Coheed & Cambria : "The Color Before the Sun"

Coheed and Cambria used to be an emo-tinged metal band who gradually grew into something that when Satellite radio at the gym played some of their albums from the last decade I would often find myself confused trying to figure out if it was  them or Paramore. This is their first album that is not a concept album and the song it opens with is far from manning their battle stations. They get a little harder on "Eraser". While prog has been an element of what they do, despite the band telling the blatant lie that they never listened Rush, the title track finds them playing a much more pop drenched version of this with the Paramore comparisons bubbling under. Though I am not sure despite all their miss givings that Paramore would sound like such pussies on their chorus. It does goes into a darker groove in the songs third act.

The pace picks up more of a Police level on "Here to Mars", yeah the band hasn't given up on the sci-fi metaphors. Then the balladry begins with "Ghost". "Atlas" rocks back more than most of the album. It sounds more like them so that is an improvement. More up beat than a ballad , it might not be metal , but "Boring Cute Love" is very well written and shakes of the ghost of Myspace metal. Then comes "You Got Spirit Kid" which seems like a deflated version of what they use to do when it comes to pop punk tinged middle of the road rock. Then they redeem themselves with the proggy groove of "the Audience" which has some thought put into its composition. The albums comes to an end with the sweeping power ballad "Peace to the Mountain" that is more fluff than cotton candy.

Overall their more Iron Maiden like leanings and 2112 overtones are dialed back to the point of being non-existent, but the band has always had two side one that appeals to fans of Taking Back Sunday and then the other more metal one. The more emo side is even slicked down with a poppy sheen. The album has its share of moments and hard core fans of the band will more than likely adjust to the change better than I would got stuck on the first three. I'll give it a 6.5.