Ex-KAMELOT Singer ROY KHAN Says His Solo Release Is 'Starting To Shape Up'

In a new interview with Czech Republic's Backstage TV, former KAMELOT and current CONCEPTION singer Roy Khan spoke about his plans to eventually release a solo LP. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm still not entirely sure what it's gonna be. But it's starting to shape up. And I will release something — hopefully now this year with stuff that is already recorded.

"This first series that I'm gonna put out is gonna be a series of cover songs where the theme is 'my first.' So I'm gonna do covers of the first song that I heard, the first Norwegian song that I heard, the first musical song I did, the first Christian song I did, the first song I ever sang in a microphone. So that's gonna be the theme for this first round of streaming concerts. But I also have a ton of songs — original songs.

"When you work in a band like -CONCEPTION or KAMELOT, at least you have one or two other people that you can involve them to lean on when it comes to getting all the work done, 'cause there's a lot of work during the production," Roy explained. "If I'm doing the solo thing and have to do everything myself, or pay people to do it for me, it's a little bit overwhelming. So I'm hesitant to even start the process. But the songs are there. And I just need to get the inspiration to actually get it out."

The 52-year-old Norwegian singer announced his exit from KAMELOT in April 2011 after taking several months off to recover from a "burnout."

After his departure from KAMELOT, Khan, who is a devout Christian, joined a church in the coastal town of Moss, Norway.

Last August, Roy — whose full name is Roy Sætre Khantatat — told Chaoszine about his upcoming solo release: "The first thing I'm gonna do is I'm gonna do a streaming-type gig, which is actually pre-recorded. And that's gonna be some sort of a kick-off to my solo thing, whatever that's gonna be. I have tons of songs that just need to be recorded. It's all about finding the time and inspiration, the right people and the energy…

"Making an album, a full album, is such a process," he explained. "When you're a band, we divide the work between us, but making a full album yourself, it's a lot of work and it really consumes you for such a long period of time. I mean, when you listen to a record, it's maybe an hour of music, maybe 45 minutes, but making those 45 minutes takes — if you count everything — maybe two or three years. And maybe you spend half a year in the studio, in and out, breaking things down, building them up again and changing things. It's a very energy-consuming and time-consuming process. So I guess I'm a little bit weary of eating myself up and ending up back where I was, where I left KAMELOT. Because part of it was it was just consuming my whole life. I was becoming this character that I was onstage. Even when I was home, I was Roy Khan. I'm not sure my wife and kids were too happy about that."

Khan reformed his pre-KAMELOT band CONCEPTION five years ago and released an EP, 2018's "My Dark Symphony", and a full-length album, 2020's "State Of Deception".

In April 2018, Khan released his first-ever solo song called "For All". The track, which was written by Khan, was recorded at Stable Studios in Oslo, Norway in March 2018 and featured Roy on vocals, piano and keyboards alongside Leif Johansen on fretless bass and Geir Olav Akselsen on all guitars.

KAMELOT officially announced Tommy Karevik as its new lead singer in June 2012. The Florida-based band has recorded three albums so far with the Swedish vocalist: 2012's "Silverthorn", 2015's "Haven" and 2018's "The Shadow Theory".

Asked if he has listened to any of KAMELOT's recent material with Karevik, Roy told Italy's SpazioRock back in 2018: "Yes I have. I really like some of their new stuff. Sounds classical KAMELOT in my ears, and Tommy is a great singer."