Words: Scott Harrell

Photo: Tobias Leivald

Metal trends come and go - in America, at least. While they've been a festival favorite overseas for a decade and a half, Tampa-bred symphonic metal outfit Kamelot is something of an underground act over here, even in its own hometown. But that's starting to change, and with the release of Ghost Opera: The Second Coming, a deluxe reissue of the band's breakthrough '07 album, Kamelot is headed across the States to thank old fans for their loyalty, and indoctrinate new ones in their sound. Guitarist and founder Thomas Youngblood talked to REAX about it on the eve of his act's St. Petersburg tour kickoff.

REAX: What was the impetus behind releasing The Second Coming?
Thomas Youngblood: We had a live record that we wanted to release that we did in Belgrade, we had it profesionally shot. So we could've either put out a short live record, or this idea came up to reissue Ghost Opera with all this live material, some unreleased songs, an expanded booklet, just to give the fans something different. And lot of new fans got [a second chance to discover] this record.

REAX: A lot of genres use bonus content and extra-laden re-releases to combat downloading, and reward fans for buying the physical product. Does Kamelot fall victim to the whole filesharing thing?
TY: I think all bands do to a certain extent. Though I gotta say we're pretty lucky that our fanbase still appreciates getting the physcial package. They like to have the booklet with the art and the lyrics. There's always gonna be that percentage of listeners that don't buy music, some have been raised that way at this point. But I don't know, I think we have the kind of fanbase that appreciates it. That's one of the things that make the band popular with the company, because our record sales continue to increase. [Laughs] It's all testament to the fans, and hopefully to us trying to put out as good a package as possible, something we think we as fans would want to spend money on.

REAX: A lot of bands that use atmosphere, classical influences and some of the other classic hallmarks of old-school metal are very closely associated with Europe. Do you feel like Kamelot is part of some primarily European tradition?
TY: Yeah, I think so. We have a lot of fans that think we're from Finland or Germany. Our vocalist is from Norway and he's a co-songwriter, so there's gonna be a taste of European influence in our songs. But from the beginning, we've been influenced by bands like Iron Maiden, even European pop bands like A-Ha. We started our touring scene and fanbase prety much in Europe. I don't know, it's pretty much been our backbone, this particular kind of symphonic roots thing, that has made us unique for an American band.

REAX: There seems to be a family of Tampa metal bands that work in classically influenced melodic styles and have done better overseas, going back to Savatage and Crimson Glory.
TY: Definitely. Those guys, they paved the way for bands like Kamelot. I remember going to see Avatar before they were Savatage. If it wasn't for Savatage, I never would've thought a Bay area metal musician could have a broader audience. Seeing their success made me think hey, there's a scene outside this area I wanna be a part of. We went to the same studio those guys went to, put 100 percent focus into our demo, made sure it sounded like something the companies could release if they wanted to. And that's what happened. Noise Records, which eventually became Sanctuary, they were playing it in their office and somebody walked by and asked who it was, and we got a contract. It was a lot of work to get to that point, but in a sense we still feel like we're just getting started. We've got 40-year-olds and 13-year-old people coming ot the show, it's pretty cool.

REAX: What do you think it is about American music fans that leads them to have such short, trend-oriented attention spans when it comes to music?
TY: I don't know. I've always thought about that. It might just be the way that our culture is in general, not just with music. With fashion, cars, anything. If you're a band that actually gets popular [in America], you're pretty much on your way down after that. It's a weird thing. Once it's popular, the other kids think it's not cool or whatever ... in Europe, we have the same fans we stared with, and it grew. In the U.S., bands have a certain base when they start, then the fans might not think it's cool anymore to like the band, and they either whither away or they try to get a new base to like them.

I don't know. The type of music we're playing, there's a certain sort of fan appreciation that doesn't differ from the U.S. and Europe. They like this music, and hopefully they'll like it five years from now.

REAX: Do you consciously have to conduct the business of being Kamelot in a bubble, and sort of refuse to recognize what else is going on out in the world of metal?
TY: I remember when MTV actually played music videos [laughs], so ... we never really paid too much attention to what was happening over here. Even myself as a listener, I don't listen to much music that's out there. When we tour and do festivals I check out bands, and then maybe check out their CDs. We did a festival in Norway, and there was a band called Volbeat, and I liked them so I checked out their CD. That's how I get turned on to new music, because there's so much junk out there. It's better to hear the bands [live].

REAX: Do you ever feel like you only tour America as a thank you to the fans you've already got, that what's going on now isn't really your scene?
TY: No, I think the scene is growing quite a bit for bands like Kamelot, other symphonic bands like Nightwish, who are starting to tour, and in Europe they're already pretty big. The fanbase is getting younger and younger, which is really a good sign. We really haven't toured the U.S. that much, the last two records been when we've focused our attention on the States. We definitely want to make sure we tour for the fans we have, but it also has to do with the scene growing here, and wanting to be a part of it, be on top of that curve.

REAX: The band's name, for better or worse, conjures associations with a fairly specific, swords 'n' dragons area of the metal landscape. Was there ever a time when you considered a change?
TY: [Laughs] Yes and no. I know exactly what you're saying, and a lot of people who don't know the band assume it's a certain image or sound, and that's been a hurdle. But it's also a very familiar name that has opened certain doors and helped the band. And at this point, with eight records out, it would be crazy. If we did anything, we might do something on the side that sounded similar, under a different name. Of course we've thought about it, and it has been an issue, but there's pros and cons, and for now it's something we're happy living with.

Kamelot kicks off its U.S. tour Thursday night, October 9 at St. Petersburg's State Theatre.

myspace.com/kamelot