Coheed and Cambria are a rock band hailing from New York who I had the pleasure of seeing play live only once as yet, but would go and see them again in a flash as live they are absolutely phenomenal.

This album was released in 2002 on the record label Equal Vision, and has a melodic post hardcore feel about it, although heavily influenced by prog-rock, punk rock, emo and blazing metal.

To explain in a little more depth, the frontman of the band Claudio Sanchez wrote a heap of science fiction comic books and this CD is part of the tale of it, confused, you will be. I still am confused now. It is the second part of a projected four-part tetralogy, telling the story of The Amory Wars written by the frontman.

The album introduces us to Coheed and his wife Cambria, the characters from whence the band's name originates. Sanchez's website, www.evilinkcomics.net, lends a description of the story behind the lyrics.

Relistening to the album many years on from when I first introduced myself to it, I now find a lot of it slightly forgettable apart from the odd stand out song.

The lead singer has a voice like I think no other, very high pitched high pitched, and reminds me of someone trying to sing whilst holding their nose!!! However it is beautifully melodic, slightly warbly, and slightly annoying at the same time, and the only thing for me that sets the band apart from other similiar in any associated genres.

My highlight tracks.

Time Consumer is a beautiful piece of work, again very bizarre in lyrics and slightly so in vocals, with a real child like quality to some of the vocals, but the beauty of Claudio is his ability to keep a perfect tune in any pitch or level of noise. The bridge and chorus are delightful, and with a bit of a prog rock edge a very interesting listen, love the sometimes random guitar riffs.

Devil In Jersey City is a far more punkier sounding effort, slightly upbeat even, not really sounding like anything else on the album.

Everything Evil is a real freaky song with slightly disturbing lyrics as are present all through out the album, it is after all based on a comic book as are the whole band (argh my head is hurting AGAIN!). The breakdown at the end is fantastic.

Junesong Provision sounds a bit more like just plain old metal as does Neverender and both sound like quite technical songs.

I tend to just skip over the rest of the album, finding it more of an insight into the talent the band have that did not quite make its way onto this album, they keep getting better and better further up in the discography, but this album for me is just OK, and not one I can sit through and listen to all they way through, due to the fact the vocals occasionally grate on me and a couple of the songs are just well, boring.

It's a real mixed bag so between 6 and 7 out of 10 for me.