Artists: Kamelot / Exit Eden / Temperance

Venue: O2 Ritz, Manchester

Date: 03 November 2026

Temperance had already taken to the stage before the advertised 7.00pm start time. We were delayed getting into the venue due to the digital-only ticketing system. Modern technology is supposedly designed to speed up the entry process, although credit must go to the O2 staff, whose friendliness and helpfulness helped ease any frustration.

The five-piece Italian Power Metallers performed with the confidence and authority of headliners, a commitment that was rewarded by a warm and enthusiastic reception from the steadily growing crowd. Half of their eight-song, thirty-minute set was drawn from latest album ‘Arcani’, released just last month, including opener ‘The Magician: Into the Fire’, the audience-participation anthem ‘The Devil: Sin, Sin, Sin’, ‘The Fool’ and ‘The Tower: Lean Into Fear’.

The male/female vocal partnership of Michele Guaitoli and Kristin Starkey remains one of the band’s greatest strengths and proved every bit as effective, if not more so, in the live arena. They were ably supported by the hard-hitting rhythm section of bassist Luca Negro and drummer Marco Sacchetto, while guitarist Marco Pastorino supplied plenty of razor-sharp riffs and solos throughout. All told, it was a highly impressive performance and a terrific start to the evening’s entertainment.

Setlist: - The Magician: Into The Fire / Of Jupiter And Moons / The Devil: Sin, Sin, Sin / The Fool / The Tower: Lean Into Fear / The Last Hope In A World Of Hopes / Pure Life Unfolds / Daruma

At a Power Metal concert, the last thing you expect to hear is covers of songs by Journey, Lady Gaga and the Pet Shop Boys. Yet that’s exactly what Exit Eden delivered. Opening with ‘Femme Fatale’ from their sophomore album ‘Femmes Fatales’, Exit Eden were performing only their second-ever UK show. Dressed entirely in black, vocalists Clémentine Delauney (Visions Of Atlantis), Anna Brunner (League Of Distortion) and Chiara Tricarico (Moonlight Haze) all gave mesmerising performances. Tricarico, who also tours with Avantasia, was standing in for Marina La Torraca, who recently joined Battle Beast as lead vocalist and was unavailable due to scheduling commitments. The trio shared vocal duties equally and constantly moved around the stage throughout their nine-song, forty-minute set, ensuring there was always something to hold the audience’s attention.

I’m continually amazed by the number of artists who choose to cover Journey’s classic ‘Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)’. Exit Eden’s version was both laudable and hugely entertaining, although it once again reinforced just how untouchable Steve Perry remains as a vocalist. It wasn’t all about the covers, however. Exit Eden possess some equally strong original material, including the excellent ‘Dying In My Dreams’. One personal highlight was their take on ‘Désenchantée’, originally recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer. Sung in French by the alluring Delauney, who took centre stage for the performance, it added an extra touch of authenticity and elegance to the set. Likewise, Lady Gaga would surely approve of the band’s Symphonic Metal reimagining of ‘Paparazzi’.

Guest vocalist Michele Guaitoli from opening act Temperance joined the band for ‘Run!’, a song whose infectious, Metal-meets-Eurovision energy encouraged plenty of crowd participation. ‘Buried In The Past’ provided another reminder that Exit Eden’s own songwriting is every bit as compelling as their carefully chosen cover versions. Ghost have already demonstrated how effectively ‘It’s A Sin’ can be transformed into a Metal anthem but Exit Eden’s interpretation arguably offers an even more dramatic and powerful take on the Pet Shop Boys classic.

The set concluded with ‘Impossible’. I must admit I’d never heard the original R&B version by Barbadian singer Shontelle, but Exit Eden transformed it into something altogether different, delivering it with an almost operatic grandeur. It was a fitting conclusion to a thoroughly enjoyable set that won over plenty of new admirers.

Setlist: - Femme Fatale / Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) / Dying In My Dreams / Désenchantée / Paparazzi / Run! / Buried In The Past / It’s A Sin / Impossible

A little story as to why I found myself reviewing a Kamelot gig in 2026. Back in 2011, in Nottingham, on a Saturday night following Firefest, I first met my friend Patrick from Belgium. As is often the case when Rock fans meet for the first time, discussions soon turned to our favourite bands and memorable concerts. Patrick’s two favourite bands were Evergrey and Kamelot. At the time, I dismissed both as being far too heavy for my tastes. However, his enthusiasm prompted me to investigate them further a few years later and, from that point onwards, I was hooked. Since then, I have acquired both discographies and, over the past fifteen years, they have become two of my favourite bands.

The stage set already looked impressive before the band ever set foot on it. Oliver Palotai’s keyboards sat stage left, Alex Landenburg’s drum kit stage right, with an imposing throne beneath the familiar Kamelot "K" logo occupying centre stage.

By the time Kamelot emerged shortly after 9.00pm, the downstairs area was reasonably full and, thankfully, the balcony had also been opened, allowing around one hundred additional fans access. My wife managed to claim one of only a dozen available seats, while I stood directly behind her. Although positioned at the rear of the venue, our slightly off-centre vantage point afforded an excellent view of the stage.

