Over the last few months, Coheed and Cambria have completely dominated my iPhone (and iTunes, and Apple TV, and everything else). I seriously can not stop listening to them. The band has four albums, each one better than the last. The newest album (2007) is actually called Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow. It’s a fitting album title for a band who’s been striving for grandiosity since the very beginning. Without getting too deep into all of it, the band has planned 5 albums to tell the tale of a fictional married couple (Coheed and Cambria Killgannon) and their son Claudio. Four albums have been released so far, and the upcoming fifth is expected to act as a prequel and tell the beginning of the story. To call it ambitious would be quite an understatement.
Regardless of the underlying storyline, this album is seriously amazing. The songwriting and musicianship is among the best you’ll ever hear. This band, and surely this album, fits into the “progressive rock/metal” category, but it never gets pretentious. And yeah, you’ll be able to compare Claudio’s voice to that of Geddy Lee, but don’t be turned off by that statement. Trust me. The songs range from acoustic brooding (The Reaping) to ultra-catchy (Feathers) to a total wild west shred-fest (Gravemakers & Gunslingers). Had I caught this album when it was released in 2007, it would have surely given Saul Williams a run for his money for Album Of The Year status. The only thing keeping it from getting an A+ is the fact that it sounds slightly over-mastered to me. But that isn’t even the bands fault, and most people would never even notice that or give a shit. It’s a great album, go get it!
GRADE: A
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Here’s the video for Gravemakers & Gunslingers:
