And some more.
Coheed and Cambria - The Second Stage Turbine Blade
Coheed and Cambria's first album The Second Stage Turbine Blade is pretty different from their subsequent releases. It contains neither the poppy, mainstream fluff, nor the epic, towering ballads. It's simply ten tracks of solid but sometimes uninteresting (and unending) progressive punk rock. There weren't any real successful singles from this record, which makes sense, all the songs are a little too long and out of the mainstream to be played for the same market that ate up the junk from later releases.
Even this early on in their career, you can tell these guys are talented musicians. The guitar work is very good, and only gets better from here. The first song after the title track intro, "Time Consumer", begins with an extended, pleasant musical opening before it breaks into the song itself. This is the point where some people get put off, because it's the first time they hear the singer's voice. Yes, it's unnecessarily high, but it doesn't affect the quality of the music, so I'm not going to spend significant time discussing it.
There's not really a lot to say about most of the songs on the album. The songwriting and quality is consistently above average throughout, but somewhat unremarkable since they do very little to make themselves unique. "God Send Conspirator" is followed by "IRO-bot", an interesting hidden track that's a simple acoustic piece, much different from the rest of the songs. It's also a first step towards some of the very long prog pieces the band would eventually come up with.
Coheed and Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Some people have a false impression of Coheed and Cambria. They think it's just a silly pop band with a singer that sings too high, and if every song on In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 was like the two singles, "A Favor House Atlantic" and "Blood Red Summer", they'd be right. They're both simple pop-punk and not that substantial. But just listening to the lyrics of these songs reveals the other side of this band, the one that writes sweeping, nine minute epics about science fiction stories. It takes a unique vocalist to sing things like "Pull the trigger and the nightmare stops" the same way another person might sing "I will love you forever".
Overall, I'd say this album is more interesting than The Second Stage Turbine Blade. That record had solid progressive punk, but not much of it really stood out. Coheed and Cambria does a much better job on this effort of making the songs unique and memorable. The result has a few pretty disposable songs (namely the singles), but a few really great ones too. The cool introduction "The Ring in Return" reprises the lullaby from the last album before leading in to my favorite song by the band to date, the title track. It's a huge, soaring, monster of a song with great musicianship and great sing-a-long chorus and bridge. Really very enjoyable stuff.
The next couple songs are pretty decent punk, but the next highlight for me is "The Crowing", which begins with the character of Claudio screaming in agony at the news his parents have been killed and jumps into the song proper, which is solid. My favorite part is the bridge, with a very catchy guitar hook, and it leads into one of the band's signature, infectious vocal repetitions. Sandwiched between the two singles are the three "Camper Velourium" tracks, which tell the story of Al the Killer. They're a little more progressive and interesting than standard genre fare, and I particularly like the third one, which features some demonic sounding vocals (a HUGE change for the band) and music and a dark chorus that contrasts with the regular Coheed voice singing it. The last song, "The Light & the Glass" is an enjoyable, slower, fairly long ballad, and it's followed by "2113" another very progressive and interesting hidden track. This whole album is a pretty different style from the band's previous, and I personally think it's a change for the better.
Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
I had high hopes for Good Apollo going in. I thought Coheed and Cambria was on to something with In Keeping Secrets, and wished they would capitalize on the potential with their next record. They just didn't quite pull it off. On this record, they're really starting to get far from where began. The difference between this and The Second Stage Turbine Blade is a little staggering. The difference between some songs on just this album are a little disorienting too. When one band puts songs like "Welcome Home", "The Suffering", and "The Final Cut" all on the same record, you have to wonder if they really know what they want to be doing. Just listen and you'll know what I mean.
After the cool, orchestral introduction that recalls the intros to both of their previous albums, Coheed starts us off with "Always & Never", a well performed acoustic song with some of those signature dark lyrics sung angelically the band is known for. It's decent, but it's just sort of in your way before you get to one of the record's biggest treats, the huge, epic, towering, mammoth of a hard rocking song "Welcome Home". It's the first good single the band's ever had, although it's also unfortunately not indicative of most of the other songs. "Welcome Home" is just one of those songs that makes you want to get up and head butt some bears.
