printAny prog rockers in the house? Two? Better than none. Good progressive rock is as popular as H. L. Mencken these days.
No wonder Kamelot did not keep the marvelous, classically trained mezzo-soprano Simone Simons. Too much competition (and jealous wives). Best headbanger ever. Superb singer, too.
“The Haunting,” a song on Kamelot’s “The Black Halo” CD, sports a strong melody and fine arrangements, to say nothing of solid playing and stunning vocals from the backup singer, Ms. Simons mentioned. Then again, the instrumentals make it clear these lads listen to symphonies—from Mozart to Mahler.
Not that lyrics matter much, but for inspiration, the band draws on imagery evoked by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust. How tellingly Western.
Heroic, epic, grand themes serve as a contrast to the self—and inner-injury—obsessed themes that animate today’s musical illiterati.
“The Haunting”
Merely the sound of your voice
Made me believe that, that you were her
Just like the river disturbs
My inner peace
Once I believed I could find
Just a trace of her beloved soul
Once I believed she was all
Then she smothered my believes
One cold winter’s night
I may follow her voice to the river
Somewhere in time I will find you and haunt you again
Like the wind sweeps the earth
Somewhere in time when no virtues are left to defend
You’ve fallen deep
How could that first time recur
When memories linger on and on
What made me think you were her
Helena is dead to all
Dead to all
Nothing can bring her to life
Don’t pretend that I’ll be loving you
Once I believed she was gone
I corrupted from within
Leave me for now and forever
Leave what you can
Somewhere in time I will find you and haunt you again
Like the wind sweeps the earth
Somewhere in time when no virtues are left to defend
You’ve fallen deep
I was a liar in every debate
I rule the forces that fueled your hate
When the cold in my heart leaves, it comes to an end
Quietly now go to sleep
Follow me into the light
Like ice on a lake of tears
I’ll take you through
Or leave me tonight
I’ve gone too far to begin all anew
With someone like you
Somewhere in time I will find you and love you again
Like the wind sweeps the earth
Somewhere in time when no virtues are left to defend
You’ve fallen deep
I was a liar in every debate
I rule the forces that fueled you hate
When the cold in my heart leaves, it comes to and end
Quietly I’ll go to sleep
RELATED: “March Of Mephisto By Kamelot.”