Coheed And Cambria "Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World For Tomorrow" (Columbia)
By Eric Chon
Monday. Dec 17, 4:35 PM
It's about time, really.

It's about time that Coheed And Cambria fully embraced their Rush-worshiping roots and discarded the emo/pop baggage that has weighed down their previous efforts. What Claudio Sanchez and company have delivered here is a high octane rock album that gives us the guitar solos and virtuoso performances we've all been wanting. Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World For Tomorrow is the band’s most consistent and accessible effort to date, despite the convoluted and enigmatic sci-fi story that has run through all their albums.

Songs like "No World For Tomorrow" and "Gravemakers and Gunslingers" give us the blistering riffs and dueling solos that were only hinted at in their previous album, Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness. Spirited drumming and Claudio's unmistakable voice show us a Coheed And Cambria that is no longer afraid to rock out. The multi-layered tracks filled with orchestral effects and intricate musicianship easily liken them to their progressive heroes. The main difference being that their longest track only clocks in at just under eight minutes: a radio-friendly length by most prog rock standards.

But this is a good thing, as the songs never overstay their welcome (even on the slower, ballad-esque "Mother Superior," possibly the best and most mature track on the whole album). And even within this "restricted" time (most songs fall between four and five minutes), Coheed And Cambria still manage to create distinct songs with many elements and themes without becoming a disjointed mess. While the album may not have any anthemic mainstays like "Second Stage Turbine Blade" or "Blood Red Summer," there is plenty more on offer than catchy pop hooks and sing-a-long choruses.

Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World For Tomorrow is Coheed And Cambria's most mature and focused album to date, foregoing the sprawl and randomness of their previous records. There are no fillers, no tracks to skip, and a clear growth as both songwriters and musicians present. Perhaps not quite hitting the mark as a concept album (the whole ordeal is a little silly to be taken with anything other than a large grain of salt), but the group seem to be on the verge of something bigger and I cannot wait to see where they are headed next.
www.coheedandcambria.com
www.columbiarecords.com

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Eric Chon

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