Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The End Complete, October 29, 2007
I was first introduced to Coheed and Cambria when I heard "A Favorhouse Atlantic" on the radio. However, it wasn't until Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 1 that I gave into the temptation and gave them an honest listen. Since then, I haven't looked back. Co&Ca has been an almost permanent fixture in my car and on my computer ever since that CD. Then, I started digging deeper and realized that the members of Co&Ca were telling a story; a crazy, sci-fi rock opera that would ultimately span five CDs and contained more violence, melodrama, backstabbing and pain than any soap opera out there.
But, instead of turning me away, it drew me in and made me actively listen, trying to piece the puzzle together. Volume 1 also marked a huge change for the story as it introduced The Writer and brought the earlier themes of sci-fi to life. It made what was being told more human and introduced the Writer's own failings and insecurities. It was a defining moment for the band. Now, we have Volume 2: No World for Tomorrow and it promises to close shut the story of Coheed, Cambria, Claudio and the whole Kilganon family before the first chapter in the story is released.
Volume 2 is Co&Ca's masterpiece. It draws inspiration from all three of the previous albums, warps them and presents a unified front that is the culmination of everything that came before it. The songs effortlessly move from unabashed rock to power ballads to pop, all cemented with Claudio's soaring, albeit polarizing, voice. Some of the songs here standout as the absolute best of Co&Ca. In particular, "Mother Superior," "The End Complete" and "The Road and the Damned" are probably my favorite songs created by Co&Ca. What surprised me was how I could hear some of their earlier work pop out in the songs. A scream here, or a refrain, a lyric or the ending of the CD. It did what a good multi-part story should do and come full circle.
I could go through and list my feelings toward each track, but I won't. If you are new to Coheed and Cambria, this is easily their most accessible. But it's also one of their best. I know some fans haven't been really into Co&Ca since their last album. Their sound has changed. For me, it's changed for the better and Volume 2 equally takes from their previous album and their roots to create what is arguably their best album yet. Give them a try, if you're new. It's a wild journey.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Coheed is for today and tomorrow..., November 3, 2007
Once again this band has created a timeless rock masterpiece. For me, trying to choose a favorite Coheed album is futile. This band progresses with their sound, mixes influential sounds of their favorite bands into the music, yet still manages to sound distinctly Coheed and Cambria.
This album is full of the typical catchy C&C riffs and choruses but also incorporates different styles not yet explored on previous albums. Claudio has a lot more variance in his vocal performance than on any other album and I think he has improved vocally. The previous 'Good Apollo' album bears the most resemblence but 'No World' is overall a more upbeat sound - having shorter simpler song arrangements without lacking any of the wonderfully weird and complex Coheed sound. Any fan of the band should be satisfied with this latest offering - if not blown away by it.
RECOMMENDATION: If you care about the packaging then make sure to purchase the deluxe edition. This edition is just the CD in a sleeve with no lyrics. The extra money may be worth it for the lyrics, the artwork, and the DVD.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A bit disappointed..., October 26, 2007
This is how I've described "No World for Tomorrow" to people who have asked me what I thought about the album: if you are a fan of rock music and have never heard Coheed and Cambria before, you will probably think this is one of the best rock albums ever recorded; but if you've been a fan of the band from the beginning, like I have been, you may be a bit disappointed.
Don't get me wrong - this is still a good album - but it is lacking some of the elements that made Coheed and Cambria such a unique and noteworthy band. For instance, with the exception of a few repeated lyrics ("What did I do to deserve this", etc.), the reincorporation and repetition of past musical motifs is nearly nonexistent on "No World for Tomorrow" (including the little instrumental segment that has appeared in various forms on each of the past albums). Also, this marks the band's first album that feels more like a collection of songs than an epic, well-conceived chapter of a great saga like their previous efforts. Part of this may have a bit to do with the fact that Claudio co-wrote two of the songs ("The Running Free" and "The Road and the Damned") with professional songwriters and did not originally intend them to be Coheed and Cambria songs (they were written when the future of the band was uncertain and Claudio began doing other things to keep himself busy in case the band was over). Additionally, whereas in the past, the band has always shown great progress in their sound from one album to the next (for example, better song-writing on "In Keeping Secrets..."; guitar solos on "From Fear through the Eyes of Madness"; etc.), the band doesn't really do anything new on this album. In a similar vein, nothing really seems fresh about many of the songs on this album - in the past, the band has incorporated their influences flawlessly, paying homage to classic bands like The Police, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin without ever sounding like they are retreading old musical ground, simultaneously forging their own breathtaking sound; on "No World for Tomorrow," there are many instances where it sounds like they are just trying to fit in with some of these bands on the radio.
On a more positive note, the title track and "The End Complete" are two of the better songs the band has ever done; on both songs, they flawlessly combine catchy melodies, progressive guitar riffs, and heavier elements to make two of the more epic songs in their catalogue. Additionally, Claudio's voice has clearly gotten even better, and his singing talent really shines on this album. And, for guitar lovers, this album has more solos than all of their previous albums combined, really showcasing Travis and Claudio's chops.
All in all, it is a solid rock album, and most of the songs would blow away anything else on the radio today while fitting in marvelously alongside classic rock standards. However, if you've been a fan of the band for a long time, you may find yourself a bit disappointed with this album because of the things it lacks.
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