First Impressions
Where did this come from? Like, seriously. Where do these guys get the gall to drop a bomb as big as this out of nowhere?
Let's get something straight. We all know how most bands work, right? Most will have a period of time where they are putting out albums that are just masterpieces back to back. Then after that, they will slump, usually a key member will leave or they will just lose that spark.
Coheed was so perfectly set up for this that I did NOT expect even more incredible albums to be left in this marathon.
It made perfect sense that all their best material would be in the first five albums. There was a perfect evolution of the sound, and the story kind of came to a perfectly acceptable conclusion.
Then, Year Of The Black Rainbow dropped. Which, mind you, I still really respected and I think I liked it more than most people did. But it was a clear drop in quality, in production, concept, everything.
And then, out of nowhere, they simply bounced back with this album like it was nothing. Like they didn't go out of their golden age. I respect the hell out of that.
Not only does this album have the bite and polish of Good Apollo and No World For Tomorrow. But it kinda also has a bit of the raw bite of Second Stage and Keeping Secrets. And somehow it does this in a super novel and new way for the band?? It's amazing.
In many ways, this feels like a better version of their modern albums. It's super poppy and alternative rock-y, but it manages to keep their signature pop-prog writing that I love so much. And there's no filler either.
It manages to do this in about 40 minutes. This is the most tightly packed album I have heard from them. It wastes zero seconds, and gives you banger after banger. We need more short albums like this.
If you told me this would be a combination of their sound in The Vaxis albums and Color Before The Sun, I would think this would be the biggest stinker in their discography. But they made that super chill sound work.
It's so proggy too. It's probably the most genuinely progressive record I've heard from them. The songs are somehow subdued and really badass at the same time. There's some incredible riffs in here, amazing bass lines. The songs ARE pretty heavy, but it just has something that's very soothing and soft. It never leaves. It's so interesting.
It's so short I'll just break down every single song individually.
The Hollow is a simple little intro. Coheed usually does this. A little one to two minute instrumental setup to the album. But actually I think this one of their best. I love they keyboard sound. And it kind of perfectly sets the spacey mood.
Then, again, in usual Coheed fashion, we are dropped to the grandest and most epic song of the album. Domino The Destitute is a perfect continuation of this sound. And once again it has this sound that's super open but dry at the same time. I cannot describe it but it really fits the space theme this album is going for.
Then we turn a complete 180 with the title track. The Afterman is kind of... the most beautiful they've ever written? It's so soft, with beautiful melodies. It's so subdued and atmospheric. They've done these kinds of songs before like Peace To The Mountain, but I think this is the cream of the crop of that sound.
Then we get a one-two punch of some super poppy and upbeat songs.
Mothers Of Men is deceptively progressive. It has a very simple structure, really catchy and jolly melodies. But if you listen to the guitars, you realize they're kind of going off in the coolest of ways? I love when they play borderline leads as the background for verses. It gives the songs a momentum that's really understated and that you don't think about. But it's the glue to the song.
Then you get Goodnight, Fair Lady. This is just a bop, in every single way. It's way too catchy. It's gonna be stuck in my head for a long time. And it's just such a good time. Makes you wanna dance to it. Again, it helps that the album is so short and concise they really put their best material without any filler here.
After this, we get to the Key Entity songs. Which, is the only time I'll accept the "every song is part of this mega song that we'll divide in parts" thing they do in like, every single album. The reason this works is because it's just jumping between different character's, like a mini theme song for each of them. Come on, how cool is that?
Holly Wood The Cracked is the only song that is too short for me in this album. And this is because it's my favorite song here.
It's got some crazy aggressive and dissonant verses. This, contrasted to the genuinely incredible and climactic solo, makes an amazing song. I think every part of it is just so good. And it has such an epic and punky energy that reminds me of their earlier albums. I love the little details like the rhythm displacement the drums do in the second verse. It's just such a good song.
We continue with this darker and more raw sound with Vic The Butcher, without a doubt the heaviest song of the album. It goes back to that more epic sound that happened at the beginning album.
Whenever they do chants it just feels so impactful for me, I'm not quite sure why. But the "Hang Your Secrets" chorus is just so badass and has so much energy.
Then, we get yet another super soft and subtle song in Evagria The Faithful. But this one, much like Mothers Of Men, is deceivingly complicated in it's intrumentation.
It's got some real energy, even if it takes a moment to realize it does. The chorus, despite the fact that it really doesn't explode in energy, really feels like it does. The drums are super syncopated and it just has a super urgent energy that's very melancholic and sad. Almost like there's an urgency to say goodbye before the chance passes you by.
And finally, Substraction. This is a lovely little way to end this album. It's almost like a lullaby, but with really cool electronic drums and a very videogame sounding keyboard. Very chill, not a highlight but it didn't have to be.
So uh... yeah. Every single song in this album is amazing. I can't believe it. I genuinely did not expect such an amazing album this late into the marathon. This band had already cemented itself as one of my favorites, with this? It's even greater.
Ranking
Key Entity Extraction II: Holly Wood The Cracked
Key Entity Extraction I: Domino The Destitute
Goodnight, Fair Lady
Key Entity Extraction IV: Evagria The Faithful
Key Entity Extraction III: Vic The Butcher
Mothers Of Men
The Afterman
The Hollow
Substraction
Score