Well, it's finally come down to this. Five albums to review, five months of writing. Since creating it I spent the majority of my time with this blog writing a review for the songs off each of Coheed and Cambria's albums -- with a few every life posts here and there. It was just the main songs and did not include bonus or demo songs (although I also did not give the title track from The Second Stage Turbine Blade its own post, but that was because the song is very short). I've had fun working on writing these reviews. Coheed remains as my top favorite band and I wish them luck in their musical careers. I am especially looking forward to seeing them in May as well as looking forward to future material.

I haven't decided if I'll write reviews for some of the bonus or demo tracks. After this, I think I need to get away from doing album reviews for a while, and focus more on actually maintaining a blog that's more about me. With that said, the final review of my Coheed and Cambria Song Review Project.

Coheed and Cambria are one of the few bands I know of that sound really impressive live. Then again, I don't see too many bands in concert. More to the point, there are plenty of songs that I personally love hearing performed live than I do hearing them on the album. The penultimate song on Year of the Black Rainbow -- "When Skeletons Live" -- is one of those.




The opening drum pattern for this song is what manages to kick this song into gear. From that opening alone, I knew I was in for something. Or perhaps, I hoped I would be in for something. This song is another example of the type of progressive rock seen on such earlier songs as "Apollo I: The Writing Writer" or "Cuts Marked in the March of Men." But it also leaves a lot to be desired.

And it's why the fact that Coheed is so amazing and awesome playing their songs live. The energy created by the band and their fans is impressive to the point one could forget that there might be some things about Coheed's music they don't like. That's pretty much my feeling with "When Skeletons Live." Compared to other penultimate tracks such as "The Telling Truth" or "Neverender", this song just doesn't seem to fulfill the same feelings. What really helps to make up for it is the catchy and upbeat choruses:

Not many of the songs on Year of the Black Rainbow deal solely with the concept. Many of them were written more with the intent of letting the listener relate to these songs, while simultaneously being more in relation to what's been going on with the band members. Some songs such as "The Broken" and "Here We Are Juggernaut" have a slight conceptual overtone, but it's still not as noticeable.

"In the Flame of Error" is where the concept really shines through on this album. The title comes directly from a quote in the novel. In this part of the story, Ryan kidnapped Pearl Hohenberger to use her as leverage against her husband Leonard. By doing so, he persuades him to hand over his creations Coheed and Cambria (not knowing about the existence of Inferno at this point), as well as convince him to construct the deadly Monstar virus. The song follows Leonard's guilt over his willingness to develop the virus -- and thus spell doom over all of Heaven's Fence -- all in the name of saving his wife.

The other part of the song, however, deals with Leonard coming up with a plan to turn the tables on Ryan. While he indeed constructs the virus, he implants it within Coheed as well as installs a trigger mechanism within Cambria, effectively making it nearly impossible for Ryan to extract the virus. Still, Leonard struggles over this and comes to believe that he might truly be the "worst murderer the worlds will see."


The first time I heard this song, I thought for a split moment I had been listening to an Alice in Chains record. "In the Flame of Error" opens with a heavy, sludgy riff that's so reminiscent of a grungy sound. At the same time, it reminds me plainly of such songs as "Everything Evil" and other similar progressive Coheed songs. The verses consist of strong, loud drum beats coupled with similarly heavy rhythm leads. In this way, the song has a bit of metal vibe to it as well. This change of styles it what really makes this song as good as it is.

I also personally love the vocals on this track. This is why the song is more story than it is anything else, as helped by Claudio's vocals. You can almost feel the anger behind the vocals as if he's singing from the perspective of Leonard Hohenberger. When the band told fans that this album was going to be more melodic than previous records, and I can see now what they mean.

After the last three songs having little to do with the concept and more to do with personal struggles of the band members, the album takes a turn back into the actual concept. With that comes another love ballad. Going back to the band's earlier acoustic styles seen on songs as "IRO-Bot" and "Wake Up", Coheed presents another soft, beautiful tune that speaks to anyone who has ever been truly in love. Next up on the list for this album is my new favorite Coheed and Cambria acoustic ballad -- "Pearl of the Stars."

