Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Vol. 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness [2LP]

by Coheed and Cambria

Overview

Much like Death Cab for Cutie, emo devotees were aghast with horror when Coheed and Cambria left the shores of their indie label to depart for the good islands of major labeldom. And for those just catching up on their Coheed and Cambria folklore, this is first part of two, which will be the conclusion to their four-part concept album saga detailing the saga of two protagonists, Coheed and Cambria. It's not necessary to know all of the facts and story lines to enjoy IV, which is a prog rock opera on par with anything that Rush or Queensryche ever released. But the interesting thing to listen for is the evolution of the group's sound, since success sideswiped the group with 2003's In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth. The emo chords and songwriting dynamics have been shed in favor of a more prog rock, heavy metal sound that was so dominant throughout the '80s. Nowhere is this more evident than in the album's opener, "Welcome Home"; with its bombastic strings, dramatic buildups, breakdowns, and dual guitar solos, it's one of the best metal licks that 1985 never made. The album concludes with a four-part song cycle that acts as a subplot within the album, and will most likely act as a bridge for volume two when it's released. But conceptual plots aside, this is an album that finally lives up to the heavy metal promise and unapologetically delivers the goods with a full head of steam. ~ Rob Theakston

Product Details

Release Date:	06/30/2017
Label:	Columbia / Equal Vision / Sony Music
UPC:	0889854405212
Rank:	1252

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Keeping the Blade
2. Always & Never
3. Welcome Home
4. Ten Speed (Of God's Blood & Burial)
5. Crossing the Frame
6. Apollo I : The Writing Writer
7. Once Upon Your Dead Body
8. Wake Up
9. The Suffering
10. The Lying Lies & Dirty Secrets of Miss Erica Court
11. Mother May I

Disc 2

12. The Willing Well I: Fuel for the Feeding End
13. The Willing Well II: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
14. Willing Well III: Apollo II: The Telling Truth
15. The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Coheed and Cambria   Primary Artist
Travis Stever   Guitar,Vocals,Lap Steel Guitar
Claudio Sanchez   Guitar,Vocals
Danny Louis   Keyboards
Sarah Kathryn Jacobs   Vocals (Background)
Tomas Ulrich   Cello
Daniel Sadownick   Percussion
Meg Okura   Violin
Janiris Sanchez   Children's Voices,Speech/Speaker/Speaking Part
Michael Todd   Bass,Vocals
Artificial Army   Director
Ron Lawrence   Viola
Julieanne Klopotic   Violin
Josh Eppard   Drums,Vocals,Keyboards

Technical Credits

Andy Wallace   Mixing
Coheed and Cambria   Composer,Producer
Chris Bittner   Engineer,Producer
Travis Stever   Group Member
Claudio Sanchez   Composer,Musician,Interlude,Group Member,Art Conception
Karl Berger   String Arrangements
Michael Birnbaum   Engineer,Producer
Todd Vos   Studio Technician
Brian "Big Bass" Gardner   Mastering
David Bottrill   Mixing
Peter Robertson   Studio Technician
Michael Todd   Group Member
Bill Scoville   Layout Design
Matt Pinfield   A&R
Christopher Shy   Artwork
Cathy Pellow   Producer,Executive Producer
Andrew Nosek   Studio Technician
Josh Eppard   Group Member