recently 2018’s acclaimed “The Shadow Theory”, “The Awakening” enters the KAMELOT legacy as their most massive and diverse offering yet — mixing symphonic, gothic, melodic, progressive and power metal styles while yielding some of the heaviest tracks in the band’s history.
Youngblood says: “With ‘The Awakening’, we have one of our most diverse albums in years. We’ve fused elements from progressive, power and gothic metal to symphonic and melodic metal on this one. Working with incredible guest artists from around the music industry and having producer Sascha Paeth and Jacob Hansen mixing gave us another step up on overall sound. This album offers everything to KAMELOT fans and also reaches beyond borders to new metal and hard rock legions.”
KAMELOT is one of few bands in the symphonic genre to fully embrace the dark, but of course, there can be no light without it. Inspiring, engaging lyrical themes of determination, strength, overcoming personal battles and growth are abound on “The Awakening”, provoked by extreme societal shifts and the overwhelming realization that we have such a brief time to be true to ourselves and live life to its fullest.
With crystal clear modern production helmed by the band and longtime producer Sascha Paeth, plus mixing and mastering by Jacob Hansen of Hansen Studios, KAMELOT‘s score-like 13th studio album is accented by guest contributions from the likes of Melissa Bonny (AD INFINITUM) and renowned instrumentalists like violinist Florian Janoske and Guo.
Showcasing the incomparable, stage-seasoned vocal acrobatics of Karevik and increasingly airtight, renowned technical teamwork of Youngblood, drummer Alex Landenburg, keyboardist Oliver Palotai and bassist Sean Tibbetts, “The Awakening” embraces enlivening themes that every listener can relate to. KAMELOT‘s intense brand of ultramodern gothic and symphonic theatricality is amplified further and with more emotionality than ever on this inspiring, anticipated addition to the KAMELOT legacy.
Tracks honoring KAMELOT trademarks like cinematic “The Great Divide” and darkly hopeful eternal farewell to a loved one, “Eventide”, prove that while “The Awakening” stays true to the aural foundations fans have embraced for decades, equally addictive outputs like “One More Flag In The Ground” — a radio-ready anthem about overcoming seemingly unbeatable illness and the mental challenges we all face, featuring additional vocal layers from Juno Award-winning musician and producer Brian Howes — showcase a band devoid of sonic stagnancy. Profound compositions are plentiful, like stage-ready, operatic “Opus Of The Night (Ghost Requiem)”, which features a hair-raising dual solo from Youngblood and the Grammy-nominated, soundtrack-featured cellist Tina Guo, as well as epic, synth-laden “New Babylon”, elevated by the dynamic vocal attack of Karevik and Bonny. Further balancing darkness with light, grooving, heartfelt “NightSky” and ode to conquering one’s adversities “My Pantheon (Forevermore)” boast some of the album’s heaviest moments and most complex guitar solos, while pensive hymns such as Celtic-infused “Midsummer’s Eve” and ebbing-and-flowing hymn of cherished memories “Willow” provide necessary balance to an album fittingly primed for spectacular performances to come.
Photo credit: Tom Couture