It feels closer to the 2018 release, but the songwriting does not feel as dense nor as layered. I tend to find that the band's albums are growers, so I feel like my overall view will improve in time, but as things stand it is not pushing all the buttons. It starts out slowly, with Yesterday's Lost being one of those classic Coheed and Cambria scene-setters. Sometimes they are instrumental and sometimes they are not - and this one is not, with Sanchez being introduced vocally after some distant piano melodies set a melancholic tone. The band often open their albums in such a way, with short melancholic or acoustic-based pieces, and Yesterday's Lost works well in that vein - with the piano then giving way to acoustic guitar, synths, and Sanchez's plaintive vocals. These scene-setters are always far less bombastic than the band's typical sound - and this one works as a strong intro to Goodbye, Sunshine, the first rocker here. Goodbye, Sunshine is perhaps less bombastic than the band's typical first big statement on each album, though, but it remains a strong effort which is pretty hooky. There is no big opening riff, with Sanchez singing as soon as things start - with chugging guitars beneath his voice. Whilst he adopted a more laid back approach during the opening cut, his usual higher-pitched delivery is very much intact here - with the song's verses packed with his idiosyncratic vocal delivery, which is always fun to listen to. Whilst drummer Josh Eppard adds lots of busy fills during the verses, the guitar playing from Sanchez and Travis Stever is a bit restrained and chugging. A later chorus is backed by some melodic leads beneath a hooky vocal melody, but the verses and much of the song are a bit chunky when it comes to guitar rhythms - which lack the band's usual dynamic approach. I think that is what disappoints me the most about this album, as the guitar playing throughout is nowhere near as busy. Stever's intricate leads and Sanchez's interesting chord sequences always make the band's songs pop - but here the guitar playing is just less interesting overall. There also seems to be a bit more of a focus on synths, too, as Searching for Tomorrow shows. The opening musical motif here comes from a keyboard, and this resurfaces throughout. I would have much preferred a guitar to deliver something similar - but, in fairness, the song is a bit more guitar-heavy, too, with a snaking and slightly discordant lead coming early on before the verses feature a bit more of the guitar presence expected from the band. The chorus is more synth-driven, given the song's intro, but it remains hooky thanks to Sanchez's vocal presence and ever-present energy. There is a guitar solo, too, but it is distorted and tortured in a Nine Inch Nails-esque manner - and the song overall is pretty strong.
The title track follows, which opens with a hypnotic guitar melody and a punchy drum groove from Eppard - but after what is quite an upbeat opening the track morphs into something more mid-paced and atmospheric. Effects-heavy vocals and synths dominate early on, and even when Sanchez starts to sing the first verse properly the song feels somewhat more off-kilter overall - with a strange sound reminiscent of the less memorable moments of 2010's Year of the Black Rainbow. The band have clearly tried to go for something more progressive here, but overall I do not think that all the parts really hang together. The chorus has some decent hooks, but the slower pace means that it never feels like it gets going - and the overall mix feels a bit messy with all the synths and strange vocal layers. Meri of Mercy opens slowly, with what sounds like a toy piano laying down a simple melody - over which Sanchez soon starts to sing. Like many of the band's best songs, though, it evolves slowly as it moves along - with Eppard showcasing why he is one of the most interesting drummers in rock with some great grooves, whilst subtle guitar leads interweave beneath the hypnotic piano line. Bassist Zach Cooper is busy throughout, too, adding plenty of depth given the lack of a crunching guitar presence and, despite it being a slow burner, the song is a winner. Coheed and Cambria often do these quite cinematic half-ballads and do them well - and there is a lot of emotion throughout thanks to Sanchez's vocal delivery. I really like the part towards the end, too, which sees the band drop away and leave Sanchez singing distantly against some piano melodies - only for everyone to soon crash back in for one last run-through of the chorus. Blind Side Sonny is very different, with the sub-three minute track being a pretty punky one overall. Coheed and Cambria have had a hardcore influence from their early days, although it not something which has been shown off too often recently. This song is essentially a slab of punky hardcore - with a repeating guitar melody throughout the verses and some of Sanchez's most aggressive vocals for years. He essentially sings the whole track in a harsh vocal style, whilst the guitars throughout are full of metallic crunch. A hooky chorus with poppier vocal melodies offsetting the heaviness helps the song to stick - and there is some great, busy drumming from Eppard which is all the more impressive knowing that he does not use two bass drums. It is easily the album's most energetic moment - and it transitions into Play the Poet which takes on a more industrial edge. The big guitars of the previous song are essentially stripped away to leave fuzzy synths and electronic beats leading the charge during the verses - over which Sanchez sings with plenty of effects on his voice. It is a strange song overall, as the chorus is another which feels quite poppy - with a strident guitar lead typical of the band's older sound and Sanchez really belting out the lyrics in trademark fashion. It is a shame, then, that the song is another with a messy mix. This is another song with strange synths and effects that seem to get in the way of some of the best moments - and the chorus would have been better with a cleaner sound. The band is certainly trying for a heavier sound here, and it sort of works, but the industrial trappings are an odd choice - and they hold the song back in my opinion.
