I wasn't much of a fan of No World for Tomorrow when it was released. I loved the songs, undoubtedly, as I did with any and all Coheed records. But, something always felt lacking, for reasons I couldn't quite explain. Suffice to say that when the final song, "The End Complete V: On the Brink" played out, I was originally disappointed. For the final song of the album and thus the final song in the story, this song originally felt like a let-down.

Perhaps it had something to do with me expecting another "Willing Well" like song that was incredibly progressive and heavy. Maybe the repeated screams of "Hail!" turned me off. Whatever my reasons could have been (though I still am not sure what they were), "On the Brink" didn't suit my tastes for a while.

But then during the band's Neverender tour I saw videos of the song being posted online. Though I've yet to see the song performed live for myself, what I saw through YouTube blew my mind. As of this day, "On the Brink" is now, in my opinion, one of the most underrated songs of Coheed's career.

The song begins in a low key. From the start, I get this feeling that there's still some bit of unhappiness left. This somber mood continues for all of about forty seconds before the guitar comes in. Even here, the mood is still quite solemn. The keyboards of course help to add to this atmosphere. In fact, they keys add so much more to the song and the rest of the album that I applaud the band for adding in this new element to their work. Then the drums come in a simple beat, keeping the rhythm smooth while Claudio Sanchez comes in with yet another example of his continued growth as a singer. His vocals are some of the best on this song. From "The worlds have now learned..." to "So long, Amory..." they're very melodic and eerie.

But Coheed and Cambria aren't quite done. As I've said, though the song isn't quite as epic as some of their other closers, "On the Brink" does save room for one final act of awesomeness. Slowly, the music builds up as the piano plays a hooky tune, the drums get louder in volume, and the guitars and bass chug along. And then:

It's moments like this that make me realize that I don't quite care what anyone says about No World for Tomorrow. Perhaps it doesn't feel quite as memorable as previous records, but the album does have its truly wonderful moments. This is one of those moments.

As we get closer to the end of this album -- and, I remind again, the end of the story -- Coheed and Cambria add one last catchy, ballad like song to the mix. But it's a different sort of ballad. It isn't as anything like "The Light & the Glass," "Wake Up," or "Mother Superior." Instead, it's more like a dance. The rhythm to the song is simple and bouncy.

"The End Complete IV: The Road and the Damned" plays out in a beat that's very similar to a waltz, which is why I said it sounds like a dance ballad (though it's lyrical content and melody still mean it wouldn't be much of a thing to dance to). More to the point, the song is a rather simple tune, at least in comparison to the rest of "The End Complete" series. The song is accompanied with beautiful piano work that plays in sync with the guitars. To me, this song seems to have been made with the idea of being something to groove to. Which is fine, because since Coheed and Cambria are a concept band with a grand story to tell, the lyrics add a whole new dynamic.

Now, given how "The Road and the Damned" sounds -- upbeat, hooky, even a bit optimistic --  you might think I'm crazy for coming up with this interpretation, but here it goes. I can only think that this song is the narration of Claudio fulfilling his task as the Crowing. Using the powers given to him as the Crowing, he burns Star IV (after all, that's what the last two albums dealt with, right?), and in so doing destroys the Keywork holding all of Heaven's Fence together. By doing this, he has allowed the souls of all who gave their lives to fight back during Ryan's tyrannical rule. Why do I come to that conclusion? Well, the answer is in the title of this post.


Okay, so that was a rather grim and perhaps unsatisfying explanation, but that's because I suck at these things. Truthfully, the idea sounds much better in my head than it does written down.

As of this past Monday, I'm officially in my last semester at college. I've taken on 18 units (translate: 6 classes, for those of you who don't know what I mean), four of which are three hour long Art classes, one English class, and the last is a Computer Technologies course. And as of yesterday, the first week is over. Only fifteen more to go.

The English and Computer courses are lower division, which I chose in order to help balance out the workload that I'll no doubt be receiving from my Art classes. One of these courses is called Senior Projects -- a class where you learn the business side of the major you've chosen, and how to market yourself in that career. As I've never been the type of person who's confident in his abilities or outgoing enough to seek out people, this class is scaring me at the moment. It doesn't help that I've also got a ton of homework to do over the weekend.

So why am I posting a blog instead of working? Don't worry, I'll get to it as soon as I'm done.

