Coheed And Cambria

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

[5] Yep, that Columbia Records stamp on Good Apollo… has officially launched Coheed And Cambria into the maw of popular culture, where bands that once ran in “prog-emo” circles generally have three options: Write songs millions of people can understand; blow your wad on an elaborate, high-concept album no one can understand; or make an incredible-sounding major-label debut that won’t send the underground running. Amazingly, with Good Apollo, Coheed have done all three. Though it’s hefty at 72 minutes (plus a bonus Led Zeppelin cover), Good Apollo has a sense of focus that belies its running time. Obvious singles like “Ten Speed (Of God’s Blood & Burial)” and “The Suffering” are as concise and melodically bulletproof as Thin Lizzy-worshiping jams like “The Willing Well III: Apollo II-The Telling Truth”; and, most importantly, Good Apollo never drags. Some fans may read this as heresy, but finally, Coheed have made an album worthy of repeat listens, rather than a monster you skim through to hit the interesting parts. (COLUMBIA/EQUAL VISION) Aaron Burgess