It’s nigh on impossible to describe Coheed and Cambria, let alone pigeonhole them into the next fashionable genre that some strung-out music hack has dreamt up down the pub. This New York based quartet, led by the charismatic and enchanting fuzzy haired frontman Claudio Sanchez, have quite literally blown away many of their New York/New Jersey friends with this release, ‘The Second Stage Turbine Blade‘.
Released in Europe on Defiance Records to coincide with their tour in support of Finch last month, C&C don’t do things by halves, as anyone who witnessed the band live can testify. A unique musical blend of pop melodies and equally confusing elements of progressive metal, it’s all blended into one of the most colourful stories that you’ll ever hear. A concept album complete with characters, it’s so hard to explain that the best advice I can give is to listen – because you won’t be disappointed.
The title track calmly opens things up before the crunching ‘Time Consumer’ and the fantastic ‘Devil In Jersey City‘. Both tracks show the subtleties and originality that screams from Claudio’s mouth, as well as bringing the wide selection of diverse styles that the band collectively bring into the melting pot. Mixing the intracite with the heavy, and the melodic with the downright twisted, it’s a rollercoaster of a ride that is only smoothed out with the delicacies found in the singer’s vocals. ‘Everything Evil’ combines an excellent dream-like lyrical concept with a wall of guitars, creating quite possibly the best song on the record. And then there is the awesome ‘Delirium Trigger’ which twists and turns, as well as batters and bruises, its way through just short of five minutes. The drumming is exemplorary, the basslines driving and again Claudio’s vocals are among the most original around.
‘Hearshot Kid Disaster’ pitches in the most piercing scream you will hear this side of Hitchcock’s Psycho with yet another awe-inspiring story which can be taken on various levels. Does it spark a feud with a rival band or does it merely speak of the troubles the band face in the studio? Who knows, but find a more complex record than this and you’re a better man than me. ’33’ is possibly the most orthodox song here, but things go back to normal with the weird and wonderful ‘Junesong Provision’, which is again as descriptive and colourful as a picture book. ‘Neverender’ and ‘God Send Conspirator’ merely keep up the high standards with more of the same – it’s inventive, original and downright fantastic.
Is it emo, post-hardcore, prog metal or rock and roll? Who gives a fuck. Switch on, turn it up and get lost in Claudio’s world. It’s as colourful and magical a ride as you could wish to come across, so strap in and enjoy one of the most original rides you’ll experience all year.
Paul