****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I'm gonna do a track by track review, then sum it up.The Hollow - A pretty cool instrumental/dialogue track, standard opening track idea for Coheed. I like it a lot better than One, but SSTB still takes the cake for best opening theme-track.Domino The Destitute - This is among the best Coheed songs ever written. The instrumentation is superb, and carries the vocal melodies(which are some of my favorite ever) perfectly. There's a lot of epic peaks in it, as well as great drumming that ties the parts together very well. Great track, REALLY well writtenThe Afterman - A huge departure from other Coheed songs, but not a scary change. The song is really quiet and light, and I really enjoy the build into the big distorted guitar section. There are a lot of really nice strings on it too, which sound great and provide lots of texture. A really nice poppy tune, all-in-all.Mothers of Men - This one gives me a GAIBS4 Vol:1 vibe, with the really riff-driven guitar parts. The vocal harmonies throughout the tune really make the song. The lyrics are also very interesting, and the use of a female vocalist between the chorus and second verse was a really cool dynamic. The bridge shows Claudio's ability as a vocalist to go from sweet to angry and aggressive in a matter of seconds and make it fit within a song.Goodnight Fair Lady - "Faint of The Suffering" This would be the vibe I get. I really enjoy this song, and it comes off as very well written pop-rock, with great vocal melodies and guitars all over it. The song is densely harmonized(also not always in thirds), which is something I've always thought was really cool about Coheed songs. The bridge is perfect. I love it's harmonies, and epic build. The outro is also great, although Claudio's main vocal part is mixed a bit low for me(I didn't even know that it was there at first, but it's well worth figuring out).Holly Wood The Cracked - Lyrically, this is a pretty weak song. But, the music more than makes up for it. It's really interesting and dissonant. When the song gets to the first bridge, there's a lot of background vocals that sound amazing, and the "Poor Hollywood" section is absolutely killer. A great Claudio-belting line. A really cool and interesting song, despite the weak lyrics.Vic The Butcher - Very progressive, also not HUGELY lyrically strong, but not bad. Very aggressive. Really cool instrumentation, and carries the story of the song really well. Claudio uses lots of different voices on this one, which is interesting. A very impressive solo, which I think was performed by Travis, is on here. Very anthemic in the "Hang your secrets" part of the chorus. I can hear fans chanting it at a concert.Evagria The Faithful - An experiment gone horribly right. This song is incredibly interesting. There is more texture than I would have ever expected from a coheed track. It creates quite a trippy atmosphere. The dynamics in it are also fantastic, and the song really grows on you. It's a really killer track.Subtraction - This is easily my favorite acoustic song Coheed has done. It's absolutely beautiful. There's a harmony in the chorus with another member in the band, and the two voices blend beautifully. I really feel the emotion Claudio pours out in this song. It's lyrics are also deep and touching. It's one of my favorite songs on the record.This is another SOLID Coheed record. I am not in the least disappointed. I love all the songs on it. I definitely recommend it to any music fan.
