IN KEEPING SECRETS OF SILENT EARTH - 3

This album is by far my favorite of the 3 currently out. The main reason is that I think this has the highest concentration of great songs, without anything that screams filler or should've been left on the cutting room floor. Although I don't deny the progressiveness of C&C, I really like their songwriting, hooks, and layering much more than whether or not they're playing in odd times or singing about complex storylines. And this album has a ton of great hooks and songwriting. Even the "radio songs" of Blood Red Summer and A Favor House Atlantic are much better than The Suffering, Wake Up, etc. These hook-laiden songs also are placed well to keep the album fresh during its flow. The music sounds like a cross of emo, punk, metal, and prog, and unfortunately, I think the emo influence turns people off. Overcome superficial elitism and you will be rewarded.

Highlights are the Title Track in it's entirety (it's probably my favorite C&C song--shouting along with the crowd at a concert is forever emedded in my mind), the coupling of fun music and extremely dark lyrics on Three Evils, The Crowing (probably my 2nd favorite C&C song), the end of the Crowing (deserving separate mention), and 2113.

I can listen to this whole album without being tempted to ever skip a track. I would recommend this album over their others for the curious. Although it's not as "progressive" as Good Apollo, I just think it's much more listenable on a track-for-track basis, and therefore their best, IMO. 4.5 stars.