Okay, so I lied. This wasn't quite back to back. I got distracted by decorating my Christmas tree. So sue me!

*Ahem*

The second review for tonight's double feature is track number eight on From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness -- "Wake Up." If it sounds like this song might be rather calm and soft compared to the rest of the album, you would be right. "Wake Up" is an example of Coheed and Cambria's diverse musicianship, style, and influence. Being a ballad, the song is a continued showcase of how the band likes to change up their music style from the typical electric hard rock instrumentals, and instead use acoustic elements to vary the mix.

Because of this reason, it was very hard for me to enjoy this song when I first heard it. Though "Always & Never" was an acoustic piece, I felt it served its place in the sequence because it follows a pure instrumental -- "Keeping the Blade" -- and preceded the edgy, metal-esque "Welcome Home." It was sort of a building crescendo. What followed were four tracks of similar heavy, dark tunes. Suddenly, we get "Wake Up." For a long while, I felt the flow of the album had been disrupted and broken. The song remained low on my favorites list for a long time. It would not be until I experienced the band's other records, and realized the scope of Claudio Sanchez's concept that I began to appreciate the song for what it is. And by then, I learned that it didn't break the album's flow at all. If anything, it only strengthened it.

For this is a bit of a turning point in the album's story. Yes, the Writer is still conflicted, angry, hurt, confused, and by all accounts, angsty. However, unlike the previous songs where he generally felt hatred and frustration at Erica Court, "Wake Up" instead chronicles a much more human and loving side to the Writer. He expresses the love he still has for her, in spite of what she's done, and that everything he did, he did for her. This sentiment only leads to further justifying his frustration and anger.

Unlike "Always & Never," the song isn't solo guitar work by Claudio. Josh helps along with the rhythm of the song by providing additional drum work, as does Mic with simple bass notes that don't overshadow the guitar work. To further enhance the slow-paced song is an equally soft and almost mournful piano piece. Of great note here is also Claudio's vocals. I've heard some people say that it's one of his worst performances, with his voice almost sounding more like a girl's. Not only do I disagree, but such comments are also usually ignorant to the point of stupidity. On the contrary, I feel "Wake Up" simply shows that Claudio can sing. Perhaps his voice is really high, and to some obnoxious, but that's just the way he sings. Disregarding his pitch or octave, this song (and really the entire album) shows that Claudio knows how to sing quite beautifully.

And it's just as fitting that he does. While the song has its place in the story, there's no way this song could have had as much emotion as it does in the vocals if it weren't for the fact Claudio DID draw on his life experiences. For all intents and purposes, "Wake Up" is a love song, written as much for the story and even more written toward a very special someone in Claudio's life.