Coheed & Cambria were such a surprising signing for Columbia due to the concept the band is based on; lead singer Claudio Sanchez writes lyrics based on his personal, ongoing pet project of a comic book series, detailing a post-apocalyptic future for mankind. The genius behind this is that Coheed somehow makes it really work. The band has slowly but surely evolved away from their emo/screamo roots and further embraced the broad prog of ages past, adding symphonic metal and the weirdness of the Mars Volta to the volatile mix. I'm exceedingly happy to report that despite all the hype now surrounding this wonderful band, they're not going to let it hurt Good Apollo.

The band has now embraced an almost wholly, bombastic, and almost poppy prog-rock style. There is little of Claudio's saurian screeches, and a little less of the Warped Tour power chords. It is also interesting to note that Claudio Sanchez and lead guitarist/back-up vocalist Travis Stever have buffed up their guitar playing skills. The technical wizardry of earlier Coheed works (wizardry in a world of post-punk bands that is, Coheed still doesn't have anything on the average death metal band for example) but the guitars frequently rip with an technical glory no Coheed album prior has fully explored. Perhaps this has led to a strange restraint on Claudio's trademark vocals; the love-em or hate-em Geddy Lee of Rushisms are the band's most defining piece, as Claudio has nearly limitless range and a very distinct vocal style.

On Good Apollo it seems the words are just slightly less catchy or direct, less distinct and grand. It's as if Claudio is too busy trying new time signatures to sing as much as he used to. The band also takes a few odd forays into prog-posturing that seem a bit odd or unusual; some of these come off as a new part of the Coheed cannon (almost like introducing new characters in the comics) but others fall flat on their face.

The first half of the album is simply put a blessing. It is amazing, and CoCa sounds so crisp with major-label cash that you'll wonder if you are hearing the same band. The first six songs blaze by in a supernova of a band in its creative prime; the cinematic orchestra score of "Keeping the Blade" will have old-school Coheed & Cambrians weeping in blissful joy as that familiar melody, present on every album since The Second Stage Turbine Blade, drifts in like a lost memory at last recovered.

"Always & Never" is a delightful, soft, and fuzzy acoustic jaunt by the band. This odd twist of proggy-folk is so charming, sincere, and fresh one has to accept it. The older CoCa returns in blazing fury on the majestic

"Welcome Home," and undoubtedly most older fans will feel at home hearing this band totally bypass their older material in one fantastic song. Clean string patterns segue into thumping prog-rock and orchestra-bombast, all leading into an orgastic dual-guitar solo that simply slays. Hopefully this song will fill arenas someday.

"Ten Speed (of God's Blood and Burial)" is a fantastic power-prog bastard that is technical while fundamentally remaining catchy and fun. "Ten Speed" slowly builds into a grand rendition of the song's title, and Claudio teases hitting that famous screech before song five takes center stage.

"Crossing the Frame" is a winding piece of rock that slowly builds into a fiesta of hand-clapping sing-alongs. "Apollo I: The Writing Writer" is a real treat; this twisting piece of moody prog breaks back and forth into restrained chord-progressions and epic, space-opera choruses.

Sadly, the second portion of the album (the second half, at least before the "Willing Well" song-cycle) comes across as a tad weak and placid. It all being made by Coheed & Cambria, it still bakes the cake of pretty much anything on rock radio today, but it sounds weak when measured up to previous works. "Once Upon Your Dead Body" is a largely lifeless cut of sugary space-pop. It doesn't offend, but it really doesn't stick in your head either. The slow-paced "Wake Up" would have made a better song placed somewhere else on the CD, but following another more mid-paced track, it seems purposely banal and tepid. It's a mildly interesting ballad, but mildly interesting isn't enough for a band that is normally ten steps ahead of everyone else.

"The Suffering" is a strange piece of pop-punk that recalls "Blood Red Summer" off of In Keeping Secrets of a Silent Earth: 3. It comes across as catchy, but there's not much else to it. Lil' Jon is catchy, but that doesn't mean his songs are timeless. "The Lying Lies & Dirty Secrets of Miss Erica Court" is restrained prog-rock, a little too defensive to be wholly grand. "Mother May I" is slowly crescending pop rock, and frankly I have trouble recalling it at all no matter how often I listen to it.

The final opus of Good Apollo is the "Willing Well" quartet. Some of my favorite CoCa tunes are those from In Keeping Secrets' famed "The Camper Velorium" trilogy. Will this new song-cycle best it? Part I, or "Fuel for the Feeding End" is a solid mini-epic, but it feels a tad bloated and pieces of it drag a tad. Part II, "From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness" gets better after time, much like wine. It patiently grows in intensity and works itself into a moody frenzy of bombastic glee. I promise that last chorus will stay with you like an electriconic tether.

"Apollo II: The Telling Truth" comprise part III of the cycle, and here's the truth indeed; it feels like a ripoff. The song is actually a beefed-up, jam edition of "Apollo I: The Writing Writer" from merely half a CD earlier. It might be a little more complex or long, but that doesn't make it a new song, and it defaces the song cycle itself by cheapening the entire complex, as this song is little more than a rehash with some extra spice. The worst part is that it would totally rock on its own, but the fact is there's two versions of the same song on this CD, slightly changed but not really. "The Final Cut" closes the "Willing Well" and Good Apollo with easily one of the best songs Coheed has ever done. I would attempt to describe it, but the song speaks for itself and I'd recommend hearing it right away.

In conclusion, this CD is definitely amazing, but it would have been much better with some of the fat trimmed off. Thankfully, Coheed doesn't really make songs that are ever truly awful, and as such even the lowlights of this album are decent. Heck, props are deserved for merely filling an entire disc to capacity with seventy minutes of far-reaching rock. The best cuts on here are simply epic, and the worst are still just ok....so in conclusion, pick this up "Ten Speed."