International symphonic metal legends KAMELOT have returned with their haunting new album, 'Dark Asylum', arriving August 28, 2026 via Napalm Records.
The 15-track opus invites listeners beyond the gates of RavenHill Asylum, where science, faith, and madness uneasily coexist.
Youngblood comments: "'Dark Asylum' follows a soul trapped inside a world of masks, fractured memories, and psychological torment, wandering the endless halls of RavenHill in search of truth, identity, and redemption.
What begins as a descent into darkness gradually transforms into a journey of awakening, where beneath the fear, illusion, and chaos lies the possibility of healing, hope, and ultimately a path out of the shadows into Sanctuary.' The album explores the duality between despair and salvation, blurring the lines between reality and madness through theatrical storytelling, haunting atmospheres, and deeply emotional themes.
Karevik adds: "'Dark Asylum' invites listeners into the hidden chambers of the human mind.
A journey where every door reveals a different story, yet all remain deeply connected.
At its core, the album explores the duality of human nature: the constant tension between fear and hope, chaos and stillness, destruction and healing.
'Dark Asylum' reflects the struggle to remain sane within a cold and barren world, while ultimately discovering that salvation is not something found externally, but something that already exists within us all.' Through self-exploration, awareness, and inner peace, healing becomes possible.
This concept opened the door to a more cinematic and haunting sonic landscape, allowing them to experiment with darker, more eerie musical themes.
The album will be released on a plethora of exciting platforms, including standard gold, solid silver, and classic black vinyl editions, certified vinyl with the white label, white splatter, and blood filled variants, the latter of which are each paired with an official 24-page booklet.
Multiple CD digipak available, with the two-disc version including an instrumental version of the album, alongside cassette and digital options.
KAMELOT pushes further into cinematic and atmospheric territory on 'Dark Asylum', diving deeper into theatrical darkness while preserving the signature hooks that define their sound.
Candlelight trembles along towering arches and cold stone corridors as you are greeted familiar specters: AVANTASIA mastermind Tobias Sammet, ELUVEITIE's Lea-Sophie Fischer, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS's Clémentine Delauney, Fernández, Rannveig Sif Sigurðardóttir and Sólveig Sara Leupold and Billy King.
Identity fractures, reality bends, and control slips into unseen hands, guiding its central figure through a descent into psychological darkness that ultimately leads toward transformation… and perhaps sanctuary.
Sanctorium 02.
Ashen World (feat.
Ignacia Fernández) 03.
Dark Asylum 04.
Sanctuary (feat.
Clémentine Delauney & Ignacia Fernández) 05.
Nocte Veritas 06.
One Last Masquerade (feat.
Tobias Sammet) 07.
Ivy, My Dear 08.
Godlike Alchemy 09.
The Sleeping Mind (Orphic Paradigm) 10.
Kaleidoscope 11.
Enigma (Think Of Me) 12.
Cassandra's Disease 13.
Beneath the Moon (Tunglið) (feat.
Rannveig Sif Sigurðardóttir, Sólveig Sara Leupold, Lea-Sophie Fischer) 14.
The Puppet King 15.
Sanctum Requiem, The album features vocals from Tommy Karevik, Thomas Youngblood on guitars, Oliver Palotai on keyboards, Sean Tibbetts on bass guitar, and Alex Landenburg handling drums.
Photo credit: Timo Maczollek / Nat Enemede