Coheed and Cambria

Coheed and Cambria’s third installment of lead singer Sanchez’s epic sci-fi saga is undoubtedly a milestone in rock music. Good Apollo breaks musical boundaries, boldly venturing where no prog-rock band has gone before. Artists like Rush and Yes have attempted concept albums in the past, and for one reason or another, remained unsuccessful. Where they have failed, Good Apollo succeeds. It is a musical triumph.

The genera of prog-rock has changed significantly from its original format. It’s not about trippy lyrics that transport you to a magical world of happy and butterflies. If you’re looking for that, I suggest that you stop immediately. If you’re looking for a complex tale of Star Wars proportions, or just damn good music, bon appetite.

Keeping The Blade (9/10)– the most incredible intro track to grace my ears. It pays homage to Second Stage Turbine Blade and The Ring in Return, combining both previous intros with a huge orchestra sound. It’s beautifully dark and downright eerie, a perfect way to begin where In Keeping Secrets left off.

Always and Never (9/10)- A melodic acoustic track, featuring Sanchez’s incredible vocal range that easily puts a Vienna choir boy to shame. It’s a soft, peaceful lullaby that you absolutely lose yourself in. Sanchez’s four-year-old niece provides background vocals (AKA, silly childish noises) that create an air of innocence. A perfect calm before the storm, right before the plunge into chaos.

Welcome Home (10/10) – Epic. In one word, this song is mind-numbingly epic. Screaming guitar riffs and vocal distortion contribute to the larger-than-life feel of the song. My favorite part? “You STORMED off to SCAR the armaDA”. The ending guitar solo is face-melting, complemented with an ominous sounding choir and overblown orchestral crescendos. Completely incredible.

Ten Speed (Of God’s Blood and Burial) (10/10) - A song about a ten-speed mountain bike of pure evil. It’s catchy in an unexplainable way. Probably the fastest-paced song on the album, it hits the listener hard and quick and leaves nothing to be desired. Cutting lyrics that suggest a taunting evil make the song even more appealing. Lead and backup vocals trade off constantly, leaving your brain in complete overdrive. The track finally culminates with an amazing vocal distortion at the finale.

Crossing the Frame (9/10) - A mesh of Time Consumer, Hearshot Kid Disaster and the claps from Blood Red Summer make this extremely addictive. You will end up singing “but I wish that you were… I’M SPYING ON YOU, NEWO” relentlessly. Actually, you’ll be singing the whole song relentlessly. The lyrics are infectious. The breakdown at 2:36 is in my opinion the climax of the song, but the gear change at the 2:00 mark is what sold the song for me.

Apollo I: The Writing Writer (9/10) - There’s a reason this doesn’t get a 10, and that reason is track 14. This song is powerful, catchy, and rocks it’s heart out. You will be rocking out uncontrollably by the end. Just wait until number 14. Oh just you wait.

Once Upon Your Dead Body (8.5/10)- Easily the most lyrically disturbing track on the CD, yet has the catchiest outro you can imagine. I sing this song and realize how much of a mental patient I must sound like. “I hope you die right now, will you drink my chemical?” It gets its hooks in you and pulls until you’re dancing. And singing about killing somebody. Vaguely reminiscent of Faint of Hearts. It did take a few listens to convert me to the song completely, but I did develop a certain fondness for it. The outro is really what makes it. Gives it the .5.

Wake Up (10/10) – A ballad. Coheed did a ballad. And it’s breathtaking. Heartfelt lyrics and a powerful melody to match, you can literally feel the emotion. And it’s overpowering. I really don’t know what else to say. It’s beautiful.

The Suffering (9/10) – The bastard child of Blood Red Summer and Three Evils. Awesome piano marking the bridge makes me crazy. It gets a 9 because for some reason, it doesn’t stick with me the same way its predecessors did. It’s still a great track, and it kills me not to be able to give it the 10… but I do find that it’s easily forgettable despite the fact it’s got “single” written, stamped, branded and marked all over it.

The Lying Lies and Dirty Secrets of Miss Erica Court (10/10) – I heard this song in it’s raw, unfinished form way back in January at the Starland Ballroom when fans were calling it Tell All Your Friends, the bridge didn’t exist, and certain parts changed completely. It was great when I heard it then, and I’m amazed at the evolution. A little sad that they changed the “bad little boy” to “once little boy”, but what can you do? Probably makes more sense. Anyway, the song is great. Lead guitar is relentlessly awesome.

Mother May I (8.5/10) - this one starts out fairly paced and slowly builds into a full-blown rock song by the end. I wasn’t fond of it the first time I heard it, but after playing the album relentlessly for weeks I see its purpose and really appreciate it as a song. It’s a nice transition to the Willing Well tracks. Buckle your seatbelts, kids. Here we go.

The Willing Well I: Fuel For the Feeding End (10/10) – I’m gonna be totally straight, this is one weird song the first time you hear it. It might take a few listens, but I hope it’s given a chance because it really is amazing and I totally love it. It’s a great track. Really powerful transition song, grabs you by the cohones and all that. Amazing drumming featured here, Josh Eppard gets serious points. The random Spanish at 2:37 makes me really happy, just because it’s bouncy. The breakdown thereafter is excellent too. The switch at 5:02 is another particular point of excellence.

The Willing Well II: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (10/10) – Melody straight out of one of the segments of 21:13, and references it quite a bit. It’s bouncy and absolutely delightful. I can’t say enough good things about it. I feel like it’s too short, despite the 7 minutes and change. “I’m not gonna hold your hand here when you walk, you’ll burn in hell while they’re digging you out”. Gotta love it.

The Willing Well III: Apollo II: Telling the Truth (100/10) – In-fucking-credible. A sort-of “rewrite” of Apollo I: The Writing Writer, this track just blows everything else out of the water. A flawless transition into Blood Red Summer, borrowing lyrics from Three Evils and Everything Evil marks the greatest thing I have ever heard. As far as prog-rock, this sets a completely new standard for the genera. Out of this world.

The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut (10/10) – Holy crap. This track could put Pink Floyd to shame. An incredible end to an incredible album. The xylophone is the coolest thing I think I have ever heard. This song gives me chills. It dissolves into a lullaby accompanied by vocals from Sanchez’s niece, ending the song with a beautiful, chilling “I love you”.

Hidden Track (8.9/10) – It’s no 21:13. More of a homage to Zeppelin but I still love it. It’s all fun and banjo-esque and completely unexpected. Really short. It’s no let down, granted the length of the album and the last 4 tracks.

Overall Score: 9.43/10

This album is definitely one that gets better with every listen. It’s worth the time. “I really didn’t like Ten Speed when I first heard it. And then we listened to it again and it’s … it’s freaking awesome!” Direct quote from my brother. I think the mark of a great record is one that takes time to appreciate. I just tripped on the freaking plastic that my comic goes in damnit that hurt. Ouch.