The next few tracks are a string of decent punk songs that don't really grab you that much. They have at least one part worth hearing, but they also all have parts that are less than fantastic. I think Coheed and Cambria spent too much time working on the prog later on and didn't make sure the more standard tracks were really a good use of time. "Wake Up" is another interesting soft song and is followed by "The Suffering", another single that sounds nothing like "Welcome Home", but at least it's got a catchy bridge. Unfortunately, it's pretty much the only such bridge on the whole album. Both of their previous works had at least a few insanely catchy, repeated lines peppered throughout that made you look forward to their arrival, yet they are conspicuously absent here.
The next two songs are the definition of forgettable (i.e., I don't remember what they sound like), but they're followed by the real creative meat of the album, the four "Willing Well" tracks, which provide about a half hour of progressive mayhem. Despite the length, these four songs remain interesting far longer than the pop-punk fluff that precede them, and are all filled with good ideas. They contain some strange lyrics "No one runs faster than you... eat?", but I like them. The last, "The Final Cut" is notably strong and has some impressive guitar work, but it is followed by a disappointingly short (although still enjoyable) hidden track. When the previous albums both had 7+ minutes of hidden goodness, a minute-long instrumental is a bit of a letdown, just like the rest of the album.
Default - The Fallout
Default is not unique. The singer's voice is somewhat unusual in how it sounds is moments of passion, but the music itself is pretty standard alternative rock. That doesn't stop it from being enjoyable. The Fallout is not the kind of album that will impress music snobs, but it's a solid effort that, if taken with a grain of salt, can be a fun listen.
"Sick & Tired" starts off the album with a kick, it's a pretty good rock song. It leads into two of the record's singles, "Deny" and "Wasting My Time", they're both good songs, and I particularly like "Deny"'s bridge. The next few songs are an adequate bridge to the next single, the much softer and better "Live A Lie", a different kind of song for the band and a good one. The only other song that's vivid in my mind is "Faded" with a pretty uplifting message.
Again, not much of the album is that innovative or of real significance. The band isn't too far removed from the sound of Nickelback, and that band's singer even helped write some of these tracks. But just because it doesn't do much new doesn't mean it can't be a simple pleasure to listen to.
Denver Harbor - Scenic
Denver Harbor is one of those bands that are usually pretty standard but they do just enough different to get you to notice them. It's usually normal punk rock, but there are moments where they dip into genres, such as some reggae/ska inspired guitars. It also helps that the standard stuff is pretty good.
Scenic starts off with a bang in "Xenophobia", a fast paced song that might give you a false impression of the rest of the album, which tends to be slower. The next three songs are all high quality punk, with "Outta My Head" featuring some of that different guitar work. "All I Want" is a good, slower tune, and after an interlude it leads into "Ride", another song with ska-type music, and it has a pretty good chorus too.
The rest of the songs aren't quite as strong creatively as the first half, but they're still a good listen. The members of Denver Harbor, originally from either Fenix*TX or F.O.N., know how to write catchy hooks and choruses as well as almost anybody. Fenix*TX may have gotten some help from Blink-182 getting started, but they are much better at mixing it up and writing songs that are memorable long after you've heard them.
Dream Theater - Octavarium
Dream Theater has been making progressive metal albums for years and people are still buying them, so I figured they must be doing something right. I picked up Octavarium without hearing any of the songs first besides the single "I Walk Beside You", and while I wasn't blown away, it's still very good.
One thing you should be aware of is that these songs are long, and I mean LONG. Not wimpy six-minutes long, more like, the final two tracks run over a half hour combined long. Dream Theater takes their time getting where they're going, and they spend significant time milking the better hooks they come up with. If eight songs that are over an hour in length combined don't sound like your thing, then don't get this record.
"Root of All Evil" is a good opening track which shows the band's metal sound, and is followed by "The Answer Lies Within", which doesn't. "These Walls" contains probably my favorite guitar line on the album. The aforementioned "I Walk Beside You" doesn't sound much like the rest of the songs, but it's still enjoyable and has a great pre-chorus. "Sacrificed Sons" is a strong track about 9/11 with perhaps the strongest rock out section on the album. The title track is an absolutely mammoth twenty four minute, five part epic. The first and last few minutes are mostly instrumental, and in between, Dream Theater manages to hold your attention amazingly well with a series of changes in style and tempo. It's a great way to end an album for a band that is primarily defined as progressive.
