Mini-Review Of Coheed and Cambria’s “Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness”

The Band

Claudio Sanchez-Vocals, Guitar

Travis Stever-Guitar

Michael Todd-Bass, Backing Vocals

Josh Eppard-Drums

The Review

While their first two albums were underground hits, it would be their 2003 album, Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness, that made Coheed and Cambria a household name. Single “Welcome Home” tore up the charts and showed the band leaning closer and closer to progressive rock. The album starts off with a bang, continues the frantic pace, and ends with an almost thirty minute, four-part epic that counts among the band’s best songs. All the pieces fell together for Coheed and Cambria, as they finally found their niche in rock music.

The story is still confusing, but the basic premise this time around involves Claudio, the son of deceased Coheed and Cambria, protecting the Keywork, while more information is given on the deaths of the two characters and the virus infecting the world. Oh, and the entire story this album is told through The Writer, who crafted a fictional story out of all the characters and plotlines discussed in the last two albums. 

So, yet again, the story is not the main draw, per se; it keeps you interested and wanting to decipher the main tale, but for first-time listeners, the music is the most important thing. For the third album in a row, Coheed and Cambria nailed it out of the ballpark. There are more solos, catchier melodies, and Claudio’s soaring vocals going even higher than ever before. All of this comes together on “The Wishing Well,” the most ambitious project undertaken by the band. For thirty minutes, the band takes the listener on a musical journey, sounding like a modern-day “2112.” “The Final Cut,” the last part of “The Wishing Well,” is one of my favorite Coheed and Cambria songs, with a Pink Floyd vibe surrounding it, and an wonderful solo section to close out the song.

Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness was the next step for the band, one that they would embrace with open arms. This was my first Coheed and Cambria album and, as of right now, my favorite one. The band is tight as hell and the songwriting is top-notch. As a modern progressive rock album, Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness stood out amongst the masses.

Mini-Review Of Coheed And Cambria’s In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3

In part two of my four part look at rock band Coheed and Cambria’s discography, I’m diving into the 2003 In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3, which is a more ambitious project from the quintet and takes them one step closer to mainstream fame.

The Band

Claudio Sanchez-Vocals, Guitar

Travis Stever-Guitar

Michael Todd-Bass, Backing Vocals

Josh Eppard-Drums, Piano

The Review

For their sophomore album, Coheed and Cambria continues the Amory Wars, with the third chapter of four. Like the previous release, the story doesn’t make any sense, but the music is stronger and leans closer to progressive rock. The songs are longer, there’s even a three-part series, “Camper Velourium,” which emcompasses most of the middle of the album. Three songs are over the eight minute mark and the guitar work by Sanchez and Stever is more technical, with some fantastic work on display in closer “The Light & The Glass” and the “Camper Velourium” trilogy.

The story this time around involves Al The Killer, Inferno, a Red Army, the son of Coheed and Cambria, Claudio, going after revenge for the death of his family, and a whole bunch of randomness that only makes sense if you do proper research. That isn’t a fault against the album; its nice to hear a concept album that you have to think a little bit about.

The music is a bit heavier and more progressive, with an increase of guitar solos and less emo tendencies. There are concert staples on here (the title track, “Blood Red Summer,” “A Favor House Atlantic”) and the album as a whole is more memorable than their debut. The evolution of the band over a two year period is quite evident. In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3 is another worthwhile album from the band, but it would be with their third album, Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness, that all the pieces of the puzzle came together for Coheed and Cambria. But that’s for next week…

Mini-Review Of Coheed and Cambria’s The Second Stage Turbine Blade

The Band

Claudio Sanchez-Vocals, Guitar

Travis Stever-Guitar

Michael Todd-Bass, Backing Vocals

Josh Eppard-Drums, Piano

The Review

In 2002, New York rock band Coheed and Cambria released their debut album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade, the second part of a four-part tetralogy. The rock world didn’t know what they were getting themselves into when they welcomed the album with open arms. While my least favorite Coheed album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade is a solid debut that introduced the listener to the beginning of one of the most confusing and extravagant concept album of all time.

The story is so mulit-faceted and complex that it took a comic book series and a fan site to understand any part of what’s going on.  The most basic summary of the album involves Coheed and his wife Cambria. Coheed has a serum in him that, when activated, can trigger a process that leads to the destruction of the world. The list of characters is expansive, with general, sages, and the couple’s children, who may have to be killed to save the universe.

Thankfully, the music is much easier to digest than the story. While not as progressive as later releases, the instrumental work is still quite more technical than most other bands in the post-hardcore genre. Sanchez’s vocals are quite high, almost reaching Geddy Lee-level. It’s a little distracting at times, but doesn’t ruin the music. The album includes fan favorites “Devil In Jersey City,” “Time Consumer,” and “God Send Conspirator.”

Like I said earlier, I enjoyed the later releases of Coheed and Cambria more due to their higher progressive tendences, but The Second Stage Turbine Blade is a great debut and one that pushed Coheed and Cambria to the fore-front. It’s one of the few concept albums that is worth doing research on, only to better understand the weighty concept on display.