It's finally here; Coheed and Cambria's conclusion to singer/guitarist/lyricist Claudio Sanchez's rock opera, Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume II: No World For Tomorrow, is here to tie up all the loose ends in the narrative and bring the world another helping of this New York quartet's rock magic.
As longtime fans know, each Coheed and Cambria album thus far has begun with the same instrumental introductory track. Tomorrow bucks this trend in favor of a soft, somber acoustic song, which leads into the rest of the album. This omission, though subtle, sets the stage for a dramatic shift in both narrative and musical perspectives.
From the moment the intro track ends, the album drives into a rollicking fit of 80's metal (a la Iron Maiden), 70's bluesy solos, and pop-driven melodies. While this gives each song its own individual feel, the lack of a common musical thread throughout each song bogs down the overall merit of the album. It ends up sounding less like a cohesive narrative, like the three albums prior, and more like an amalgam of tribute songs to the gods of rock lore.
This isn't to say that No World For Tomorrow lacks it's own flavor. Songs like Mother Superior and The End Complete V: On The Brink contain the familiar taste that Coheed and Cambria are known for. The former is a stirring, well arranged piece centered around an acoustic guitar riff and singer Sanchez's moving vocals. The latter is a bluesy, largely instrumental song (think Pink Floyd) that not-so-subtly makes a welcome nod to the band's previous closing track, The Final Cut.
Altogether, the record coheses rather sloppily and falls short of being an epic closer, merely settling for second-best as it rehashes the music of decades past. While the album has scattered high points, it is marred by mediocrity and a lack of originality that spell its demise. Like the inhabitants of its complex and inevitably doomed narrative, No World For Tomorrow's inherent lack of originality and the qualities that made the past three albums so lovable dooms this record to a fate of no tomorrow--at the bottom of your record collection.
COHEED AND CAMBRIA - GOOD APOLLO I'M BURNING STAR IV, VOLUME 2: NO WORLD FOR TOMORROW
Overall score: 7/10 (note: not an average)
Musicianship: 8/10
Lyrics: 6/10
Originality: 6/10
Staying Power: 6/10
(note: It is important to note that No World For Tomorrow is not Coheed and Cambria's final record, but merely the final chapter in the narrative saga. A prequel album is planned and will be recorded later, as well as non-story albums to be released thereafter.)
the end/beginning.
14 years ago
