Tuonela Magazine recently caught up with Kamelot keyboardist Oliver Palotai to discuss the making of the band's new album, The Awakening, released back in March. Check out the interview below.
Tuonela: In a lot of interviews, you mention that The Awakening includes a lot of new elements. Can you briefly talk about the new things you introduced in this album?
Palotai: "I would say in my special case, the orchestrations are quite vast, there’s a lot going on, more than in former records. You can also hear that live, the difference with the older songs is pretty big, so that’s definitely something that I did: more complex orchestrations this time."
Tuonela: You mentioned classical orchestrations and I know that you have a degree in music. How much are you actually inspired by classical music in writing these arrangements?
Palotai: "That’s where I’m coming from. I’m a classically trained piano player and jazz pianist. That’s really what I am, I’m not really a keyboardist per se, I’m a pianist, as well as guitarist and a bass player. I’m coming from these genres even more than metal. Metal came later."
The Awakening, which debuted at #2 on the US Current Hard Music Albums chart and #27 on the Current Album Sales chart, connected with fans and critics alike - touted by many as the best late-era Kamelot release to date.
The band is thrilled to reveal an exciting new live music video for the new fan-favorite anthem, "New Babylon", featuring none other than the enchanting Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum, The Dark Side Of The Moon). The new video features high quality live footage from the band's recent European tour, adding an electrifying touch to the track's already massive sound.
Kamelot founder and guitarist Thomas Youngblood states: "Melissa Bonny joined us on this new album and massive tour, and she has been amazing to say the least. We are really excited to have her in this new video and also on the upcoming tour in North America!"
This new video arrives on the heels of Kamelot's recent announcement of their 2023 Awaken The World North American headline tour, featuring special guests Battle Beast and additional support from labelmates Xandria. The tour kicks off in Silver Spring, MD on August 17, visiting several major cities in the US and Canada before coming to an end on September 9 in Orlando, FL. Tickets are on sale now, so visit the official Kamelot website or local venue websites for tickets and more information.
Awaken The World North American dates:
August
17 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
18 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
19 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
21 - Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre
22 - Toronto, ON - The Opera House
24 - Chicago, IL - The Vic Theater
25 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
26 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman
27 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
30 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox
September
1 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency Ballroom
2 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
3 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren
5 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
6 - Dallas, TX - The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
8 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage (ProgPower USA) (Sold Out, Kamelot only)
9 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
Kamelot are:
Tommy Karevik - Vocals
Thomas Youngblood - Guitars
Oliver Palotai - Keyboards
Sean Tibbetts - Bass
Alex Landenburg - Drums
