Leading up to the release of the conclusion of the Coheed and Cambria saga, I was tuning my ears to their previous material in order to try and catch the mood.

My initial reaction was...where's the coheed themed intro that has been evident on the previous three releases - not a great start. In addition, I was initially disappointed by the drumming and the overall sound of the kit, namely due to it being performed by a Foo, who are not one of my favourite bands. Eppard was sorely missed during the albums' entirety, his use of complex rhythms that are disguised as being simple were a joy to behold over the previous releases.

The opening track, 'The Reaping' is one of the only highlights of the album but could have been much better with the inclusion of the 'coheed theme tune'. The only other track that stands out for me is 'Mother Superior' but even that is only half perfect. The first half of the song are beautifully executed but no sooner did I think that there was life… more »

Leading up to the release of the conclusion of the Coheed and Cambria saga, I was tuning my ears to their previous material in order to try and catch the mood.

My initial reaction was...where's the coheed themed intro that has been evident on the previous three releases - not a great start. In addition, I was initially disappointed by the drumming and the overall sound of the kit, namely due to it being performed by a Foo, who are not one of my favourite bands. Eppard was sorely missed during the albums' entirety, his use of complex rhythms that are disguised as being simple were a joy to behold over the previous releases.

The opening track, 'The Reaping' is one of the only highlights of the album but could have been much better with the inclusion of the 'coheed theme tune'. The only other track that stands out for me is 'Mother Superior' but even that is only half perfect. The first half of the song are beautifully executed but no sooner did I think that there was life in this record, then the drums were introduced and everything was ruined.

Overall, there are small parts to this album which are very satisfying but they are swiftly destroyed by a very below par choice of chord progressions. They will certainly not ever hit the heights of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3 or even the first half of Second Stage Turbine Blade, as they have opted for a more commercial rock sound over an original sound which had done so well as to catch my ear all those years ago. So for any future releases from Coheed I am almost dreading their prequel...

The album itself is stunning, doing only what Coheed and Cambria would be able to do. From track one "The Reaping", I was hooked. All the way up to the final track, hardcore fans will notice nods and ties into all of the previous albums, such as lyrics like "Im the crowing" a familiar scream heard "Delirium Trigger" I do believe, I may be wrong, and mentioning of The Suffering. Fans of the concept behind the album will be stunned at where this album takes the story, but newcomers need not fear, Coheed and Cambria supply memorable rifts, brilliant lyrics and a voice only Claudio Sanchez (the vocals) could deliver. And anyone who wants a pure rock album, this is one of them. Not only did I find myself enjoying the Co & Ca'ness of it, but I found classic rock, something I had missed out in the past few years, and I like to rock!

With the DVD, theres demos of previously released tracks, giving a brand new look and sound to the old favourties. A "making off" which gives you an… more »

The album itself is stunning, doing only what Coheed and Cambria would be able to do. From track one "The Reaping", I was hooked. All the way up to the final track, hardcore fans will notice nods and ties into all of the previous albums, such as lyrics like "Im the crowing" a familiar scream heard "Delirium Trigger" I do believe, I may be wrong, and mentioning of The Suffering. Fans of the concept behind the album will be stunned at where this album takes the story, but newcomers need not fear, Coheed and Cambria supply memorable rifts, brilliant lyrics and a voice only Claudio Sanchez (the vocals) could deliver. And anyone who wants a pure rock album, this is one of them. Not only did I find myself enjoying the Co & Ca'ness of it, but I found classic rock, something I had missed out in the past few years, and I like to rock!

With the DVD, theres demos of previously released tracks, giving a brand new look and sound to the old favourties. A "making off" which gives you an insight into what went into this masterpiece, interview-intro with Claudio, and plenty more to delve into.
So whether youre a hard core fan or just looking to rock, get in with Coheed and Cambria!