Speaking from the concept, Pearl is the name of one of the major characters. Specifically, she's the wife of Dr. Leonard Hohenberger, the scientist who, after the tragic loss of his son Joseph in a protest against Wilhelm Ryan's brutal war against the other Mages, created Coheed, Cambria, and Inferno -- artificial humans with immense powers and abilities -- as a way to stop Ryan. Although the three prove to be more than a match for Ryan's army, there is no real way to fill the void that has been left in Pearl's heart after her son's death. The best way for her to grieve is to take it out on the only person she can. In a way, Leonard bears some responsibility for Joseph's death by allowing him to attend the war protest despite knowing the dangers of such a thing.

But despite the relationship with his wife deteriorating and her sanity slowly crumbling, Leonard holds on to the hope that somehow everything will turn out okay. His love for his wife remains ever strong, no matter what the current situations have done to their lives. That being said, the song solely explores their relationship. I personally love the way this was done. First, there was a song that explore just the relationship between Coheed and Cambria, and then one that was a sort of mix between the two. Now, there's just one that focuses on the darker side of love and relationships.

The song's lyrics are also found in the novel: "Each night I wish to God He'd let her rest" and "I'd give you anything if only I'd have known you'd take it" are such examples. While these quotes are found at far different times within the novel's chronology than they are found in the album's chronology, the relationship between Leonard and Pearl is a critical one within the novel, so it needs a place on the album. And on an album that was influenced by relationships as much as it was struggle, why not add one more song that deals with this theme? Like other love songs on this record, this song gets its influence primarily from Claudio's wife. It's very poetic and personal in so many ways, but it speaks to anyone who's ever truly been in love. The greatest message is that no matter what happens, if you're willing to make it work, your loved one will always be by your side.

As I've said, this is my favorite ballad tune out of Coheed's career thus far. It's haunting yet beautiful, and simple but complex. The effects and piano add a wonderful ambient feel to the song, in keeping with the rest of the album's experimental genre. Further, Claudio's vocals are top-notch for me. The best thing about this is that he's not singing completely in his usual high key. Instead, he incorporates some low key vocals. While I don't think the low-key style is as great as his high-key, it was a well done result nonetheless. Chris' drumming is also what makes this song as haunting as it is. Instead of the conventional drumming, he uses mallets to give the drums a more orchestra-like feel to it, which I completely approve of.

Following in the footsteps established by the previous two songs, Year of the Black Rainbow continues to chronicle what's happened with the band in the last number of years and how far they've come. But not every one of the songs deals with the bad side. Aside from having to deal with bad media coverage and struggling to please their fan base, Coheed and Cambria have nevertheless come very far.

If "This Shattered Symphony" was about the the band's struggle with pleasing their fan base and "World of Lines" was a counterattack on media and other critics for not taking the band or their music seriously, it could only be natural for the guys to realize that despite all they've been through, they've also managed to make something of themselves. With that, "Made Out of Nothing (All That I Am)" is a most fitting title.

That's the simple explanation, really. The song is just about the last of those off the album that are least about the story than the others. As the song is a confirmation and a realization that the band has been "made out of nothing", the music style is thus a reflection of this mood. Lighter-toned, catchy, and a bit happier, this song has a slight No World for Tomorrow feeling to it.

However, the song is also rather generic. Vocally and musically, "Made Out of Nothing" reminds me a lot of a few other songs I've heard off many tunes. While the verses are truly amazing and memorable, they lead into rather unspectacular choruses. All in all, nothing that's particularly noteworthy, but still a good song nonetheless.

This song is much better explained by the band than I can fully explain it. I This review.

I love concept bands. I love concept music. Music that tells a story intrigues me so much more than music that doesn't. I think it surely helps I just love stories. Next to creating amazing music, Coheed and Cambria appeals to me so much because of the concept. Added to the fact their concept has a written form through novels and comics, the story becomes much more understandable and broad.

