THE FATHER OF MAKE BELIEVE

Coheed and Cambria is a U.S. rock band that has been around since 2002, but is hard to categorize due to the wide variety of styles they play. All of their albums are concept albums, or more accurately, part of an interrelated series of concept albums that tell a larger story. This is their 11th album overall and 3rd in the Vaxis Series. I can't begin to say just what the story entails (haven't heard the previous albums), but musically, it is all over the place, with a little bit of everything, and I really liked this one. It opens with a beautiful folk ditty (Yesterday Lost), then follows with a driving power pop rocker (Goodbye Sunshine), then a melodic hard rock gem (Searching For Tomorrow). Full-on heavy prog of the title track is next, followed by a sweet ballad which swells to an anthemic power ballad (Meri of Mercy). Then comes the fierce onslaught of metal and punk metal in Blind Side Sonny and Play the Poet. One Last Miracle is a fine hard rocker and Corner My Confidence tones things down with a lovely, folky, acoustic charmer, before a catchy 80's style pop-rock single (Someone Who Can). Then comes the powerful concluding suite, Continuum, which is broken into 4 parts, each with its own style and vibe, wrapping up with So It Goes, a wonderfully bouncy and catchy pop song. And surprisingly, it all works. The vocals from Claudio are wonderful throughout, whether dripping with honey on the pop-oriented songs or screaaming and growling on the heavier tracks, he is great. And the arrangements are also spot-on, covering many different styles, showing the versatility of the band. What is most impressive to me, though, is the melodic sense that runs through all the songs, with engaging, catchy melodies, whether gentle pop or hard rock, and even the heavy metal, that melodic sensibility shines through, creating a very satisfying collection of songs. The only musical comparison I can think of would be something like a much heavier The Dear Hunter, showing that kind of variety, versatility, outrageousness, and melodic sense. However, because of the range of types of songs, it may be that those who prefer the heavier aspects of the band may not appreciate the more pop-oriented tracks, and vice versa for those enjoy the more poppy tunes, so I don't know how this fits in with their other albums, but I am very impressed. Best Tracks: So It Goes, Father of Make Believe, Goodbye Sunshine, Corner My Confidence, Searching For Tomorrow. Rating: 4.0