Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

Yet again All Around Critic comes through early to give you the best head's up on what is about to be hot. Sorry about the long hiatus, between traveling and preparing this new review, the site hit a small slump, but we're back and ready for action, and you should be too!

With a release date less than 10 days away, there is much hype surrounding the album, only enhanced by a brilliantly produced iTunes commercial. I was fortunate enough to have the chance to preview the album before the official release date, and I can say without a doubt that my ears were blessed to have listened to this new album. Ten days aren't going to arrive soon enough so I can go purchase my copy.

This time around, Coldplay has created what I believe to be a true masterpiece of modern music. It is everything you would expect from this phenomenal British band under the lead of Chris Martin to develop into. They have really shown their maturity on this album, covering a wide spectrum of topics in their piano-driven rock. When some bands reach the pinacle worldwide success that Coldplay exhibits, they can find the urge to try too hard, resulting in a uninspiring and unoriginal material. Coldplay, however, avoids this and perfects upon their distinct sound.

The title track, "Viva la Vida", which is featured in the aforementioned iTunes commercial, is the first single on the album, and is receiving considerable radio time. Catchy lyrics blended with violins and bells create an atmosphere that you can almost visualize. The single lyric "That was when I ruled the world," really encapsulates Coldplay's success in past years, and I would say this is definitely an appropriate choice as their first single.

In addition to the title track, the album consists of 11 or 12 others, depending on which edition you get. The preview I had included two acoustic tracks previously found on the album, "Lost?" and "Lovers in Japan".

The first track kicks off the album the right way with a 2.5 minute instrumental track of monumental proportions. Just hearing it gives you the notion that you are about to listen to one of the real albums of our time. I found that the album really lived up to its hype and expectations, putting Coldplay on a pedestal shared only by that of U2 and other bands that have transcended both time and distance, finding popularity worldwide.

Without giving away too many surprises, I will leave you in a little suspense and say that it is critical to listen to the album's "official" last track (not including bonus tracks), "Death and All His Friends", which finds a special place in my heart as my favorite moment in the album. It helps bring some closure to the greatness exhibited through the album, and helps the listener end both satisfied and happy. "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends", Coldplay's latest release, does not disappoint, and will be on a constant repeat for the following months, come its June 17th release. I would recommend this to both fan's of Coldplay and those who enjoy music. This is an album that will live on and in my opinion, be considered an album of our time.