It's a post-apocolyptic world. The Keyword that binds the solar system together is breaking apart. A serum has been injected into Coheed, allowing the device in his heart, known as Monstar, to come loose and give him the power to destroy the universe.

Welcome to the world of Coheed and Cambria. This is the first installation of a four-album chronicle. Actually, it's the second--staying true to their inner Sci-fi geek, the boys of Co&Ca are following the Starwars tradition and releasing the chapters of the story out of order.

We start off with the 52 second intro, which takes the album's name, Second Stage Turbine Blade. If you think that's a mouthful, wait until you hear about the band's second album.

The intro is brief and enjoyable. It blends easily into the beginning of track two, Time Consumer which starts out with a slow, almost reflective beat, speeding up just before the vocals start.

the young stale memories of play the role to your partlibrarian find me the pole the one that kicks your head in
with my own time role your own innocence by
grab on to my sleeve the one that grabs at your ankle
debate to understand that we all have a flaw
then fail to represent your life as you know it
god grant you one wish to turn back the time... correct and create

The song is probably one of the best. The lyrics have enough of a mix between Sci-fi madness and simple moral phrases that are easy to relate to, keeping it interesting and wholly listenable.

Many critics describe Coheed and Cambria as "arena emo" which is both on target and completely off base. There are no songs about true love or heartbreakers here (or if there are, they're cleverly disguised in metaphors). That said, most of the lyrics are emotional, and there are traces of that light-rock "emo" feel in places.

Devil In Jersey City is the single. One of the shorter songs on the album, at just under five minutes finds vocalist Claudio Sanchez wailing "Sweet Josephine, will you follow me home?" This is definitely one of those "emo-y" moments, but no--don't take that as a bad thing. It's not groundbreaking, but it has a big enough dose of weird and a deathly catchy bridge to keep you happy.

Number five, Delirium Trigger is by far the best song on the CD. Cryptic, dark, with great lyrical imagery...You try listening to it in the middle of a hurricane when the power's out. Not only will it keep you entertained, It'll give you nightmares, I guarantee.

we're now up here alone terror on the intercom can someone save us
systems malfunction blast it this damn machine over and out captain
something lurks creeps on the counter top somewhere behind you
parasitic cyst i can't stand to watch it's coming up and out of your chest

Story-wise, Delirium Trigger has a solid, complete feeling that many of the songs lack. While most give little bits and scraps of the story, concepts but not always facts (despite namechecking a handful of characters), Delirium Trigger feels like a chapter itself.

Hearshot Kid Disaster features a gut-wrenching scream that would probably shatter all the windows in your house if you turned the volume up loud enough. In a much quieter, mellower voice Claudio sings "Still searching for your faith in the arm that killed the president relapse waiting here." The song would probably be better off a minute shorter, but aside from that it's fun to listen to.

My only complaint about the album is that some of the songs are just a little too long. Most of them are around five and a half minutes, but they'd probably have been better off at four. A few songs sound same-y as well, but not to the point of listener frustration.

Claudio's vocals are incredibly high pitched, but he can sing amazingly, so they don't come off nasally or overly whiny. The guitar, while lacking a tiny bit in variety, suits the sound well (and it's a breath of fresh air from the chug-chug nu-metal sound) and the rhythm section holds their own.

Recommended to Sci-fi geeks who like Rush and or emo. Check out the single, Devil In Jersey City first though, because it's a good example of the album's sound as a whole.

Coheed and Cambria is:
Claudio Sanchez - vocals
Travis Stever - guitar
Michael Todd - bass
Joshua Eppard - drums

Tracklisting:
01 . Second Stage Turbine Blade
02 . Time Consumer
03 . Devil In Jersey City
04 . Everything Evil
05 . Delirium Trigger
06 . Hearshot Kid Disaster
07 . 33
08 . Junesong Provision
09 . Neverender
10 . God Send Conspirator
00 . I, Robot (hidden track)

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying