(This article is brought to you by a nerdy guest contributor, Austin Carter)
So recently, I was asked a very hard question that actually inspired me to write this article. Bill had asked me, “What’s so special about Coheed?” I found myself at a loss for words. Answering a question like this is never easy, and the first thing I could think of was EVERYTHING. But, what actually makes Coheed so special? And especially something comic fans should give a listen.
Tasty guitar licks, Rock n Roll, and Spaceships. What’s not to like?
First of all, let me properly introduce The Amory Wars, A science fiction soap opera dreamt up by the hairy front man, Claudio Sanchez. The Amory wars is an going series of comics set within Heavens Fence, a collection of 78 plants held together by beams of energy called the keywork, thus forming a triangular form. Coheed and Cambria are a married duo, who have given birth to 4 children, Claudio, Matthew, Maria, and Josephine. It is quickly learned that Coheed and Cambria’s offspring carry a lethal virus known as the Monstar virus that will ultimately sever the links between planets, thus causing a climactic collision of all the planets. Now, being told you have to kill your own children isn’t the best of news, especially by someone like General Mayo (imagine a realllllllyyyyyy pissed off Samuel L Jackson, with laser guns)
The story spirals from there into one f**king beautifully depressing epic. The Amory Wars spans 4 volumes, which all act almost as a guide for the Coheed records. The music is split into two worlds, one where if you don’t care about the comics, you don’t have to know them to connect to the music, and second if you enjoy comics, that medium is there to offer a deeper insight for those who crave to do so.
So I found myself asking, “What does Coheed and Cambria mean to me”? Coheed feels like home to me, it’s something I’ve grown up with, and had as a constant in my life, they feel like family to me. All of my family and friends are enormous fans of the band, and I have my wonderful sister to thank for introducing me to them way back when. As much as I’ve met the band, they’re pretty much are a part of my family. It’s something I’ll have with me forever, and that is not a bad thing. Plus the band just f**ing rocks.
Every record is cinematic from front to back, it is not like listening to regular record, more like going on a journey with all of your best friends, and having the experience of a lifetime. It’s something really special, and everyone is welcome aboard. I’ve made the best memories of my life because of this band, and I hate to see anyone miss out.
If you like Star Wars, Rock n Roll, and a group of friends that will last a lifetime, go listen to Coheed and Cambria. Navigator out now!