THE EXPEDITION

'The Expedition', released in 2000, is a live album by power metal band Kamelot. It follows their forth studio album and rather than being one specific concert, features highlights from their tour of the same year, supporting power metal peers Stratovarius.

The band perform exceptionally, especially vocalist Roy Khan who can really belt out the high notes, and there's no doubting the energy of the music or the enthusiasm of the musicians, especially as there's a palpable chemistry between everyone involved. However, now the down side... I find Kamelot's first four albums range from okay to good, and while the songs here are some of the best of the bands earlier days, I'd still prefer to listen to their later material, which, conveniently, starts to really pick up with their next studio album.

But for what it's worth, this is still a decent enough release. The sound is spot on, giving everyone space to shine and stand out without drowning anyone else out. There are some cringe-inducing moments too, such as Roy Khan shouting "let's tear this place apart" between songs! I love his voice, and his energy is infectious, but this isn't the kind of music to mosh to.

Thankfully there's only eight live tracks, keeping the album fairly short and sweet, as there's then three new studio tracks included at the end, and this is where you really get your money's worth. 'One Day' is a nice enough ballad, but the key highlight for me is the rerecording of 'We Are Not Separate' from the bands debut album. With a much updated and richer sound, improved vocals and arrangements, this song is a true gem in Kamelot's discography and one of their finest works.

For that alone, this album is a great addition to any Kamelot fans collection, and at least worth checking out once by any casual listeners.