Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Know what you are getting into..., January 10, 2005
Recent reviews have slammed this album, but the artists the reviewers use to draw comparisons show they really aren't the intended audience. For some reason one or two tracks have been getting airplay and everyone seems to be expecting some pop-alterna-whatever band. The most accurate comparison to date has been with Rush. The vocal comparison is obvious, as well as the "epic" rock sound on numerous tracks. The lead singer, like Geddy Lee, can grate on one's nerves, but the dramatic variation in the music will make up for it for some people. One doesn't need to get heavily into the storyline to appreciate the music. However, reviewers comparing this band to the likes of Blink182 or the White Stripes obviously don't have a clue. Someone bought them the wrong album for Xmas because they saw it on MTV. This is not a teenybopper band and has been around in one incarnation or another for nearly 10 years. The title track is about an epic battle being fought against all odds and the narrator knowing the participants will die soon, and someone says this album is "prepubescent teens whining about women and life"? This is not a band for the faint of heart, and you will either love it or despise it.
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24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Emo? Please., July 4, 2005
First of all, I'd like to purge this review of morons. That means, if you are an avid fan of emo or punk rock, do not read this review.
Great! You've made it this far. On to the review! The first mistake people make when basing an opinion on this group is that they insist that they are emo. While, at first listen, this generalization may seem valid, I can assure you it is now. 'Emo' is a genre of music dedicated to heartbreak and depression. If the music sounds like emo but doesn't pertain to either of those categories, it's probably not emo, but really gay punk. Coheed and Cambria are neither.
I think CoCa are the antithesis of emo. That is, there is absolutely nothing personal about this album. The underlying premise behind the album is about a post-apocalyptic war in the distant future and the highly science-fictional characters involved. If you can relate heartbreak to futuristic space wars and an evil called the "Monstar," then you probably take acid frequently.
Now for the album! The CD itself is full of complex arrangements, strange time signatures, and a number of key signatures. The vocalist, Claudio Sanchez, has a voice that is sometimes described as effiminate and whiny. I am, personally, a big fan of a powerful falsetto, and Claudio Sanchez most certainly delivers this. Unfortunately, however, he is otherwise incapable of a powerful vibrato. But hey, you win some you lose some. As for the whiny part, I have to disagree but, that is simply my own personal opinion; I do not find his voice to be whiny at all.
While the majority of the music's actual is upbeat, this often does not coincide with the actual idea being expressed in the song. This is a mistake on CoCa's part. The music, despite maintaining a fun and upbeat quality, actually proves to be dark and haunting. I say haunting simply because of the strange effect that Claudio's voice seems to have.
The guitar-work, also written mainly by Claudio, is somewhat complex. Granted I am a huge heavy metal fan (Opeth, Children of Bodom, Death, Emperor), I am somewhat of a guitar freak. These guys are nowheres near as complex as the majority of what I listen to, yet I love them just the same. When someone asks me what I think of CoCa's skills as musicians, I simply say, "They are very good at what they do."
I do not recommend this album to hip emo kids, nor do I recommend it to rebellious punks who shop at Hot Topic. This album is for people who enjoy musicality and depth. If you are a fan of bands like Rush, King Crimson, The Mars Volta, or Opeth, I think you will enjoy the definitive sound that is Coheed and Cambria.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
For the Sci-fi geek in all of us., December 12, 2005
Coheed & Cambria, despite their cheesy comic book geek image, is actually a surprisingly talented band, with a sound that's difficult to categorize. Although they are often labeled as "emo", they have a sound that I would describe as being much closer to progressive rock. They have much more in common with bands like Rush or Dream Theater than anything labeled as "emo". However, I still have no idea what exactly "emo" is supposed to be anyway. I originally thought it was meant to be melodic hardcore, like Glassjaw, but these days, the term is often used to describe bands like Good Charlotte and A New Found Glory, as well as bands like Weezer and Jimmy Eat World. And yet, none of these bands have much of anything in common with each other, or with Coheed for that matter. But, I digress.
Anyway, this album, whatever you want to call it, is a huge, sprawling, well-accomplished epic. The musicianship is tight and complex, but never detracts from the songwriting. The band has a strong pop sensibility, which balances out nicely with the progginess. Any arrogant music critic who insists that progressive music can never contain emotion, melody, or catchy hooks would be hard-pressed to cling to those cliches upon listening to this.
Frontman Claudio Sanchez is the most prominent feature of the band without a doubt. The only thing more attention-getting than his giant fuzzy afro is his distinctive and, well, weird voice. He sort of reminds me of a cross between Michael Jackson and Geddy Lee, and as vile as that combo may sound, it actually works quite well. Granted, I do have to be in just the right mood to listen to them, but he contributes some really great vocals here.
The flow of the album is excellent as well. There's a great balance between short, poppy tracks and sprawling prog epics. The title track gets things started in true over-the-top space rock fashion, with wicked time changes, the rousing "Man your battle stations!" chorous, and a huge Maiden-like choral arrangement at the end. "The Crowing", "The Light and the Glass", and the 3-part epic "The Velorium Camper" are equally huge and enthralling, and the massive hidden track "2113" (hopefully you know what song this pays homage to) is where the band reaches their full-on prog rock peak. But the band excels at shorter, catchier songs as well, like the vaguely 80s Rush-like "Three Evils", the bouncy "Blood Red Summer", and the Maiden-meets-pop of "A Favor House Atlantic". Nary a dull moment throughout.
So anyway, yeah. This definitely isn't for everyone, but I'd say it's worth a try. Just try not to take it too seriously. Shed your inhibitions, break out your toy plastic light saber, and crank it up.
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