ARTIST: Coheed and Cambria
ALBUM: Year of the Black Rainbow
LABEL: Columbia
RELEASE DATE: April 13, 2010
The Last Installment
Written by Lindsay Murphy
Prog-rock band Coheed and Cambria finally finish their expansive concept series with prequel Year of the Black Rainbow. More muted than their previous efforts, the big guitars and hooks that define the band sometimes seem buried beneath singer Claudio Sanchez’s vocals. However different it may be from the band’s previous efforts, it’s redeemed by a smattering of experimental, layered facets that render it progressive and different than anything else on the music scene today. Sanchez also shows the most vocal breadth of his career, shedding some of the potentially alienating elements that cause critics to deem the band “emo,” while maintaining passion.
Year of the Black Rainbow is a prequel to the sprawling storyline on which the four other Coheed albums are based. Created by frontman Sanchez and titled The Amory Wars, it is a mythological science fiction narrative that spans multimedia including a series of comic books, novels, and Coheed records. Without delving into detail, Year of the Black Rainbow contains accounts of love and betrayal that fuel the ensuing story.
Sanchez’s lyrical offerings are beautiful and complex, and the accompanying novel of the same title expands on the chronicles they draw from. Having no knowledge of the concept does not impede enjoyment, however, as each song stands strongly on its own.
Year of the Black Rainbow starts off with “One,” an instrumental song reminiscent of “The Ring in Return,” which kicked off their second album. Interspersing stark piano and haunting soundscape, it could easily be the background in a horror film. The song sets the shadowy atmosphere of the record and builds up to track two, “The Broken,” which features a catchy chorus and huge metal riffs. Sanchez’s voice serves as a siren, inviting listeners into his fantasy world.
“Guns of Summer” blazes out with a fast, percussion-heavy intro driven by ex-Dillinger Escape Plan drummer and newest Coheed member Chris Pennie. It winds through a jungle of power chords and key changes, and presents a more experimental direction for the band.
Coheed chose “Here We Are Juggernaut” as their first single, and like its title suggests, it is a huge force on the album. A standout song, its colossal chorus will instantly dig itself into listeners’ heads, and it contains more pop components than the rest of the record.
One of the more melodic songs, “Far,” is flooded with delay. An incongruent, jarring bridge jumps out between harmonious riffs, making the listener wonder if it was perhaps imagined. It is unusual, unsettling moments like this that make the record protrude from its peers.
Dueling guitar lines and turned-up bass comprise “This Shattered Symphony,” a key track that builds to an epic ending. The song showcases Sanchez’s vocal abilities, from gruff lows to scintillating screams.
“World of Lines” and “Made Out of Nothing (All That I Am)” both feature soaring, anthemic choruses. The slow, acoustic “Pearl of the Stars” shows a different side of the band and is likely to be a polarizing song for fans. It again emphasizes Sanchez’s vocal range and features a lingering solo.
Dark emotions will drag listeners into “In the Flame of Error,” a pulsing prog-based track that leads well into “When Skeletons Live,” another track that highlights Coheed’s pop metal and prog sensibilities
“The Black Rainbow” fittingly encompasses elements that define the album, heavy with ambience and soundscape that swells into a grand, tangled climax. It ends with a disturbing laugh and instrumental section that reflects the atmospheric foreshadowing of the first song, bringing the album full circle.
The deluxe version includes the supplemental novel, DVD with studio footage, “Black Card” offering VIP exclusives, and bonus tracks “Chamberlain” and “The Lost Shepherd.”
While it might not contain the addictive hooks abundant in previous records, Year of the Black Rainbow rewards multiple listens. Each successive play will peel back its many layers to reveal intriguing subtleties and transmuted pop. Slower and less tangential, it demonstrates the band’s increasingly maturing songwriting skills and intricate musicianship.