Coheed and Cambria - Vaxis Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures (Roadrunner Records)
Coheed and Cambria have done it again! if there wasn't for a certain someone gracing us with an absolute masterpiece (see number 1 of the year), this would qualify as the best prog rock album of the year. However, as they (he) did, Claudio Sanchez and co will have to settle for number 7. But despair not dear progster! For in the latest album of the band we find again all elements that made music fans love (and hate) the band. The epic story! The catchy music! The intricate prog moments! The thrill of singing along "oh oh oh oo" with resident music genius, Mr Sanchez. And remember the thing that made the band huge: real ingenuity in their music which transcends individual genres (from prog to pop and back again).
The album, announced as part 1 of a new pentalogy, introduces new characters in the universe of Armory Wars and as Claudio himself put it "this is about a man and a woman trying to rediscover each other, both in love and in tangible existence. And they’re kind of being guided by the hand of their unborn son. The idea is that they need to help him secure his position as the father of the new universe in which all of these new stories will take place."
As for the songs themselves, there is an abundance of epic anthems to wet your ears for days! From space anthem opener, "The Dark Sentencer", where Vaxis, the son of the protagonists introduces us to the plot. "Unheavenly Creatures" kicks off with a synth and develops into an emotional pop/prog, always banking on the great vocals of Claudio and a very infectious main choral part. "Toys" feels like a mid-00s radio rock power ballad, with an A Capella break leading to a great release in the last chorus bit. "Black Sunday" is a darker song with metal riffing being more predominant here, while "Queen of the Dark" continues on the same vein using more mid-paced melodies, bringing about the energetic and almost aggressive release of "True Ugly". "Love Protocol" veers towards more a more prog-oriented approach while "The Pavilion" has an epic stadium rock feel and Night-Time Walkers experiments with a more electronic approach. "The Gutter" mixes aggression and melody in yet another masterpiece from the band, while "All on Fire" continuous the same premise but becoming more personal while adding some awesome riffing. "It walks among us" feels like an interlude to the crescendo of "Old Flames", probably the best song of the album and one of that will stand the test of time. "Lucky Stars" which concludes the album, is a quiet ballad where after the trials and tribulations of the album, the parents of Vaxis are together and happy, leading the way to the 2nd album of the new pentalogy.
96.4/100
Below are the music videos for "True Ugly", "Old Flames" and "Unheavenly Creatures"
The album, announced as part 1 of a new pentalogy, introduces new characters in the universe of Armory Wars and as Claudio himself put it "this is about a man and a woman trying to rediscover each other, both in love and in tangible existence. And they’re kind of being guided by the hand of their unborn son. The idea is that they need to help him secure his position as the father of the new universe in which all of these new stories will take place."
As for the songs themselves, there is an abundance of epic anthems to wet your ears for days! From space anthem opener, "The Dark Sentencer", where Vaxis, the son of the protagonists introduces us to the plot. "Unheavenly Creatures" kicks off with a synth and develops into an emotional pop/prog, always banking on the great vocals of Claudio and a very infectious main choral part. "Toys" feels like a mid-00s radio rock power ballad, with an A Capella break leading to a great release in the last chorus bit. "Black Sunday" is a darker song with metal riffing being more predominant here, while "Queen of the Dark" continues on the same vein using more mid-paced melodies, bringing about the energetic and almost aggressive release of "True Ugly". "Love Protocol" veers towards more a more prog-oriented approach while "The Pavilion" has an epic stadium rock feel and Night-Time Walkers experiments with a more electronic approach. "The Gutter" mixes aggression and melody in yet another masterpiece from the band, while "All on Fire" continuous the same premise but becoming more personal while adding some awesome riffing. "It walks among us" feels like an interlude to the crescendo of "Old Flames", probably the best song of the album and one of that will stand the test of time. "Lucky Stars" which concludes the album, is a quiet ballad where after the trials and tribulations of the album, the parents of Vaxis are together and happy, leading the way to the 2nd album of the new pentalogy.
96.4/100
Below are the music videos for "True Ugly", "Old Flames" and "Unheavenly Creatures"
No comments:
Post a Comment