The intro tape signalled the arrival of the quintet. First to take their elevated positions were Palotai and Landenburg, followed by bassist Sean Tibbetts and founding guitarist Thomas Youngblood, who immediately whipped the crowd into a frenzy. They then tore into new song ‘Ashen World’ before being joined by the commanding presence of vocalist Tommy Karevik, who was then accompanied by Ignacia Fernández, the former Miss World whose astonishing hidden talent is Death Metal vocals (never saw that on ‘Miss Congenitality’). An epic start.

Karevik soon had the front rows bouncing during ‘The Great Pandemonium’, and the early momentum continued unabated with the ever-popular ‘Rule The World’ from 2007’s ‘Ghost Opera’.

I was reliably informed that the sound mix wasn’t quite as effective downstairs. From our position, however, it was perfectly acceptable and, mercifully, not delivered at ear-bleeding volume. The drums occasionally sat too high in the mix, whilst the keyboards were sometimes buried, only really coming to the fore during the quieter passages.

As expected, the fifteen-song set featured plenty of material from this year’s excellent ‘Dark Asylum’ album. With a catalogue as extensive and impressive as Kamelot’s, pleasing everyone is an impossible task, but I was delighted that three songs from my personal favourite album, 2015’s ‘Haven’, also made the cut. The first of these was fan-favourite ‘Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)’ with accompanying female vocals. Watching the three trading vocals is one of the great theatrical elements of a Kamelot performance. The tall and elegant Delauney, the striking and petite Fernández with her beguiling Death growls and the imperious Karevik create a captivating dynamic, yet the frontman never allows himself to be outshone.

Another new song ‘Godlike Alchemy’ preceded one of Kaverik’s personal favourites, the title track of their 2011 opus ‘Karma’. One of the most impressive aspects of Kamelot’s longevity is the manner in which they successfully replaced a vocalist of Roy Khan’s extraordinary calibre with someone every bit as compelling. Karevik’s performances continue to underline just how seamless that transition ultimately became.

The intro tape of ‘Nocte Veritas’ (“in the night there is truth”) heralded the Symphonic epic ‘Opus Of The Night (Ghost Requiem)’, one of many moments where Kamelot’s mastery of atmosphere came to the fore.

‘Revolution’ saw Karevik singing behind a lectern while Tibbetts contributed growling vocal passages, as powerful lighting effects and clouds of dry ice transformed the stage into something resembling a theatrical production. Whilst visually impressive, the combination did occasionally make viewing difficult, particularly when the lighting rigs seemed intent on blinding the audience.

Delauney returned wearing an elaborate headpiece for ‘New Babylon’ from 2023’s ‘The Awakening’. The pairing of the crushingly heavy title track from ‘Dark Asylum’ with the delicate, Celtic-flavoured ballad ‘Ivy, My Dear’ perfectly demonstrated why Kamelot remain, to my ears, the finest band operating within this particular corner of the Metal spectrum. Power, Symphonic and Progressive elements are blended with remarkable skill, and they possess an uncanny understanding of exactly when to embrace darkness and when to return to the light.

An instrumental backing tape made Landenburg’s short drum solo considerably more enjoyable than it otherwise would have been. The band returned to the stage Kaverik carrying a black flag for ‘One More Flag In The Ground’, which appears to have already become a classic in their back catalogue.

A beautiful and haunting keyboard solo from Palotai paved the way for ‘Sanctuary’ where a hooded Karevik sat upon his throne, while Delauney and Fernández, representing opposing forces of good and evil, provided a dramatic theatrical backdrop. At the song’s conclusion Kaverik introduced the two guest vocalists to a deservedly rapturous reception.

The main set closed with a personal favourite, an extended version of ‘Veil Of Elysium’ from the aforementioned ‘Haven’ opus. Enhanced by huge crowd participation, the song culminated in the audience repeatedly chanting “Kamelot! Kamelot!...” as the band left the stage.

Two female drummers positioned at the front of the stage heralded the arrival of the classic ‘March Of Mephisto’, before they were joined by the rest of the band. including Delauney & Fernández.  The pair remained on stage for ‘Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)’ from Kaverik’s first album with the band, 2015’s ‘Silverthorn’, to bring a triumphant evening to a fitting finale.

Blazing musicianship, soaring melodies, theatrical presentation and a perfectly judged balance between heaviness and elegance combined to produce a performance that reinforced exactly why Kamelot continue to occupy such a respected position within modern Symphonic Metal. The lighting may have been literally blinding at times, but there could be no doubt about the quality of the performance itself. A truly spectacular evening!

Setlist: - Ashen World / The Great Pandemonium / Rule The World / Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy) / Godlike Alchemy / Karma / Revolution / Opus Of The Night (Ghost Requiem) / Dark Asylum / Ivy, My Dear / One More Flag In The Ground / Sanctuary / Veil Of Asylum

Encore: - March Of Mephisto / Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)

Review: Mark Donnelly