‘…the band not only at their most accessible, but also at their heaviest and their most vulnerable…’
The New York masters of space-opera prog-rock have returned at long last. Thirty years into their career, Coheed & Cambria seem like a band that are eternally expanding, with every release seeming to catch the attention of more listeners than the last. For some, it is the band’s capacity to produce instant classics such as ‘Welcome Home‘ or ‘In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3‘. For others, it is the densely constructed narrative that is told through the band’s music, alongside comics, books, and even some music videos. Regardless of the reason, it seems that the pattern shows no signs of abating, with ‘Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe‘ feeling like it could be the band’s biggest release to date.
This is the third of five records in the band’s ‘Vaxis‘ saga, which tells the tale of two runaway criminals and their omnipotent son. Previous acts have explored themes of running from your past, neurodivergence, the perseverance of love, and even the grief experienced during the COVID pandemic, all through the lens of an engaging sci-fi narrative. Vocalist and guitarist Claudio Sanchez has gone on record as to say that there is an ending already planned for this, and that it is unclear what form, if any, the band will take following its conclusion. Regardless, that sense of purpose resonates throughout this body of work, with ‘The Father of Make Believe‘ serving as a bristling beginning of the end.
Despite being so deep into their career, Coheed have continued to evolve their sound in refreshing and exciting ways. ‘The Father of Make Believe’ sees the band not only at their most accessible, but also at their heaviest and their most vulnerable; the space opera narrative is present and accounted for, but the focus is clearly on Sanchez’s confrontation of his age and mortality. It all makes for an electrifying, cathartic, and sometimes slightly uncomfortable listen, as Sanchez weighs the existential dread of existence against the (to use an internet phrase) indominatable human spirit.
The band have perfected their progressive pop-rock sound across the span of their previous release and this record. ‘Someone Who Can‘ may well be the poppiest effort of the band to date, with delightfully infectious melodies and a retro-tinged instrumental feeling a little Billy Joel in nature. ‘Searching For Tomorrow‘ takes a catchy backbone and applies to it the impressive guitar showmanship that Sanchez and Travis Stever have become famed for; there is a real sense of urgency throughout the track, as it vaults towards its immense choruses. ‘Goodbye, Sunshine‘ is a real emo anthem of a track, harkening back to the band’s 90’s and 00’s roots.
‘Blind Side Sonny’ and ‘Play the Poet’ see the band at their heaviest since at least ‘Year of the Black Rainbow’, with some parts of the latter being perhaps the heaviest we have seen from the band to date. Sanchez unleashes some truly visceral screams across the two tracks, bringing a delightfully bloodthirsty edge to the vocal delivery. The former is a blistering, fast-paced affair, with the utterly relentless percussive work of Josh Eppard driving the track forwards with pure fury. The latter is a monstrous, distorted cut, with hook-laden choruses sandwiched between hurtling verses and crushing breakdowns; there is little doubt that is shall provide to be a fan favourite.
With the album being a far more openly introspective affair than previous entries in the Coheed discography, it is unsurprising that there are a fair few moments of tenderness. ‘Meri of Mercy‘ is a waltzing number that arrives on a bed of gently discordant arpeggios, building towards powerful, soaring choruses, as Sanchez uses the narrative to declare unwavering love in the face of the autumn of his life (‘I’m not gonna quit until I can sit/At the end of this life/With you there beside me‘). ‘Corner My Confidence‘ is predominantly an acoustic number, with some gorgeous yet understated vocals that perfectly lend themselves to the ruminations on living in a world you feel increasingly detached from (‘It feels the future’s left me out‘).
Yet it is perhaps the climax of the record that saves the best listens. For the first time in quite a few albums, Coheed have constructed a multi-part suite to close out the record, this time in the form of ‘The Continuum’. It feels very much like a love-letter for longtime listeners and fans who are truly invested in the conceptual aspects of the band, with a plethora of references to past releases of the band. ‘The Continuum I: Welcome to Forever, Mr Nobody‘ is a jagged, theatrical number, with swaggering rhythms surging forwards beneath crushing guitars and a wickedly brilliantly vocal performance; the record’s sheer existential dread is brought to life in a magnificent manner (‘Lying beneath all that’s left of the dream
Headstone reads “Mr. Nobody”‘). ‘The Continuum III: Tethered Together‘ is a dramatic and sweeping number, as Sanchez declares that his end shall be one that leaves no regrets. Super-fans of the band may well recognise a choral melody that is lifted from one of their deeper cuts, ‘The End Complete III: The End Complete‘.
The highlight of the record may well be the closing track, ‘The Continuum IV: So It Goes’, which takes the progressive orchestral elements that the band explored on the closing track of their previous record, and delivers them in a manner that is strangely reminiscent of The Beatles. Off-kilter rhythms and playful, buoyant instrumentation captures the spirit of acceptance perfectly, as Sanchez acknowledges that whilst the individual may not last forever, the stories we play our parts in do. It’s a beautifully bittersweet yet cathartic experience, and ends with the dramatic twist of a booming orchestral rendition of the band’s track ‘Pretelethal’. There is little doubt that few know how to close an album quite like Coheed & Cambria.
This record may well be the brand new jumping-in point for newcomers to the band. The conceptual narrative is rich, the musical performances are superb, and the band are permitting you a clear look behind the curtain as to who they are as people. It is perhaps expected that these now legendary prog rockers produce magic with every record, yet nothing can truly prepare you for the pure electrifying fun that each of their records brings.
Whether we are approaching merely the end of the Amory Wars narrative or the end of Coheed & Cambria as a whole is not yet clear, but ‘The Father of Make Believe’ certainly marks the beginning of the end for this band as we know them. Yet, instead of despair, this record serves as a thunderous rallying cry to charge forwards into that black unknown; there may well be an end to everything, yet life can, and must, be lived to its fullest.
The end may be in sight, but there has perhaps never been a better time to join the ride.
RATING: 86/100 – Mostly Excellent
For Fans Of: My Chemical Romance, The Dear Hunter, Thrice, Silverstein, Alexisonfire
Physical copies are available to purchase here.
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