Coheed & Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

This is the first review I've had to do in a long time where I've literally scoured each track of an album trying to find something that I can enjoy about it. Needless to say, this review of In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3, Coheed & Cambria's 2003 release, will be short and sweet. To summarize the CD for you, I'll break it up into three distinct aspects I've pulled out of it: "Geddy Lee," "Mall Punk," and "Uninspired." First, let's take the "Geddy Lee," as in the lead singer of Rush, characteristic. This guy's voice just doesn't do it for me, and I'm not sure what it does for anyone else. If they were handsome gentlemen, like The Killers or some other MTV-ready fashion band, I could see the hoopla. But with this gent's terrible Geddy Lee impression and without the looks, I just can't see the mass appeal. I've read juvenile reviews that tear the guy's voice to shreds. I won't. Although he has the makings of a great singer, I just can't bear to listen to it. I hate to beat this to death, but it will surely be the first thing to jump at you off this disc. Take it or leave it.....I'll leave it, thanks. Secondly, we've got the "mall punk" comparisons. They're pretty dead-on. You've no doubt seen the crazy party video for the single, "A Favor House Atlantic," a four-minute pop punk gem. Once I got used to his voice, this was definitely a pretty good listen. But with a majority of the tracks clocking in over five minutes - some as long as nine minutes - you can only take so much. At least the mall punk bands end their songs after two to three minutes. Instead, Coheed & Cambria inject the usual schlock-rock tricks you'd expect from metal bands: Palm-muting their guitars, arpeggio solos and boring fills. Which leads us to... "Uninspired." I couldn't tell the difference between any of the tracks, except the aforementioned single. The organization of songs made them a challenge to listen to. The same tricks bored me to tears. I don't like songs by Yellowcard or Story Of The Year or Taking Back Sunday, so why would I want extended versions of them with bad metal solos? OK, maybe I got a little carried away. If you're looking for a good, consistent thematic album with long, rock-opera quality songs, crazy guitar solos and a singer with a very high range, skip right over this CD and make sure you pick up Muse's Absolution. After all, why pick up a terrible CD like In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3 when you can listen to a band that has already perfected this musical style? [www.coheedandcambria.com]