I just wanted to post my thoughts about what this means for me. The truth is that I'm scared. I don't think I know of too many people who aren't, when this time finally rolls by. After several years of work, some of it involving the constant changing of majors, you're truly not prepared for what's out there. I guess that this reality finally hit me, because it's my last semester and I'm just as clueless as the next person where I'm headed and what my life will have in store for me. I've got some short term goals: move out, work hard in what field I can afford, practice and get better at my skills. The long term goals... well, I'm still working on those.

But, in spite of that, I'm choosing to continue to do what I've always tried to do: take each day a step at a time. I'm not expecting to land an awesome job right after I graduate (and I've always hated that some of my classmates DO expect that), but I do hope that once this is all over I'll have time to take a breather and relax. I might take a whole year off and just work, and might go on the grad school. I'll use the time to hone my skills day after day, so that I can benefit myself and any future family I might have.

In the meantime, it's time for one final stretch of working hard, so that all this work will pay off. So, I say to all of those out there, in college or not, who are making such big decisions and changes in their lives: Good luck!

And I end this with a quote from one of my favorite t.v. series of all time:

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:

"The End Complete II: Radio Bye Bye" was a strange song when I first heard it. Well... actually, it's still a strange song. Coming after the mediocre and disappointing song that was "The Fall of House Atlantic," this song shows the full band back on. And coming right after that last one, it's a welcoming change. Time to bring the mood of the album back into a rocking tune.

Part of this strangeness is due to the song having one of the weirdest titles. I couldn't help but wonder what a radio had to do with the story. But then again, what the hell do I know? Coheed and Cambria aren't exactly a normal band by most means. All I know is the song goes on and on about 'curses' and 'radios' and whatnot. It's repetitive and slightly irritating.

But despite the song's obnoxious lyrics, "Radio Bye Bye" is definitely one of the catchiest tunes on No World for Tomorrow. It's incredibly groovy. Just take a listen to the song played live:




The story is incredibly hard to decipher at this stage. Many people believe that Wilhelm Ryan is on the run and Claudio Kilgannon is giving chase. But just where is Ryan running to? Well, I personally believe it's Star IV, or a planet nearby. I mean, this album and the previous are the Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV albums, so there's got to be at least SOME mention of Star IV in this album right? Right?!

Ahem... sorry.

But anyway, that seems the simplest explanation to me. Ryan is fleeing, with the Crowing directly behind him, and the song sounds to me to be coming from Claudio's perspective. The final battle is about to commence.

I don't think too much of "Radio Bye Bye." It's nothing too special. But unlike the previous song, this song is at least catchier and more groovy. It just pales because it comes directly before what I think is the album's best track. "Radio Bye Bye" doesn't rank too high in my list of favorites. It's just lacking, to me, in ways the rest of the "The End Complete" series succeeds at.

This is it. After years of turmoil and suffering, Wilhelm Ryan's hold over Heaven's Fence is coming to an end. The devastating attack on his headquarters and the subsequent loss of his right hand man Mayo Deftinwolf have out the Supreme Tri-Mage on the run. The only thing that he ever feared was the Crowing -- the messianic messenger of God that would ultimately save Heaven's Fence by destroying it, and stop Ryan along with it.

With General Deftinwolf dead and Ryan escaping, House Atlantic easily falls. And with that, the story's ending begins with the appropriately titled "The End Complete I: The Fall of House Atlantic."

T"The End Complete" series is no where near the quality of epic songwriting that was "The Willing Well" series of From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness. They're a lot shorter and more light hearted. However, they still have some good moments of rocking out. Unfortunately, this song is not one of them.

This review is short, because there's really not much I can get into about this song. I once said there wasn't a Coheed song I didn't like. Well, I was wrong. I've forgotten. I've never been much of a fan of this song, because it's... well, boring. It's repetitive, uninteresting, and frankly disappointing. When I first heard the title of this song, I suppose I was expecting something more epic.

Every band, at some point in their career, will find that one song (or perhaps more than one) that's the hardest to perform; not because of the song's technical skill, but because of what that song means to the songwriter.

For Coheed and Cambria, or at least Claudio Sanchez -- who writes all the lyrics -- "Justice in Murder" is that song. I'll go ahead and let Claudio himself explain his view:




If you skipped the video entirely (it's only just over a minute, you lazy-ass), I'll reiterate. "Justice in Murder" brings back memories of Claudio's dying aunt. Alzheimer's disease affects many people around the world, and watching anyone go through it is unbearable. I couldn't even imagine what the person with the actual disease feels. Anyway, I digress. But, Claudio's aunt helped Claudio and Travis stay together as a band when they were on the verge of break up due to Mic's and Josh's departures.

