1) New Allegiance 0:54
2) The Fourth Legacy 4:56
3) Silent Goddess 4:16
4) Desert Reign 1:39
5) Nights of Arabia 5:26
6) The Shadow of Uther 4:46
7) A Sailorman's Hymn 4:05
8) Alexandria 3:54
9) The Inquisitor 4:35
10) Glory 3:43
11) Until Kingdom Come 4:11
12) Lunar Sanctum 5:58
Total playing time = 48:23
Khan - Vocals
Thomas Youngblood - Lead, Rhythm and Acoustic guitars
Glenn Barry - Bass
Casey Grillo - Drums
All music, lyrics and arrangements by Youngblood/Khan
except 6 & 9 - music by Youngblood/Barry/Khan
New Allegiance arranged by Kamelot based on "Éclipse" - a composition of René Dupéré
Produced by Sascha Paeth and Miro
Recorded at Gate Studio, Wolfsburg, Germany and Pathway Sound Studios, Wolfsburg Aug/Sept 1999
Mixed and Mastered by Sascha Paeth at Pathway Sound Studios - October 1999
Cover Art/Design - Derek Gores
Photography- Thomas Kuschewski
Guest Musicians:
Miro : All Keyboards and orchestral arrangements
Thomas Rettke : Background Vox on "Nights of Arabia" , "Until Kingdom Come" & "Alexandria"
Dirk Buirneberg and Robert Hunecke-Rizzo : Additional Drums
Sascha Paeth : Additional Guitars
Rannveig Sif Sigurdardóttir : female voice on "A Sailorman's Hymn"
Cinzia Rizzo : female voice on "Nights of Arabia"
Farouk Asjadi : flute & additional percussion on "Desert Reign"
D-bass on Arabia by Andre Neygenfind
Strings sections by Fallersleben String Quartet
Flute by Simon McTavish
This is a very good album. It is the first Kamelot album I've heard so I can't compare it to other Kamelot albums. It's the second album with Roy Khan (ex-Conception) on vocals and he proves again that he is a wonderful singer. His voice has something exotic in it and that fits excellent with the music of Kamelot. The only thing is that the only songs that really great are the fast and the slow songs. The mid-temp songs are IMO not really outstanding. Don't get me wrong they aren't bad but compares to a song like "The Fourth Legacy" they are less interesting. But that's all negative I have to say. Further I have only compliments for the musicians which are all really good. The front cover of the album is also cool. And the production is outstanding. But that's because they worked together with Miro and Sascha Peath. Those two we know off course from Rhapsody. I think that this album will be the breakthrough for this band. And that these people will stay in our MetalHearts forever.
1. New Allegiance (8,5/10)
Good and heavy intro we have here. New Allegiance is based on "Eclipse" - a composition of René Dupéré. It's the perfect into for the next song
2. The Fourth Legacy (10/10)
This is by far the best song of the album. Very heavy and fast with a good story. The solo in the middle of the song is a beautiful fight between guitarist Thomas Youngblood and Miro the guest musician on the keyboard. This song is an excellent example of a Happy Power Metal song. Just because after just one listening the song is completely in your head and it will stick in there for a lot of days.
3. Silent Goddess (8/10)
Time now for a song that's a little bit slower than The Fourth Legacy. It is a little bit a disappointment after hearing The Fourth Legacy, not that it's bad but you expect another song like that one. But after a couple listenings to this song it becomes a good metalhymn.
4. Desert Rain (8/10)
An instrumental one, the intro for Nights of Arabia. When you hear this song you can actually feel the sand of the Arabian Desert in you're hair. The heat is unbearable. You hear people and those people make music and than you hear:
5. Nights Of Arabia (9,5/10)
Nights Of Arabia. A song completely with an Arabian sound. One of the best songs of the album. Roy Khan really shows here that he is an outstanding singer. And the female vocals of Cinzia Rizzo are also beautiful. This song will maybe become a classic one just like "I Want Out" of Helloween.
6. The Shadow Of Uther (9,5/10)
The second speed metal song of the album and a good one. This song has a nice string section in it and a catchy refrain. The violin solo is really great to hear and refreshing. You don't hear very often the violin as a solo-instrument. The medieval end of the song is also great to hear.
7. A Sailorman's Hymn (9/10)
The first real metalballad of the album. As the title say, the song is about the sad story of a sailorman. The song is completely acoustic. And again a female sings the second voice, which is a very good combination in my opinion. It gives a ballad an extra dimension. Very well done ballad which is perfectly timed, because my head is beginning to hurt.
8. Alexandria (7,5/10)
Again a song with an Arabic sound in it. But not Arabia but Egypt is subject of the song. The song is mid-tempo and is a nice one but not interesting enough compare to the other songs.
9. The Inquisitor (7,5/10)
Just like Alexandria is this a mid-tempo song which can't hold my attention very long. It isn't a bad song but one of the less good songs of the album.
10. Glory (9/10)
Again a real metalballad and a good one. But I have the feeling that this songs very similar to another song but I don't know which one. It has something familiar in it. But I like ballads a lot and also this one. This is by the way also an acoustic one.
11. Until Kingdome Come (9,5/10)
Well after a nice ballad it's time for some real headbanging. And this song will make you do that. Another speedy song and again it's a good one with again a catchy refrain. I'm really enjoying this type of songs. Fast with some terrible good solo's in it. These fast songs are also the best live songs in my opinion.
12. Lunar Sanctum (8/10)
Last song of the album and by far the best mid-temp song. With a long intro and a slow begin it looks a bit boring. But after hearing this song a couple of times I really like this song. Khan is singing very well on this one. The only the part I don't like is where he sings like a robot. I really hate that. But that's the only negative thing of this song.
Average songs = 87/100
Musicians = 92/100
Production = 94/100
Lyrics = 85/100