However, it's for this reason that Coheed has been pushed to the side by critics. There's no point denying it; comics are generally considered a childish form of reading. The average college student probably doesn't read comic books, and knowing that some 30-something year old men are dabbling in science fiction comics as the inspiration for their music turns off the ignorant. It's one thing to give something a try and then express that it doesn't suit your tastes, but throwing aside any rational form of criticism and dismissing an artist's integrity on the sole basis that they deal in so-called juvenile practices is absurd and unfair. But Coheed and Cambria have dealt with that many times since the guys created the band. Often times, their music has been overshadowed by The Amory Wars story. So much so, in fact, that the band has sometimes been overlooked and not taken seriously.

In the last review I pointed out the similarities between the "Camper Velourium" series from IKSSE to the songs from this album. Where those songs followed a path that started with the first song sounding upbeat to the last sounding angry and aggressive, the three I'm pointing out on Year of the Black Rainbow do the opposite. "This Shattered Symphony" was a more brutal, heavy style of rock. As the band members now take their frustration to the media, the style becomes more hard-edged, but yet not nearly as brutal. "World of Lines" is instead a more conventional style of rock; hooky riffs, catchy choruses, simple formula. The hard edge comes from its style of quick-paced rhythm and lead work that reminds me of "Gravemakers & Gunslingers" from NWFT. Put simply, the song sounds like it punches you in the face.

The song also demonstrates the the guys haven't lost their touch for writing really, REALLY catchy tunes despite the album's lyrical content.


"World of Lines" is another shining example of the album's "fuck you" persona. This time, that message is directed prominently at the media and just about anyone else that criticizes others for essentially being different. I know what you're probably thinking at this point. Yes, this message of "screw the media" is not new, and it's not fun hearing about over and over again. And that's why when I learned of what this whole song was about it sort of bugged me at first.

I have mixed feelings on this. For one, I do in fact dislike how Coheed has been mislabeled and dismissed over the years because of who and what they are as people and as musicians. But, really, the same old attack against the media is just old. And frankly, it's not going to go away, so maybe I should just deal with it. The point was still made, however, and it's that we are all different.

I'm not even going to attempt explaining the story for this song. For one, it feels like doing so would mean missing the point of this song. Second, while there is a chapter in the book titled "The World of Lines" it appears to have little to do with the song itself. 

"World of Lines" holds a message that relates so directly to life and growing up, that the song seems to be incredibly important to Claudio. So much that the band chose the song as the album's second single (the first having been "Here We Are Juggernaut"). Last year, a short film was created documenting the message that "World of Lines" represents. So, I end tonight's review with this music video. Enjoy!

Have you ever felt like what you do was never enough for some people? Were you hold to certain expectations and because you didn't meet them you somehow "failed" in the eyes of the public? Did you struggle trying to please everyone?  I'm certain we've all been through that before.

Longtime fans of Coheed and Cambria, especially those who watched the guys grow from a small band playing at schools and basements in Nyack, New York into an award winning rock group playing at big venues all over the world were lucky enough to see the band progress through the last ten years. After Claudio's trip to Paris and the subsequent inspiration that led him to create The Amory Wars (then known as The Bag.On.Line Adventures of Coheed and Cambria), their first album -- SSTB -- was released. For many looking for something that was different from mainstream radio pop and alternative rock, Coheed was that. Since then, well, some feel as if Coheed has lost their edge.

I'm not one of those people. I've always appreciated anything this band has come out with. It's not me being a fan boy, it's just simply that what they put out is good and always has been to me. Others think differently. For many, Coheed has been going down since IKSSE. I can't count the number of times I've heard someone say "I want the next album to sound like Second Stage" or "I hope we'll get another In Keeping Secrets soon!" It's annoying to say the least, and apparently Claudio agrees.

With today being Valentine's Day, I feel it very fitting to review the next song from Year of the Black Rainbow. As I've stated, the songs from the album have a strong love overtone to them. As the album's story deals with Coheed and Cambria's days as fighters before their minds were wiped, so does it deal with how they related to each other. With Claudio's marriage, the album feels natural to have taken on such a tone.