Unfortunately, in the eyes of a lot of Coheed and Cambria fans, this song doesn't hold up well. Sadly, I believe I see their point.

"Justice in Murder" sounds like something straight out of a 80s metal album, the difference being Claudio's vocals. It's a very straightforward song that literally follows the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus of generic songs. The riffs are very simple (at least by comparison to the more experimental styles of previous records), the drums don't provide anything that's really noteworthy, and overall the song is just very generic. I would say that most fans of the band have come to expect something, anything more unique. Which is quite sad.

However, the flaws that can be found in "Justice in Murder" don't make it a bad song in my opinion. I liked it from the first moment I heard it. It's a hard edged song that only serves to add to the aggression that the final album of an intense story needs. Plus, the chorus is as catchy as any chorus Coheed has done before.


I apologize for this review really not having much substance. I just feel it's very clear what's going on in this song. It's all too simple to really get into it very much. Stay tuned! "The End Complete" is coming up.

As if I haven't shown this enough already, Coheed and Cambria have been a big part of my life in the last half decade. From music to books to comics and to art, Claudio Sanchez's story has influenced me and inspired me in many ways.

Since I've been working on the song reviews for No World for Tomorrow, I felt it would be appropriate to show another drawing I did several years ago.

Every story that involves a final battle needs awesome music to go with it. Star Wars has incredible music for its epic scenes, as do the Harry Potter films, or The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Most fantasy/science fiction tales like these have such scores. And what better way to demonstrate a final battle than with a bit of music that's aggressive, heavy, and really helps to set the mood?

"Gravemakers & Gunslingers" sounds like a metal song just from its title. Rightly so, seeing as the song itself sounds like an 80's metal riff (a la a style similar to Iron Maiden than hair metal, I should say). This is why I said "Mother Superior" was a moment for the listener to catch his or her breath. From here on out, the album -- and thus, the end of the story -- follows through rather swiftly in its events. And "Gravemakers & Gunslingers" is an excellent way to start this off.

To put it very simply, this song is a very much "in your face" kind of song. It's like it punches you in the gut, your face, your stomach... hell, it punches you everywhere. It means you know you're in for something aggressive. The guitar riffs and bass lines follow roughly the same throughout the song, complete with strong and heavy drumming from Taylor Hawkins, as well as an Iron Maiden-esque type guitar solo that's still in the vein of the Coheed style. To me, this song is a full blown jam session, showcasing even further what Coheed is capable of.

I won't bother trying to get into minute detail about the story in this song. For one thing, I don't know everything that's going on. There is a new villain introduced within No World for Tomorrow that I haven't any clue about, and likely won't until some written medium of the album is released -- which likely won't be until the comics for another couple years or so. And for another thing, even if I did know everything about The Amory Wars, there would be a lot to explain. Based on assumptions, speculations, and discussions with fellow Coheed and Cambria fans, there appears to be a lot going on in "Gravemakers & Gunslingers" alone. This new villain I spoke of is the supposed gunslinger, who apparently helps Claudio Kilgannon in certain parts of the story... Yeah, like I said, I'm not going to try to explain it.

I will say this at least: it's clear that the final assault on House Atlantic has begun. Claudio, Sizer, Chase, all the IRO-Bots created by Jesse, and perhaps assorted citizens of the worlds of Heaven's Fence have mobilized into a force to be reckoned with and are now charging into Wilhelm Ryan's base. I think it's fairly simple to see that point of view given the line "We'll be marching to the top of this tower as God isn't at home."

That line speaks quite a bit, actually. First, let me point out the nature of Wilhelm Ryan. Ryan was once one of twelve mages that were tasked with overseeing the twelve sectors of Heaven's Fence. However, Ryan was discontent being but a simple mage. Believing in his own superiority, he initiated a brutal war known as the Mage Wars and almost single-handedly defeated the other eleven mages; some died, and some were transformed into Onstantine Priests thanks to Ryan's twisted experiments. He went on to become the self-claimed Supreme Tri-Mage and conquered Heaven's Fence. Ryan's ultimate goal was to overthrow God. Why this above line speaks volumes is that, now that we've listened to the previous record, we understand that God is essentially the Writer.

The Writer has left Heaven's Fence's destiny in the hands of his character Claudio. Is it benevolence? Or is it an act of cowardice? Regardless, God's presence is no longer a factor in this war, and the fact He isn't means that Claudio Kilgannon cannot be stopped.

