From the beautiful orchestral opener 'Keeping The Blade', 'Good Apollo...' is a record that never lets up, in imagination or quality. There is, quite simply, no weak tracks on this album.
Everything stands out, firstly the lyrics. In keeping with the concept covered on previous C&C releases, they are suitably poetic, yet express epic themes in accessible terms: 'would things have changed if I could have stayed'.
This is backed up by the songs themselves, which manage to be both insanely catchy, yet ambitious ( 'From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness', Apollo II: The Telling Truth'. This is balanced with more 'commercial' sounding songs like 'Wake Up', complete with an excellent slide guitar work, and 'The Suffering', which has a killer chorus.
The fact that the songs are both accessible and challenging is largely thanks to Claudio Sanchez, whose delivery can be emotive, such as on 'Always and Never', yet can turn angry, reflecting the hatred in some of the 'Good Apollo's...' lyrics (see 'Welcome Home').
It's rare to find a band that combines melody and invention to such challenging, yet accessible effect. With 'Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV...' Coheed & Cambria have done so with ease.

I must admit that when a friend recommended this to me, I wasn't expecting much, I thought it might have been 'just another metal band'.

I was pleasantly surpised.

This is not exactly what I call metal myself, but then again everyone has their own boundaries.I listen to a wide range of music myself. Then again what is metal these days? Anyway on to the album in question.

This is an excellent album,produced in the way of a story. And this story from start to beginning left me hooked. I have not yet listened to it in it's entirity in one sitting, but all the tracks are excellent. From the calm and laid back 'Wake Up' and 'Always and Never', which I must say compliment's Claudio Sanchez's child-like voice, to the riotous and loud anthems of 'Welcome Home' and 'Ten Speed (Of God's Blood and Burial)'which contrast the slower, softer songs perfectly. Not many other metal bands do this, they either attempt it and fail miserably (DragonForce-Inhuman Rampage), or not at all (Trivium-Ascendancy). Listening to an hours worth of screaming isn't really a great album for me.

In summary, I say listen to this if you like the stuff of a metal band, with a few ballads thrown into the mix for good measure.

PS. This is definitely emo. Emo is the stuff of tears. This doesnt make me cry.

Now I must confess despite my passion for Prog Metal, I have not heard any previous albums from Coheed & Cambria, and feel this album is a little samey, which is a shame as there is some decent material here.
In particular the eerie "Keeping the Blade", the gentle "Always and Never", the shattering "Welcome Home" before the fantastic single "Ten Speed (Of God's Blood and Burial)" and finally "Apollo I - The Writer Writing".

These songs capture either atmosphere, or clever light metal with melody to provide crafted songs. However once past track 6 the album blurs together somewhat. I have listened to this album several times since its arrival but just cant get further into it, I conclude therefore the variety is the first half of the album and for those concerned with the story concept, it doesnt appear to go anywhere, however this maybe due to having not heard previous albums.

This album is to me at least an indication of what the band can achieve, but have yet to fully deliver. Perhaps planning a single album, rather than a series could help bring out this potential.

Coheed and Cambria clearly have great vocal arrangements, a smooth voice to suit the lightly tinged metal guitars and in the aforementioned tracks some good melodies. ...Burning Star IV will ultimately be best recieved by the hardcore Co&Ca fans.

After hearing much breathless praise for this album and the band generally and hearing one track on a demo cd I purchased.
It's ok. At times it's real good. However it's extremely difficult to enjoy the whole disc at a single sitting. There is just not enough "space" in the tracks for the music to expand into. Nearly every track gets to the vocals in seconds and fades out as soon as the last lyric is sung with scarcely a breath between. Put alongside the output from the "greats" that these guys are compared to leaves you wondering whether they lack confidence in their musicianship or hadn't worked on the tracks long enough as they are lacking in shape, space and mood.
As someone who takes time and a few listens to judge an album I get the feeling that I may have heard these tracks more often than they did before they recorded them.
They should take more time and maybe the next one will be a classic.

This album is exceptional. It forms a section of the third chapter of one grand concept governing all albums thus far. A concept series then, rather than just a single album, the style of this record is fittingly nebular; it oscilates between manically sinister effect-laden menace, tender, soaring innocence and vehemently twitchy angst. Standout tracks within the first part of the album include the epic call to arms 'welcome home', 'crossing the frame', 'The Suffering', 'The Lying Lies and Dirty Secrets of Miss Erica Court'. Such moments withing this first section give the impression that Co&Ca have really found a solid creative base for their music. Multiple guitars wander through the strange lyrical landscape of 'The Bag.On.Line Adventures' and Claudio Sanchez's vocals predictably excel. The final four songs are the album's real strong point. Ever-difficult to describe, they form almost half an hour of progressive musical experimentation, which masterfully works in melodic themes from previous albums (see also, final track of second album). This album is genius, a timely reward for those who saw potential in the band's inaugural offering.