Album Review: Neverender - Night IV

now playing: Coheed and Cambria - Feathers (Live at Neverender)

While I'd love to continue the trend of going into the story, the truth is that not even the people at Cobalt and Calcium are all that sure what goes on in Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume II: No World for Tomorrow. There's a definite end, to be sure: Claudio Kilgannon finally confronts Wilhelm Ryan and ends the Keywork, as has been fated. But it takes the entire album to get to that point, so just what's been going on? Who is the Hound of Blood and Rank? Is the little back porch lady someone we know? And just what is the change that's finally come? Hopefully the upcoming prequel album will shed some light on this, but I'm not counting on it.

Neverender - Night IV is definitely my favorite of all the performances. It starts with the crowd screaming "Raise your hands high!" in the album's title track; that keeps up to the final strains of "The End Complete V: On the Brink", which does not go on for 18 minutes but is impressive nonetheless. Ever since I started listening to Good Apollo II, I knew that one day I would have to hear these songs live. It's the hardest-hitting of any of the band's albums for me, with "Feathers" (which took time to grow on me), "No World for Tomorrow", and the always popular "Gravemakers & Gunslingers" sticking out the most. I've already given my thoughts on "Justice in Murder" and "The End Complete" in other posts; even though it's live and I really do like live performances, I find it difficult to sit through 30 minutes of disjointed music. I feel at some points the audience does, too. If I could turn off this album after "Justice in Murder" (or perhaps "The End Complete II: Radio Bye-Bye", which I actually can stomach more often than not), I would gladly do it, to be honest. Despite that, Neverender - Night IV still stands as my favorite performance in this grand work. The crowd fills in the gaps more often than not, whether Claudio asks them to or he just runs out of breath. And I think at this point, we all know my thoughts on crowd vocals.

I've gained something from this series of reviews, I think. I've had the story of the Amory Wars explained to me in summarized form, yes, but this is the first time I've actually gone out and tried to comprehend just what's going on. And so far? SSTB is still a little incomprehensible, but I've developed a new appreciation for IKSSE:3 and even the latter half of Good Apollo I. I doubt Coheed's albums are ever going to stop growing on me, which means longevity in their future. And keep in mind that they do still have one more album to go: A prequel, taking place long before Coheed, Cambria, and Jesse existed as characters. If it keeps up this pace, I expect even better things.

The Second Stage Turbine Blade: B-; Neverender - Night I: C+
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3: B+; Neverender - Night II: B+
Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume I: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness: A-; Neverender - Night III: A
Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume II: No World for Tomorrow: A+; Neverender - Night IV: A

I'd like to thank Cobalt and Calcium for their analysis of the story of The Amory Wars. Coheed and Cambria will be playing a short tour in late May; you can find dates and get tickets on their official website under the Tour tab.