Coheed and Cambria, like a tall glass of Guinness, is an acquired taste. Front man Claudio Sanchez's impossibly high vocals -- the band's chief signature -- is what makes this music so hard to get into. I should know -- it took me two years.
But whether you're familiar with this prog-rock powerhouse or not, the purpose of this review is to strike common ground with those of you who appreciate difficult music; music with the ability to outlast popular trends. For folks who hate C&C, I'll show you some things about their latest album, Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV that could change your mind.
But first, we need to take care of a little housekeeping. This is not emo. Not no way, not no how. Genre-naming is always a precarious undertaking, and maybe a few of you have already written me off for labeling Coheed "prog-rock," where the legendary names Radiohead, Dream Theater and Yes! come to mind. My educated opinion -- and I've put a lot of thought into it -- is that C&C aren't far behind these predecessors.
Here's why: At 71 ambitious minutes, an intoxicating half-hour rock opera tops off Good Apollo. The album is, without a doubt, C&C's hardest, darkest and most thoughtful release to date.
After two records on the Equal Vision label, these four gentlemen from Kingston, N.Y. were handed a contract from Columbia Records in 2004. True to their style and refusing to give way to the corporate giant, the songs on Good Apollo are packed with the undeniable hooks and chorus-less song structures that made C&C famous.
But this third studio album achieves more than their previous efforts by far. Metal, classic rock, swing, blues, country, bluegrass -- it's all here. Influences from The Police, Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden are unmistakably clear. When it comes down to it, these stylistic quotes of rock legends past open up Good Apollo to a more mainstream audience -- classic rock references cut the chains that previously limited Coheed's identity in the underground music scene.
Admittedly, Sanchez's range is high enough to put an adolescent choir boy to shame. But that is one of the only stumbling blocks I see in this music. The rock is heavy, and it is hard, unveiling a truly virtuosic side to Sanchez's guitar work never apparent in the first two records. All of which screams from his brand-new double-neck Gibson SG, a work of art in itself.
Call it hasty, call it uncalculated, but I believe C&C has the potential to become for our generation what Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were for our parents. Aside from the music, the lyrics in Good Apollo might as well be read as fine literature. This record continues what will become a five-album saga based on a doomed couple who sacrifice their children to save the world from a virus deep within their genes. For those seeking a more comprehensive account of the odyssey, Sanchez is compiling the tale in a comic book series he has created with artist Wes Abbott, as well as a graphic novel with artist Christopher Shy.
If you are the impatient listener without time to delve into the longwinded four-song suite, then "The Suffering," "Ten Speed" and "Welcome Home" are the best bets for pure pop gems. For listeners with stamina and a keen ear for amazing guitar work, "Fear Through the Eyes of Madness" and "The Final Cut" should do the trick.
But any way you slice it, Coheed and Cambria's latest is a must-have album. Have no reservations: Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV is one for the history books.
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