Anyone who's familiar with Claudio Sanchez's side project The Prize Fighter Inferno is also familiar with his love of fiddling with electronics and effects. Such tracks as "The Going Price for Home" and "The Margretville Dance" are such examples. While listening to the tracks on Year of the Black Rainbow, it feels as if some of the tracks have such a feel. But no other song has nearly the same feel as "Far."

In fact, "Far" was originally a Prize Fighter Inferno song. Listening to the song, it's very evident how much influence the electronica style had on this song. The guitars are layered with effects that remind the me, or probably any listener that's as familiar as they are with Claudio's work of such songs as "Who Watches the Watchmen?" or "Accidents." To drive the point home further, the drums have effects layered onto them. I remember several people complaining that the drums were electric-based, when in fact they aren't. Rather, Chris recorded the drums for the song on a drum set composed of steel trash cans and sheets of metal, which were then layered with some effects to give them the electronic feel.

I had a hard time enjoying "Far" when I first took a listen to it. At first, it sounded very generic and... well, different. This was one of the few instances where I sort of understood why so many hated the production on this album. It was strange and over-saturated. As time went on, however, "Far" has become one of my most favorite of Coheed tunes.

The song is very much a love song, but in a sort of twisted way, as the lyrics would demonstrate. For Claudio, it is his confirmation that the love between him and Chondra is strong enough to withstand anything.

As I've pointed out a few times before already, the songs from Year of the Black Rainbow don't exactly follow the chronology of its respective novel. It's more accurate to say that the songs explore some of the events that occur within the novel, but the story really took a back seat on this album. But the album isn't so much about the physical confrontations going on so much as it is psychological and emotional. As many of the songs will later point out, the album has a love theme to it.

Which isn't all that surprising, considering Claudio's marriage to his long time girlfriend back in 2009. The songs from this album are peppered with her influence, some more obvious than others. "Here We Are Juggernaut" is a much more subtle reference, no doubt helped by the fact it's not quite a love ballad as seen on previous records. If you're not familiar with the term "juggernaut" allow me to divert your attention for a brief moment. A juggernaut, as defined by dictionary.com, "any large, overpowering, destructive force or object." For Claudio, the love between him and his wife is an overpowering force that can't be stopped. 

Conceptually, the song's title refers to a line that Coheed says to Cambria. This is an example of what I meant by the album not exactly following the chronology of the novel. Where "Guns of Summer" dealt with events leading up to their creation, I think "Here We Are Juggernaut" goes back to the mission the two are on. As IRO-Bots developed with superhuman abilities and powers, them and Inferno prove to be more than a match for most of the soldiers of Ryan's Red Army. Thus, they themselves are a juggernaut. Going back to the love theme, I believe the song is exploring the future relationship the two will have. During this part of the novel, it's evident that there's some mutual attraction between the two, despite Dr. Hohenberger's designs. However, Coheed and Cambria are "programmed" to believe any relationship they would pursue would prove disastrous.

Regardless of whether you play RockBand or not, or if you're one of those people who claims to hit every note and bashes anyone who misses even one, you can't deny that the above drum track is at least difficult. This track doesn't even begin to fully compliment how remarkable and technical it really is.

The addition of Chris Pennie to Coheed could only mean that they band's music was bound to be more technical and aggressive. Aside from the rest of the band's general progression, those who knew Chris' past work with The Dillinger Escape Plan knew that his skills would be the perfect fit to Coheed and Cambria's new direction. The last song -- "The Broken" -- was a great example of how Chris provided a new sense of style to the band's progressive chops. As one progresses through the rest of the album, this style becomes more evident. And there's no better example than "Guns of Summer."

Without a doubt the most aggressive and fast-paced song in Coheed's career to date, "Guns of Summer" is one of those that could most likely take some time to getting used to. As soon as the song begins, the guys waste no time in shoving the music in your face. At first, the song sounds like a complete mess; the guitars are layered over each other with riffs that are played so fast it feels as if Claudio and Travis were trying to break their fingers. The drums are equally ridiculous (the RockBand drum track gives you some idea). Only Mic's bass lines show sign of sheer simplicity.