One Last Miracle reins things in following the noisy couple of previous tracks, but there remains a slightly heavier approach to parts of the track. Sanchez once again employs his somewhat harsher vocal delivery during a snappy pre-chorus - but overall the song is much groovier. Eppard is really high in the mix here, his fills and smooth grooves really driving the track, whilst Cooper's bass also does a lot to fill in the gaps between these drum explosions. Guitar leads are a bit more prevalent here, too, and the chorus is hooky - so overall this song feels much more like classic Coheed and Cambria, at least in terms of melody and its slight experimental tendency. It is a short track, but then most of the album's middle third is - and the hooks are plentiful. Corner My Confidence, which Sanchez put together with producer Zakk Cervini, slows things right down - and is essentially a ballad. It is not miles away from how the album opened - but this song is much more about acoustic guitars and Sanchez's voice, and his singing is much more full-bodied than the more distant approach employed during the opening cut. As the song moves forward it does expand in a subtle way, with occasional strings and other guitar leads weaving into the mix. The song is basically all about Sanchez's vocal delivery, though, and overall it is a simple piece which has a singer-songwriter vibe and offers a bit of respite from the heavier few songs which came before it. Someone Who Can gets back to Coheed and Cambria doing what they do best, though, as the song is a poppy feast which could have easily sat on the last album. It is perhaps a little more synth driven than that album was, but there is enough guitar meat for the band's classic sound to shine through - and those subtle guitar melodies which the band are known for fill the verses behind Sanchez's unique voice. The reason this song excels, though, is thanks to its huge chorus. It easily the hookiest chorus on the album and it sticks in the brain thanks to Sanchez's soaring and snappy vocal hooks - whilst guitar and synth melodies dance around under him. The best Coheed and Cambria songs all have infectious choruses, and Someone Who Can understands this. It is a song which hits the brief of just being an upbeat and infectious pop song - but there is enough of the band's rock drive to keep it interesting.
The album's last four songs make up The Continuum suite. Coheed and Cambria used to write multi-part suites quite often, but it is not something that they have done for a while. The first part, Welcome to Forever, Mr. Nobody ups the heaviness compared to the last track - and in many ways it is a classic-sounding Coheed and Cambria rocker. Eppard's drumming throughout is packed full of grooves, which drive everything, whilst a great mix of heavy rhythm guitars and occasional leads help the mid-paced rocker come to life. Sanchez adds a rougher edge to his voice here, adding to the overall heaviness, and the song will certainly get heads banging thanks to old-school rock drive and crunch. Another strong chorus really helps the song pop - and these few minutes are a real hark back to the band's 2000s sound. The Flood, the longest piece here at just over six minutes, reins in the heaviness - instead going for a smoother intro which soon gives way to a strangely staccato verse. There are a lot of big drum hits and a percussive feel permeates the song - whilst juddering synth melodies sit behind Sanchez's smoother vocal delivery. It is a bit of a strange song overall. The chorus feels a bit more typical, with an underpinning guitar lead and a smoother feel, but the hooks do not really stick - whilst there are some quite discordant interludes with abrasive synth textures and occasional heavier guitars. It is another song which does not really hang together that well in my opinion - despite some strong individual moments. Tethered Together opens slowly, with more piano melodies - but the song in general is another pretty mid-paced typical rocker, despite the band taking a more atmospheric approach. Parts of the verses feel pretty dreamy, with strange synths and clean guitars backing Sanchez's floaty vocals, but much of the song is more rocking - such as the chorus which feels like it should be more cinematic than it turns out to be. It is another song which has a lot of the band's trademark ingredients, and there are some really good guitar leads here, but again the song does not really grab me that much. It is certainly decent, but this closing suite should be epic - and, apart from the opening piece, it has felt a bit flat so far. The closing piece So It Goes is better, though, although it is certainly a bit strange. It is full of quirky melodies, which the band are certainly no strangers to, and there is also something of a vaudeville/circus feel to some of the melodies which add some energy to what is generally a pretty laid back piece. It is not a ballad, but it is certainly not a hard rocker, either, and there is a strong progressive feel to the arrangement overall in my opinion - as there is a lot going on. The mix does not sound messy this time, though, which shows that the band can do denser arrangements and have everything sound coherent. The circus vibes return as the song closes out, too, with horns and big percussion playing a busy and bombastic outro which builds on some of the song's other melodies. It is a strange ending, but it works quite well - and the bookends of the closing suite are certainly worth the time. Overall, though, I find this to be a mixed bag. The strong moments are classic Coheed and Cambria, and are full of groovy and melody, but some strange effects and mix choices leave some of the songs wanting - and the songwriting is also lacking in places. It is certainly not as strong as the last two, but there is enough here for fans to be entertained - with a few tracks here destined for the live set.
The album was released on 14th March 2025 via Evil Ink/Virgin Music Group. Below is the band's promotional video for Searching for Tomorrow.