There have been concept albums, and thematic continuity threads some artist's work together, but few bands have linked multiple albums in cinematic fashion like Coheed and Cambria--certainly no band in recent memory.

"No World for Tomorrow" is the final chapter of "The Amory Wars," a comic book series penned by C&C frontman Claudio Sanchez. The civilization-saving storyline has unfolded through the group's earlier efforts, "The Second Stage Turbine Blade" (2002), "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3" (2003), and "Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness" (2005). Besides having typesetters scrambling to find small enough fonts, the band has continually challenged listeners with the Tolkien-ish storylines and progressive musical leanings a la Rush and Queensryche.

However, musically speaking, as through-composed as "No World" is (especially the 20-plus minute suite "The End Complete"), it doesn't have all the proggy math that the pedigree would suggest.

The opening keyboards of "The Hound (Of Blood and Rank)" scream pure '70s Who, while "Feathers" leads off eerily like Poison's "Fallen Angel" (thank goodness it doesn't continue that way), and "The Running Free" features "Oh oh oh" backing vocals that fans of AFI's Davey Havok will love. If you can handle Sanchez's high-pitched vocal delivery, there is a lot of straightforward, melodic and ballsy rock--to wit, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins wouldn't sit in for any old wimpy band. (He plays on the record, while ex-Dillinger Escape Plan timekeeper Chris Pennie will tour.)

A truly poignant moment is "Justice In Murder," inspired by Sanchez's aunt Antonia Cristiano, who passed away from Alzheimer's disease in 2006: "Is this the way I want to see me? / Please leave your memories at the door / Why has the world gone off and deserted me? / Why, there's just no room inside these walls."

There's a lot to digest with Coheed and Cambria, and jumping straight into "No World for Tomorrow" is a bit like turning to page 207 of Tolkien's "The Two Towers" and expecting to get all of Gandalf's backstory. Still, in a rock landscape overflowing with hyper-aggro growling and screaming-under-eyeliner, this is an ambitious--and very welcome--effort.