The story is nearing its conclusion.

This video was shot around a couple months before No World for Tomorrow was released. In the weeks leading up to that day, the band was known to have played "Mother Superior" at various shows across the country, though from what I've understood in was under the working title "In the Pull of the Trigger" at that time. Still, every fan of any band loves hearing new material before it's officially released. It's evident that the crowd in this video is enjoying watching Claudio and Travis play a new song.

The band seems to have always loved fiddling with acoustics. While a large portion of their career and their songwriting has been focused on guitar-driven electrics and effects, they like to save room in their work for some acoustic elements. No World for Tomorrow had one already; "The Reaping" was a solemn, yet heavy acoustic piece that was highly different from Coheed's usual acoustic pieces. Most of the time, these pieces are sort of like ballads, akin to love songs. Here's where "Mother Superior" comes in.

I think this song is a different type of love song. It's not the romantic type, but the maternal type. Following whatever happened in "The Running Free" (which I still can't quite figure out), I think Claudio Kilgannon is finding himself at one last crossroad. This often happens in stories; no matter how much you try to convince yourself you're doing the right thing, or how much you may think you made up your mind, you still have misgivings. That is what I believe is happening here. Claudio is facing one more dilemma about fully accepting the destiny he was made for. He needs guidance to get him through this. What better guidance than a mother's love?

Cambria is dead, yes. However, I like to think this is a moment where she appears as a dream in Claudio's head, or perhaps may even be a real manifestation of her spirit. Either way, I believe Cambria makes a final appearance in this story, giving Claudio some final courage he needs to take down Ryan and destroy the Keywork.

"Mother Superior" has a structure that reminds me of "The Light & the Glass" from IKSSE. Both songs start off softly, and slowly build into crescendos. By the end of the songs, both also have repetitions that also slowly fade out into the next song. I think this, in part, is why I like "Mother Superior" so much. Like many acoustics on Coheed's records, it helps to break the flow of hard, edgy songs to allow the moods to simmer down momentarily and give the listener a time to catch his or her breath. Considering just what happens in the final half of this record, we sure do need to catch our breath.

"The Running Free" was the first song to be released to the public in the lead up to the album's release date. It was also the first single. When this song was released and I first heard it, I knew immediately that the production of the album was going to be different from the previous release. This song was a more upbeat tune than just about anything FFTEM had. In fact, that almost threw me off.

After a few more listens, it grew on me. "The Running Free" was no different from any other Coheed song in that it always took some time before I could truly enjoy it. Claudio's was still taking some time to hook me. I already knew it was high-pitched, but the Running Free was -- at that time -- the highest I'd ever heard it, and would be until I listened to "A Favor House Atlantic." Yeah, I was still stubborn.

I think the best part about this song is Mic's bass line. His opening notes sound like something straight out of a Red Hot Chili Peppers song. It's groovy, and rather contrasts with the riffs played by Claudio and Travis, which are a bit more hard edged. The instrumentals in this whole song are examples of why the album was described as more "experimental" than previous records.

As far as the story is concerned, I'm not entirely sure what's going on. Perhaps it doesn't help that this song was originally written for the film Transformers. According to Claudio Sanchez, he wrote the song for the soundtrack of that film, but it wasn't accepted. However, he wrote it in such a way that it still reflects what's going on in The Amory Wars. The only conclusions I can make is to take into consideration the literal meaning of the song's title.

Following his meeting with Newo and reconciling their differences, Claudio Kilgannon continues on his mission to stop Wilhelm Ryan and destroy the Keywork. My only guess is that he and his friends infiltrate a Red Army base and free some captives. In spite of the fact that everything and everyone dies in the end anyway, at least it's better that they can die free from Ryan's clutches. Yep, that's really the best I can do. No World for Tomorrow is a really obscure and hard to follow album in certain ways, and I don't think I'll fully grasp what's going on in it until the corresponding comics are released. And as that might not be for another couple years, I've got a while before I'll have a better understanding.

My laptop should be back pretty soon, but if I don't manage to get to a post in the next few days, have a great weekend!

Every story needs to tie up loose ends. I mean, what reader (or listener) wouldn't want that? A writer should end a series by exploring all those unfinished aspects that need to be considered in order for the story to actually feel "complete."