But Coheed has not always been about simplicity. They've always been experimental. What better way to experiment than utilize what skills they've developed over the years and apply them?

After a few listens, it becomes apparent "Guns of Summer" isn't as messy as it feels. The crazy verses transition into equally loud and powerful choruses, but they're a bit more simple in that the riffs use chords. But of course, the band quickly pulls the listener back again with a wacky solo and bridge, only to end with a final chorus. The solo and bridge are truly my favorite moments of this song. Again making use of their experiments with noise and ambient sounds, the band compiled together a bizarre sounding solo. What I find most interesting about it though is that the sound of it feels as if it could be something that came straight out of The Second Stage Turbine Blade, further driving home that the album is a prequel. In fact, there are plenty of moments where these tunes are a mix of Coheed's earlier sounds, which I'll get into later. To put it simply, the song is all over the place while still retaining a strict formula. It's both chaotic yet orderly, which perfectly reflects the concept behind the song.

The story can get confusing here. First, allow me to explain the novel a bit. The novel begins with Coheed and Cambria (the characters) on a secret mission, long before their memories were erased. They've been sent on this mission by their creator, Dr. Leonard Hohenberger, who, until this album, has had no appearance in The Amory Wars series. After this chapter, the novel goes back in time to explain how Coheed, Cambria, and Inferno were created, and why. In the next chapter, the novel chronicles the rise of Wilhelm Ryan, an ambitious Mage destined to guard one of the sectors of Heaven's Fence. Not content with such a position and sure of his own superiority, Ryan starts the brutal Mage War to take supreme control of Heaven's Fence. The Prise do almost little to nothing to stop his conquest, being the servants of God and fearing a riddle He gave them long ago -- a riddle that would spell doom for Heaven's Fence should His designs be challenged.

(To digress here for a moment, this "doom" turns out to be Claudio Kilgannon years later.)

Anyway, the Mage War rages across Heaven's Fence and affects even the ordinary Man, the general citizens. So much that many of them rise up to protest the war, asking for peace. One of these is young Joseph Hohenberger, son of Leonard and Pearl Hohenberger. "Guns of Summer", both the song and chapter, pretty much follow Joseph's decision to attend a protest. However, this decision proves folly, as he and many of the other protesters are killed by Ryan's Red Army. This act of brutality and the loss of his only child eventually lead to Leonard's determination to strike back against Ryan.

In the meantime, an eerie celestial phenomenon appears over Heaven's Fence, an expansive stretch of blackness that appears to defy the very laws of nature: The Black Rainbow.

I've read the novel and listened to the album many times and I still feel excited. Well, stay tuned for the next review!

One day in late January, 2010 a countdown appeared on the Coheed and Cambria homepage. It was easy enough to figure out what the prize at the end of it would be. The new album was already set for an April release, and Coheed was more than likely to pre-release some new material to hold us over until the rest of the music appeared. When the timer reached zero on midnight of February 9, "The Broken" was listened to for the first time. And when I heard that song for the first time, it's an understatement to say it blew me away.

I'm a guy who prefers hard, edgy rock music. Acoustics and softer tones are amazing when my mood prefers them, but I can't resist something loud and heavy that just makes me want to headbang and rock out. Luckily, Coheed is the type of band with a variety of music to suit any of those moods and needs. After the hauntingly beautiful instrumental we're treated to a track that's right up there with such concert openers as "No World for Tomorrow" or "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3."

"The Broken" is another example of how the band took their producers words into consideration. The song uses a heavy dose of electric overtones that give it a sort of "dirty" feel. The guitars are hard and heavy, and are clearly some of the most intricate riffs Claudio and Travis have dished out. One of the best moments of this song is that "The Ring in Return" makes a comeback during the song's solo, albeit it's layered over with noise. Mic proves his worth with a sickly bass groove that demonstrates he's not just there for rhythm. The best part is his chugging "horse gallop" playing style during he bridge -- it reminds me a lot of Steve Harris.

