Artist: Coheed & Cambria

CD Review

CD Title: Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness

Record Label: Columbia Records

By Adam Bowman

Few bands possess a quality similar to that found in Coheed & Cambria. Oftentimes lumped in with the 'emo' genre, C&C manage to transcend the classification without completely abandoning it. Yes, at first glance, an album title like "Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness" would brew up comparisons to Story of the Year or My Chemical Romance, but the group we're dealing with here has a certain combination of musicianship and flair that few others can compete with.

This album continues the subtle thread that is Claudio Sanchez's lyrical tale and weaves it in a tapestry of arena rock bombast ("Welcome Home"), acoustic beauty ("Keeping The Blade" and "Always & Never") and overall outstanding musicianship. For those of you who first jumped onboard with "A Favor House Atlantic", you won't completely be left out in the cold as "The Suffering" -- among others -- will let you dip your toes in the water. Those of us with more discerning and finicky ears, though, will not be disappointed. A rare breed these days, Coheed & Cambria give us progressive rock musicianship with an affinity for memorable moments and the ability to leave you wanting more. Hopefully, C&C oblige and continue the streak of excellent albums they started long ago.