Thursday, January 27, 2011

"You'll face a jury in Hell"

It's finally come down to this. With his plans to overthrow God and consume all life within Heaven's Fence scuppered, his right hand General having been defeated, and his base of operations most likely a smoking ruin, Wilhelm Ryan has fled to Star IV, or some planet nearby. However, Claudio Kilgannon -- the Crowing, the one destined to destroy Ryan and save all of Heaven's Fence by freeing their souls from the Keywork -- followed him. Now, the final confrontation is at hand.

Dramatic, isn't it? Yes, I like to go a little over the top. This is all pure speculation anyway. As I've said before, I won't likely know the true stories behind these last few songs until Claudio either elaborates more on them or until the corresponding comics are released. In the meantime, it's fun to come up with one's own interpretations. Given that Ryan always feared that one of Coheed and Cambria's children would possess the power to overthrow him, I feel safe in assuming this moment would occur. And that's where the song with the most redundant title comes into the picture.

"The End Complete III: The End Complete" has to be some sort of confrontation, given the lyrics and style. It's not exactly an aggressive piece of music, but much of the lyrical content indicates some manner of judgment. Within the comics, Claudio Kilgannon as the Crowing is said to be God's juror, who would judge the souls of the Keywork. This includes Ryan, and thus this is why I believe this song is about their final battle. Such indications are: "You are the jury, we are the saints", and "Now spite me, jury, we've come for change." Further, the garbled vocalization during the bridge is this:

"We are the fate of Hell and
The call of Justice
We are now waiting while you wish us away
With your plans in all deliverance
Won't take us over, baby

GOD, (He will not save you)
IS NOT, (He will not save you)
HERE! (He will not save you from this)
"

Anyway, that's enough for the storytelling. I think I've driven my point home. Musically, "The End Complete" is my favorite song off No World for Tomorrow. The song structure alludes back to the style seen in "The Willing Well" series from the previous record. In some ways this song is not as intense as those songs, but in other ways it is. It lacks the sort of "mindfuckery" (pardon me for this crudeness) that the others have, but "The End Complete" doesn't really need that.

It opens with a rather simple riff, but its sequence is played over and over through the verses. It also has a quick beat to it, perfect for the mood. For reasons I can't explain, this riff helps to keep one's mind focused on this song alone. As I said, it's intense in a certain way. It's suspenseful and anxious, making the listener wonder what's happening. The verses then lead into a strong and powerful chorus: "Dig deeper, remember all you've been and all you've left behind." This chorus (and quite plainly, the entire song) is one of Claudio Sanchez's best vocal performances. His voice is pitch perfect and, excluding that garbled bridge (which in actuality is quite amazing) near flawless, from this reviewer's perspective. It just proves further that he's come a long way as a singer.

With the end of the second chorus comes a slightly calm bridge. It's almost beautiful and tranquil compared to the preceding minutes of the song. That's when it jumps back into intensity and aggression with the above mentioned bridge. This style perfectly captures the sort of progressive rock feel that Coheed have always been known for. It's this incredibly intense moment that feels so much like a battle sequence. Mic Todd's bass lines during this moment are incredible; they're fast and strong. The guitars are over driven and full of distortion. And the drums fills by Taylor are quick and loud. Overall, this whole section is the best part of the song.

Finally, the song starts to slow down. To me, this can only mean one thing: Ryan has been destroyed. Claudio has come out victorious. "The End Complete" draws to a close with Claudio repeating the lines "We're going to get you, my love/Little rabbit go run." Personally, the song ends on a rather beautiful note.

The story's not over yet. There's still one final task for the Crowing...

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