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Coheed And Cambria

Good Apollo, I´m Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Mad

Written by: PP on 18/09/2005 21:09:45

"Good Apollo..." is the most experimental, least accessible album Coheed And Cambria has composed to date. The songs are far less guitar driven than its predecessors but ever more complex and harder to grow into, and the instantly memorable power choruses are gone (no more "Oh-ooh, ohh-ohh-ouou" style), overseeing the few exceptions on the record.

The beauty of Coheed And Cambria is their ability to keep their unique sound while, at the same time, to sound completely different. Think of the two predecessors standing halfway between two cities; the city on the other end of the road is a small, easy to find your way type of city, while the other one is a complex, modern metropolis with more than one public transport system, highways, and walkin only roads. Understandably, it seems impossible to orientate at first. But like all major cities, once you learn the infrastructure, you'll find your way around with ease.

Then think of "Good Apollo.." which falls in every possible dimension of the example before. The two acoustic songs "Always And Never" and "Wake Up" are softer than silk, and the pre-released song "Welcome Home", while being the perfect example of the band maturing, is the easiest accessible song on the record. "Ten Speed (Of God's Blood And Burial", "The Suffering" and "Once Upon Your Dead Body" are in the middle grounds; they sound somewhat like the older songs. On the other extreme the album contains songs like "The Willing Well I-IV" epics, that need dozens of plays before growing into. These songs are as progressive as Coheed And Cambria gets, with "The Final Cut" containing the longest guitar solo Claudio has ever played.

This is, without a doubt, the most ambitious - perhaps too ambitious - record from the group, and it doesn't quite accomplish what it wants to achieve. What I'm missing are the trademark powerchoruses of "A Favor House Atlantic" or "Blood Red Summer" to give the record that extra touch, which "Welcome Home" promised when I first heard it on their website. It's a great record but still disappointing after the previous two.

Download: Ten Speed (Of God's Blood And Burial), The Willing Well II: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness
For the fans of: The Mars Volta, Death Cab For Cutie

Release date 20.09.2005
Sony