Symphonic metal band KAMELOT have released their new single “Ashen World,” the first glimpse into their upcoming concept album Dark Asylum, due August 28 via Napalm Records.
Accompanied by a cinematic music video, “Ashen World” expands the band’s signature blend of orchestral grandeur, dark atmospheres, and soaring melodic hooks, while introducing new vocal textures through a guest appearance from Ignacia Fernández of Decessus.
From its opening moments, the track delivers a full-scale symphonic metal experience, driven by guitarist Thomas Youngblood’s lead work and layered orchestration. Vocalist Tommy Karevik moves through dynamic shifts ranging from intimate passages to powerful, operatic highs, reinforcing the band’s reputation for dramatic storytelling and emotional range.
The song’s lyrics explore themes of collapse and renewal, depicting a world descending into darkness while searching for hope and transformation. Youngblood describes it as:
“That moment of standing at the crossroads between darkness and hope, where the journey forward begins. It’s classic KAMELOT at its core, while opening new doors into the world of Dark Asylum.”
Karevik adds:
“It’s a deep dive into the topography of the human mind… about breaking free from the limiting beliefs that hold us captive and creating a new reality.”
Dark Asylum — A Concept Album Set in RavenHill
Dark Asylum unfolds within a neo-Victorian narrative world centered around RavenHill Asylum, a sprawling institution where science, faith, and madness intersect. The album continues KAMELOT’s tradition of cinematic concept storytelling, weaving a psychological descent through fractured identity, illusion, and eventual transformation.
The record features a wide array of guest appearances, including:
- Tobias Sammet (Avantasia)
- Clémentine Delauney (Visions of Atlantis)
- Ignacia Fernández (Decessus)
- Lea-Sophie Fischer (Eluveitie)
- Rannveig Sif Sigurðardóttir
- Sólveig Sara Leupold
- Billy King
Across its tracklist, songs like “Sanctuary,” “One Last Masquerade,” and “Beneath the Moon (Tunglið)” expand the album’s theatrical scope, blending symphonic metal, gothic atmosphere, and progressive structures into a unified narrative experience.
Dark Asylum Track Listing
- Sanctorium
- Ashen World (feat. Ignacia Fernández)
- Dark Asylum
- Sanctuary (feat. Clémentine Delauney & Ignacia Fernández)
- Nocte Veritas
- One Last Masquerade (feat. Tobias Sammet)
- Ivy, My Dear
- Godlike Alchemy
- The Sleeping Mind (Orphic Paradigm)
- Kaleidoscope
- Enigma (Think of Me)
- Cassandra’s Disease
- Beneath the Moon (Tunglið) (feat. Rannveig Sif Sigurðardóttir, Sólveig Sara Leupold, Lea-Sophie Fischer)
- The Puppet King
- Sanctum Requiem
The album will be available in multiple formats, including limited vinyl editions, a 2-CD earbook with instrumental versions, cassette, and standard digipak releases.
Touring: Dark Asylum World Tour
Following the album release, KAMELOT will embark on an extensive North American and European tour featuring Visions of Atlantis, Frozen Crown, Exit Eden, and Temperance on select legs, bringing the Dark Asylum concept to the stage in a fully theatrical live production.