Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Exclaim!6/10
Metal Hammer6/7

The Shadow Theory is the twelfth studio album by American power metal band Kamelot. The album is produced by Sascha Paeth and was released on April 6, 2018. Guests on the album include Lauren Hart and Jennifer Haben.

It is the only studio album to feature Johan Nunez, replacing longtime member Casey Grillo on drums, who had departed from the band on February 5, 2018, to pursue other musical and touring opportunities and to focus on his drumhead company.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Oliver Palotai, Sascha Paeth, Thomas Youngblood and Tommy Karevik, except "The Last Day of Sunlight" by Palotai, Paeth, Youngblood, Karevik and Bob Katsionis.

No.TitleNote(s)Length
1."The Mission"1:30
2."Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)"featuring Lauren Hart4:05
3."RavenLight"3:38
4."Amnesiac"3:40
5."Burns to Embrace"5:53
6."In Twilight Hours"featuring Jennifer Haben4:15
7."Kevlar Skin"4:05
8."Static"3:58
9."MindFall Remedy"featuring Lauren Hart3:22
10."Stories Unheard"4:24
11."Vespertine (My Crimson Bride)"3:58
12."The Proud and the Broken"6:24
13."Ministrium (Shadow Key)"3:02
Total length:52:13
Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
14."Angel of Refraction" (instrumental)4:23
Bonus CD (Digipak edition)
No.TitleLength
1."Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)" (instrumental version)4:07
2."RavenLight" (instrumental version)3:38
3."Amnesiac" (instrumental version)3:38
4."Burns to Embrace" (instrumental version)5:53
5."Kevlar Skin" (instrumental version)4:05
6."The Proud and the Broken" (instrumental version)6:25
7."The Last Day of Sunlight" (bonus track)4:20

Personnel

All information from the album booklet.

Kamelot

Guest musicians

  • Lauren Hart – guest vocals and growls on "Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)" and growls on "MindFall Remedy"
  • Jennifer Haben – guest vocals on "In Twilight Hours"

Choir

  • Oliver Hartmann, Herbie Langhans, Cloudy Yang, Annie Berens, Nadine Ruch, Evelyn Mank, Thomas Dalton Youngblood

Crew

  • Sascha Paeth – production, mixing, engineering, additional guitars and keys, and growls on "The Proud and the Broken"
  • Thomas Youngblood – engineering, editing
  • Oliver Palotai – orchestral arrangements, engineering, editing
  • Jacob Hansen – mastering
  • Stefan Heilemann – artwork
  • Arne Wiegand – engineering, editing
  • Miro Rodenberg – engineering, editing
  • Olaf Reitmeier – engineering, editing
  • Logan Mader – engineering, editing
  • Tim Tronckoe – photography

Charts

Chart (2018)Peak position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)30
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)50
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)60
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)60
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)24
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)13
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)27
Spanish Albums (Promusicae)74
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)55
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)13
US Billboard 200141
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)7
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)26