What really helps to drive this song home is Chris Pennie. His skills were barely seen if not at all on No World for Tomorrow (he wrote the drum parts, but they were practically watered down). This album gives Chris a chance to show off his skills. Pardon me for the lack of professionalism when I say this, but the only way to really describe Chris on this album, and in this song, is "beastly."

I completely love the vocals on this track. They're powerful and dynamic. As I've said, Claudio has come a long way as a vocalist. His style remains slightly high pitched but it is also more controlled.

As far as the story, the only connection I can put this song to is the first chapter of the novel. Parts of this album are out of sequence chronologically, but I feel safe in saying that this song takes place in the middle of the story (middle chronologically that is). As the album explores the origins of Coheed and Cambria and why they were built, it also details some of their missions and adventures during their time together with Inferno as the K.B.I. In this song, Coheed and Cambria are on a secret mission on Howling Earth, trying to discover what operations are going on here. It's hard to explain, but maybe later I'll go into more detail.

According to Claudio, "The Broken" is mainly about accepting your flaws and embracing them. In doing so, you become more empowered. Not only is this message applicable to the story, it's a theme I agree very much with.

The only complaint I have about the song is that it's too short. It's shorter than any other opener (again excluding "Always & Never" from FFTEM). Still, that's a minor thing. Overall, I don't understand those who complain about overproduction on this album. With a good pair of headphones, every instrument can be heard clearly, and the layering is simply superb. "The Broken" might be more saturated with effects than previous records, but the result was good.

According to Claudio, "The Broken" is an example of where Coheed and Cambria are right now in terms of their style. To that, I can only say that I can't wait to see where the future takes them.

Today I'd like to end this with a music video for "The Broken."

After Year of the Black Rainbow was announced, there was undoubtedly an increase in hype and fanaticism amongst the die hard fans. More Coheed music was naturally a happy announcement for those of us that loved the band's work. So fanatic were some of their fans, in fact, that they couldn't help but notice something peculiar about the album title.

Each of Coheed's albums have been titled in strange ways. And I'm not talking about the long titles and choice of words, but rather the clues behind them. Each album's title has reference to its place in the story, whether subtle or obvious: The Second Stage Turbine Blade is the second part of the story. Similarly, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 and both Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV albums are the third and fourth parts of the story, respectively. With that in mind, so many people expected Year of the Black Rainbow to have a reference to the number 1 in its title. For some reason, some people were disappointed.

One really overreaching theory I heard was that the clue lay in the word "year." That is, since a year is a measure of time as one full revolution of a planet around the sun, that's where the "one" reference came in. That was by far the silliest idea I'd thought of. More to the point, it's not as if the album really needed such a reference anyway. Most of us already knew that the album would be a prequel. Still, I like to think Claudio Sanchez is a man of humor.

"One" -- the first track of the album, and chronologically the first track of The Amory Wars musical saga, is the reference to the album being the first of the series. Sometimes I can't help but think Claudio named this song as it is just to poke fun at some of us. If this is true, I approve.

Like the opening tracks of most of their records, "One" is instrumental. And it's also the first one after the guys took a small departure from that formula on No World for Tomorrow. As the song begins, it's clear it's not the same tune we're normally accustomed to. Instead, it's much more... eerie.

The song is an indicator of the bleak and dark atmosphere that the rest of the album would follow through with. It's clear already that Coheed took Ross and Barresi's ideas to heart. The songs on this album feature musician Wes Styles, notable for his keyboard playing during the band's Neverender tours. Combining elements of original tunes and a bit of the old themes into the mix, the entire song consists of Styles playing as a brooding, howl plays in the background.

"One" is my favorite intro track. The eerie and bleakness of the song gives me this chilling feeling that sits perfectly well with the prequel record. As I listen to this song I always have this feeling that, if this were a movie, we'd witness the creation of Heaven's Fence (literally), as well as a summary of events  leading up to the next song. In fact, "One" leads very smoothly into it in a way that could only be described as bad-ass, as the howling grows louder and more ominous.

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.

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.

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.