The sound of this album is just amazing, the layers of gutiars, the pristine drumming, if the songs dont stick in your head the sound sure will

To say the least, I was thoroughly surprised by this band. A lot of their older stuff didn't seem to click, really, for me anyways. In particular, the main single from the album before this, In Keeping the Secrets of Silent Earth 3, "A Favor House Atlantic," sounded a kind of, well, annoying to me.

Here, though, it comes round excellently. Slick production opens right with both "Keeping the Blade," and "Always & Never," a pair of softer songs which lead straight into the pounding intensity of "Welcome Home," all of which are three of the best tracks on this album.

Many elements of this album will have you good and hooked with ease. Songs like "Ten Speed," "Crossing the Frame," and another of the band's singles "The Suffering" will have you wanting more, but only for a time.

Whatever it is, it feels almost as though there is something about this album itself that turns me off from it from time to time. If I see Coheed and Cambria on my computer or my iPod, I now tend to turn my attention to part 2 of this album, the superior No World For Tomorrow. Somewhere behind all the catchyness is something that just feels undesirable.

Whatever the case, this album still deserves a good long listen, and many more beyond that. Check out part 2 if you like this and the rest of their albums if you're interested in the sci-fi concept behind the two main characters, Coheed and Cambria, who are remanents of a military project and their children, as a result, carry a sort of virus that ultimately begins to lead to global apocalypse. The two characters don't want this, just wanting to raise their children, and they try to make the best of it for them, confronting all of the dangers along the way.

****4 out of 5 stars****

My favorite tracks:

- "Keeping the Blade"
- "Always and Never"
- "Welcome Home"
- "Ten Speed (Of God's Blood and Burial)"
- "The Suffering"
- "The Willing Well III: Apollo II: The Telling Truth"

This is a great album... best consumed whole. The truth is, there's almost 200 5 star reviews on here that go on at great length about how great it is. I'll spare you that. It's one of my favorite albums so of course I think you should get it. Take a quick listen to the samples and if you think you like what you hear at all - then just get it, you won't regret it. I stumbled on it in the used record store and I haven't stopped listening since. I hit up Amazon for the rest of their catalog... great stuff. Albums that are great start to finish are hard to find these days... and C&C keeps knocking em out...

I hate to classify one genre of music as my favorite, I just listen to bands I like. However, it seems that most of the bands I like fall into one genre: progressive Rock, and it's sub-genres. My sister told me about this band when she was still in high school back in '03. So I automatically disliked them without ever listening to them! Never thought my lil sis had great music taste, of course I have been stuck in the nineties forever, and no new band could be that great. I'm an obsessive Tool fan, by the way.

So about a month ago I was watching a video on you tube and it had this great song in it. Sounded a little like Rush. I looked it up, exited to add a new band to my list. I am very picky about the music I like. Anyway, I found out it was "welcome home" by C&C. :( Crap! Aren't they gay EMO.

I downloaded their this album anyway. First listen... they're ok, not emo though. Hard classify them...just like all the other bands I like. Most of the bands I listen to take a few listens to fully appreciate their genius. So listen after listen they just kept growing on me.

I hate to say it but there is at least one good, great, "new" band. Coheed are genius. "Progressive" rock for the new generation. It's such a shame that they were lumped into the EMO category because of the time they released their albums. I think progressive rock means unclassifiably SIC!

I have to admit that I didn't like 'The Suffering' the first time I heard it on 'Rock' radio a while back. I thought, Who are these guys cribbing so blatantly from Geddy Lee and Prog Rock in general?

Then I got 'Good Apollo, I'm Burning...' and it has pretty much been in my CD player and on my iPod nonstop ever since.

Granted, it is a form of music that has a certain 'learning curve', so I can't say it's for everyone. But once you get into the music, you are effectively hooked on it.

The most intriguing element of the songwriting may perhaps be the geekiest, as well. Thematic, sci-fi lyrics set in a world that these guys have made up. Wow. It's almost unfathomably compelling.

I recommend this to anyone who's willing to experiment with his/her boundaries. For fans of Prog Rock, Mars Volta, etc.