Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume IV: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness - (2005)
Album by Coheed and Cambria
Here we go. My first Coheed and Cambria record. Weird that I had no idea that there was a story, or even a concept behind this record. Just thought it was long name that prog bands like to throw on records. I'm showing my younger self's ignorance here but I feel it is needed. Apollo IV, is what I will call it for short, is the third studio album by Coheed and Cambria, and the fourth installment of the Amory Wars saga. This record right here feels much more mature and confident. Zero production issues on this record. Something that the first two records suffered from in varying degrees. The majority of the record is filled with emo/pop rock songs with only half the record showing signs of true prog rock. A few new influences are added to the mix on this album, symphonic rock/metal, and prog metal show up on a few of the longer tracks. It definitly is not nearly as varied as their earlier albums but it feels way more professional if that make sense. The guitars are all streamlined, Claudio's vocals provide some of his best singing to date, and his most poppiest voice to date, and the overall progression of the album feels very natural. Where the album fails at most however is that after "Welcome Home", the first single off of the album, The songs begin to sound a little similar. Ten Speed, Crossing the Frame, Apollo I, all seem to have very similar structure to them making them all begin to fight to fill the void that Blood Red Summer, and A Favor House Atlantic filled on the last record. Not that any of the songs are bad on their own though, quite the contrary. It is just the pop/emo rock formula can get a little old when you are salivating for that next epic prog rock masterpiece. Welcome Home and the Willing Well series are what will have to due for this record. The fact that they are just shoved to the beginning and end of the album makes it even worse. I want something between all of the pop rock tracks to keep me engaged. This is an album that desperately tries to cater to a more mainstream audience, as shown by it's charting and sales.
Ok, that is way too much negativity to be giving to a Coheed record. I felt the need to criticize as much as possible before I go in to how much I love this record. Every single song, with the exception of the Willing Well series, stands on its own. Just because a band caters to the mainstream audience doesn't mean that the songs are bad. Far from it actually. The Suffering is probably the best pop/emo rock song off of this album with that energetic chorus and I am just a sucker for banging on that one piano key. Ten Speed and Crossing the Frame are great too with some aggressive choruses and interesting lyrical themes. Ten Speed is actually about the main character of this story, The Writer (yeah the writer of the whole story), and the devil manifesting himself in the form of ten speed bicycle and trying to convince the writer to kill off a character in the story. You don't hear that on top 40 radio now do you. The first bit of progressiveness of the album comes in the form of "Welcome Home" a 6 minute Prog Rock/Metal epic discussing a very dark relationship that has turned for the worse. The song that actually got me into Coheed and Cambria in the first place. (More on that story for the music video review.) The Willing Well Series also puts a couple of unique twists and turns throughout. Major references to their past albums in the Telling Truth, let me know if you can spot them without using the internet. I don't know why but despite everything I have said thus far, I will always love this album. One whole listen a month is a bare minimum for me.
The album itself is not perfect. Plays fluidly, but can get a bit boring in the middle. I see it as a step down in quality from In Keeping Secrets, but it has such a strong production to it that it is for sure better than the debut.
Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume I: From Fear through the Eyes of Madness gets an
8.1/10
Positives:
-Excellent production quality
-Polished sound throughout the record
-The Willing Well series is simply epic
Negatives:
-Variety is missing in the midsection of the album
-Not nearly as many progressive sounding songs
Standout Tracks: Welcome Home, The Suffering, The Willing Well III: Apollo II: The Telling Truth, Wake Up.
Weaker Tracks: Once Upon Your Dead Body, Mother May I
Does this review make you want to listen to the record? If so how would you rate it?
Thanks for reading!