I kind of have these underdog bands that I always want to pull through. Usually they're a misunderstood or mislabeled band. Or a band who was indie but got big and now "hip" music people don't pay attention to them, usually resulting in a weird and stupid fanbase. Coheed and Cambria fits the bill on almost all accounts. Metal is only one of the genres that they've been thrust into. Emo, pop punk, progressive rock; some of them more correct than others, but none tell the whole story. The truth is, Coheed has been truly original and ingenious for most of their career. It took me a while, but the style introduced in Second Stage Turbine Blade (2002) grew on me tremendously and evolved smoothly to their third album, Good Apollo I (2005). A strange combination of influences came together to create three perfect records. Unfortunately, No World for Tomorrow (2007) strayed from the path set forth in the previous albums. It was much more commercial and produced, which created a cut and dry, prepackaged feel to the band. Strong elements of what made their style so appealing are definitely present, but stock choruses and uninspired "proggy" sections kill the record. This video pretty much sums up how weird things got after that record came out.
BUT! Coheed and Cambria have a new record coming out on April 13th that I really hope will pull things together for them. Year of the Black Rainbow is the title. It will be a prequel to the Amory Wars saga that was completed in No World for Tomorrow. The one song they've released so far, the Broken, is promising. That is to say, not absolutely amazing, but its in no way offensive. I will definitely be giving this record a chance.
And just to keep everything in perspective:
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