Dredg - Catch Without Arms
I don't generally listen to what's described as progressive/art rock, but I may have to change that. Dredg's Catch Without Arms is one of the most enjoyable albums I own to listen to. Every single song is good. Some are better than others, but this is one of the few records I know of that I really like every single song on. And they're all good for different reasons. Dredg combines strong music, beautiful singing, and hard riffs all into a formula that's hard for me to resist.
"Ode To the Sun" starts the album well, with high rising vocals and cool instrumentation. It is followed by the single "Bug Eyes", which is another strong alternative rock song. "Not That Simple" is probably my favorite song on Catch Without Arms. It has a great chorus and a tune after the second and third refrains that sucks me in. It ends strangely, with a child singing the chorus of a later song from the album in what sounds like a recording of a telephone conversation. The next song, "Zebraskin", is the most unique. It's not the kind of song I usually like but for some reason it works.
The rest of the album folds out in similar fashion. It's all fairly different sounding, well sung, well performed, quality rock music. It's not the kind of stuff that's for everyone, but I can't really ask for a more enjoyable album. I still have yet to find the perfect artist, but if every record was like this I'd be extremely happy.
Emery - The Weak's End
This was the first album by an artist on the Tooth and Nail label I bought. I saw a commercial for the label which featured Emery, Underoath, and Dead Poetic. I decided to pick this up, and at this point, I own seven Tooth and Nail releases. Some have been great, and others have been kind of bad. This one qualifies as a simple "good."
One of my friends started listening to it and stopped after a couple of songs, which was disappointing. He said so much music was either catchy, original, or well-performed that he could only listen to bands that had a combination. I understand his position. He's not generally a fan of emo or punk and Emery does sort of come off like just an average member of the genre. Although I think they really do branch off into more original and emotionally invested songwriting, it just so happens he didn't listen that far.
"Walls" is a standard screamo punk single, except for some reason, I find that I enjoy every moment of it much more than the average song. It just works for me. "Fractions" is one of the better songs for showing off Emery's penchant for multi-layered vocals between the two singers and non-traditional music. The band is sort of like alternative emo. "The Secret" has grown over time to be one of my favorite slow building, softer punk ballads that crescendos into a heartfelt, affecting, loud climax at the end, and it's an excellent way to end The Weak's End.
The rest of album is more good, well sung, and in my view original emo songs. Emery has separated themselves in sort of the same way as Brand New as a band in the genre that avoids jumping into the same patterns that so many other bands do these days. I seriously recommend a listen.
Emery - The Question
Emery has changed their sound slightly, and although it's a bit at the cost of their originality, I think their music is better for it. As a whole, they've gotten a little poppier (without forsaking their hardcore influences) and a little catchier, and it makes their music more entertaining. I still think The Weak's End was good, but the more mainstream The Question is better. Emery has maintained enough of their originality to stand out while making their music more accessible to draw in more fans.
But just because the songs are more catchy doesn't mean they weren't able to branch out creatively too. This really stands out in the lyrics. The vocals worked for me on the last album, but I thought the words they were singing were a little iffy. The lyrics have improved dramatically on The Question, as they are used to create character and meaning and they tell a story as they make it into sort of a concept album. Besides drawing you in with a storyline, the lyrics are simply enjoyable to listen to and are accentuated by the skillful singing from the two vocalists.
I won't go through all the songs, they're all pretty good, so I'll cover my favorites. "So Cold I Could See My Breath" starts it off with a strong guitar part and a driving chorus. Most of the songs really invite singing along with the band. "Returning the Smile You Had From the Start" contains the most screaming of any song on the record, and has some of the most effective lyrics. I like it a lot. "Studying Politics" is the supposed single, and is very entertaining and also strong lyrically. "Left With Alibis and Lying Eyes" is darn fun to listen to. "In a Win, Win Situation" is the band's second consecutive very good, softer closing song for an album. It's not the kind of thing that caters to the musical elite but it's one of the most finely crafted releases I believe the genre has seen.
