Kamelot continue on their march to the power metal Olympus and with "Poetry for the Poisoned" they prove once more than not many bands stand in the way, for them to reach the peak and for them to be crowned kings. And it all starts with the impeccable performance by Roy Khan, who I think has never quite received the credit he deserves, he was in my humble opinion solely responsible for taking Conception to the next level and his performances in Kamelot have never been questioned and I am at loss for words for his vocal acrobatics on this album.

Kamelot stays within the safe confines of their wide sound universe, and this album has more in common with "The Black Halo" (2005) than their latest studio album "Ghost Opera" (2007), but they have broaden the horizon and this album is darker, more progressive and a lot more complex. "Poetry for the Poisoned" is as complete as "Epica", it has the charisma of "Karma" and the atmosphere and diversity of "The Black Halo", and to add the extra spice they've picked some guests to appear on the album, and they've made some very wise decisions about who to ask. They do all fit perfectly in; Jon Oliva portraying the serial killer in 'The Zodiac' and Gus G. adds a perfect guitar solo for 'Hunter's Season', Björn "Speed" Strid adds sinister vocals for the brilliant opener 'The Great Pandemonium' and the velvet pipes of Simone Simons adds an extra dimension to a couple of songs.

Thomas Youngblood's guitar sound and riffs are the heart and soul of their sound, and he continues to impress and grow as a song writer as well as lead guitarist. The change at bass is unnoticeable and new guy Sean Tibbetts forms together with drummer Casey Grillo a formidable foundation for the songs. Keyboard player Oliver Palotai has had a big impact on the sound; the complexity and progressive aspects in the songs are mostly his merits.

Sascha Paeth has been the secret sixth member of the band for a long time, and he knows exactly how to create the perfect sound for each little piece of the puzzle. The dark and sinister atmosphere is reflected in the brilliant booklet and is just another little piece, and the result is that when you add it all together, you get: Power Metal album of the year!

As an extra bonus on the limited edition they've added a cover version that is actually quite interesting and good: "Where the Wild Roses Grow" (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) where Chanty Wunder sings the parts of Kylie Minogue and she does a good job, trying to measure up with Roy Khan.