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The adventurous nature of Coheed and Cambria was what made them so thrilling. And while this new tangent of popular method could win them a fair few new fans, it may leave some of the loyal wanting more from their next opus.
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Q MagazineNewcomers might well benefit from starting nearer the beginning, but this is one space saga that's worth persevering with. [Jun 2010, p.120]
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It's full of fascinating, stirring moments, but overall, Year of the Black Rainbow suffers just a little too much from its own grand, sprawling ambition.
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Year of the Black Rainbow is not a bad album. It has its moments, but it is a far, far cry from the greatness Coheed & Cambria possessed on all four previous albums, especially the masterpiece of melody, dynamics, musicianship and continuity that was "Good Apollo I."
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Unfortunately, "Year" lacks the grandiose thematic concepts of previous outings as well as an immediate single, like past songs "A Favor House Atlantic" or "The Suffering."
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If you're not already aware that this prog quartet's fifth album serves as both a prequel and a finale to something called "The Amory Wars," bemusement is probably the best you can hope for while enduring their overwrought, topsy-turvy blend of spiky metal riffs, Gollumesque vocals, and ambient melodrama.
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Beneath the veneer of baffling musicality, it's evident there's nothing new under the sun, no matter what galaxy you're in.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 75 out of 121
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Mixed: 10 out of 121
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Negative: 36 out of 121
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Sep 23, 2015
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Feb 8, 2013This was everything BUT Coheed. A little too over-engineered and mediocre in many parts, this album sadly stands alone in their amazing discography...
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Oct 22, 2012