Coheed and Cambria [2022]
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It\\u2019s common for prog bands to create a fictitious narrative for their concept albums. Often, the lyrics tell a linear story, while the adventurous, experimental, and elevated musicianship provides emotional support and dynamism to the album\\u2019s arc. Some ambitious wordsmiths may even spread their yarn over two albums or releases, but Coheed and Cambria\\u2019s Claudio Sanchez has penned an entire science fiction tale called The Amory Wars that has been transcribed in comic books and graphic novels published by Evil Ink Comics. All but one of the band\\u2019s 10 albums, including the brand-new Vaxis\\u2013Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind swim in his solar system called Heaven\\u2019s Fence\\u2014a collection of 78 planets and seven stars wholly envisioned by Sanchez. (The Color Before the Sun, from 2015, is the lone release not centered in The Amory Wars universe.)
Crafting a daring soundtrack for these narratives requires an equally bold group of musicians. Through two decades, this fearless foursome have incorporated prog orchestrations, synth flourishes, pop-punk hooks, menacing metalcore, hardcore aggression, and electronica ballads\\u2014and yet it\\u2019s always felt like Coheed. No matter the direction they turn or how their colors and hues shift, it\\u2019s unmistakable. Having no genre allows for all genres.
It\\u2019s worth noting the band\\u2019s name is lifted from two main characters in The Amory Wars. Their original name in the late \\u201990s was Shab\\xfctie, and that trio (consisting of guitarist/vocalist Sanchez, bassist Michael Todd, and drummer Nate Kelley) released three EPs before rebranding for Coheed\\u2019s 2002 debut, The Second Stage Turbine Blade, released on Equal Vision Records. That first Coheed lineup included the Shab\\xfctie carryovers of Sanchez and Todd, and welcomed guitarist Travis Stever and drummer Josh Eppard. (The earliest incarnations of Shab\\xfctie included Stever, too.) The band\\u2019s current lineup has been solid since 2012, when bassist Zach Cooper joined.
Coheed\\u2019s headlining 2022 run is a dual celebration. They\\u2019re honoring the 20th anniversary of their debut and the just-released Vaxis\\u2013Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind. Before their July 23 show at Nashville\\u2019s Municipal Auditorium, PG\\u2019s Chris Kies hosted conversations that covered upgrading Gibsons, overhauling an entire bass rig during shutdown, and how a stolen Big Muff eventually led to a signature sound and pedal.
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