No World for Tomorrow has several loose ends to tie up. This only makes sense since it's the final record in terms of The Amory Wars saga. There are several things that the characters -- in particular, Claudio Kilgannon -- need to address before commencing with the final assault on House Atlantic. What better loose end to tie up first than to find peace with a former friend? In this case, Claudio meets up with his old girlfriend, Newo Ikkin.

To recap the last three records, Claudio essentially "broke up" with Newo when he fled his homeworld back at the end of Second Stage Turbine Blade. As far as I know, he didn't meet up with her at all during IKSSE (the comics have yet to show this, anyway). We learn in FFTEM that Newo has been unfaithful to Claudio (a parallel to the Writer's ex-girlfriend, and likely the unfaithfulness is due to Claudio having been absent in her life). Now, however, is the moment for the two to confront each other and own up to their problems. Claudio even admits that "there's blame for two" -- no doubt citing his relationship with the late Ambellina.

"Feathers" -- the fourth track from NWFT. This song is probably the catchiest song Coheed has ever created. Where "The Hound (Of Blood and Rank)" reminded me of the groove of "Blood Red Summer" from IKSSE, "Feathers" reminds me of the poppy sound, so to speak, of that same song. "Feathers" is an upbeat and quick-paced jumpy song from the beginning to the end. The chorus is as unforgettable as it is to sing along to.

I know plenty of people who despise this song, citing it as nothing more than generic "radio pop trash." I couldn't disagree more. True, the structure of the song is different. Actually, many songs off this album are different, and are a bit more conventional, but I always thought that was a bullshit reason to call a song "radio pop trash." This song is hardly generic, largely because all the essential Coheed elements are there: sweeping rhythms, leads, strong percussion, melody, and narrative. They're all there. Is "Feathers" a perfect song? Not really. I still don't like the album as much as the rest, and some moments are mediocre, but "Feathers" comes out as a really shining moment.

I'm wrapping up this review with the music video for "Feathers." In this video, the song is slightly shorter, but the main point of the video is noting that the guys really are incredibly weird and perhaps even disturbed. But then, this weirdness is part of what makes them as awesome as they are. Well... just watch the video to see what I mean... Enjoy!

Sorry for the absence. My laptop's on the fritz again and I had to send it back for repairs yet again. Until then, I'm borrowing my brother's laptop. Today, we move onto the next song in the series for No World for Tomorrow -- "The Hound (Of Blood and Rank)."

I've always felt this album was similar to In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3. The production sounds similar, and NWFT has many groovy and upbeat moments much in the same way IKSSE does. This song has a type of groove and beat that reminds me irresistibly of "Blood Red Summer." But, it's also clear the band is progressing in a different format. I'd almost classify this song as a watered down metal-esque tune.

Coheed and Cambria proved on their previous release that they liked to mess with synthesizers and electronics. Claudio made great use of it on his side project The Prize Fighter Inferno during the band's troubles in 2006. From the first second, it's clear the band decided to use this new direction. "The Hound" opens up with a catchy synthesizer. But then, the guitars come in and the rest of the song follows in a jumpy, hard-driven format. I love, ultimately, how the rhythms play together so well in this song; much of the guitar work accompanies Taylor's drumming.

I loved this song on the first play through. It remained my favorite for a long time as well, and jumped to the top of my all time play list. It's exactly this sort of upbeat, groovy quality to their music that makes this album as great as it is. Honestly, I don't care what anyone says about this album. It's solid.

Conceptually, I'm not sure what's really going on here. The only connection I can make between "the hound" and the story is the character known as Mayo Deftinwolf. To recap, Deftinwolf is Supreme Tri-Mage Wilhelm Ryan's top general and right hand man. Deftinwolf has been responsible for the deaths of Mariah, and the systematic destruction of Claudio Kilgannon's life by manipulating his parents. In the concept, Mayo is often referred to as "Ryan's hound" -- a fitting title. Given the lyrics, the song appears to be about Mayo, and perhaps a confrontation between him and Claudio. Only this time, Claudio is able to stand up against his enemy, enough to taunt him. At least, that's my thought.

Stay tuned for the next review.

As the first few notes of "The Reaping" played through, I was a bit surprised. From what I listened to and knew about Coheed and Cambria's previous records, they usually started with their "time passage" theme -- to recap, the themes that are played at the beginning of each of the previous three albums. Then, I thought that this was perhaps another form of instrumentals. It sure sounded a bit heavier and more solemn and melancholic than the others, perfect for an album that describes the end of the story.

But then Claudio's voice came in.