Coheed and Cambria's 'The Unheavenly Creatures' - Album Review

The American alternative/progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria are pretty much royalty in the rock world these days. From their mid-1990s beginnings, the band have really grown in stature and have a large global fanbase. In an era when concept albums and being 'prog' were fairly uncool, Coheed and Cambria managed to find a way to modernise these things, and take them to a wider and younger audience. In some respect, the band have really embraced this element of their sound and have often really doubled down on the 'geekier' side of their image. Most of the band's albums to date have been concept albums that tell the story of The Amory Wars, a science fiction story created by frontman and main songwriter Claudio Sanchez. While I have often tried and failed to understand the stories that these albums tell, I still really appreciate all the effort that goes into creating worlds such as this. The fact that Sanchez has written comics and novels to tell the same stories shows just how involved the albums' concepts are, and it is unsurprising that many of the bands fans have really embraced the worlds and stories that he tells through his lyrics. For me however, it is the band's music that is the thing that I most appreciate, and it is what has always drawn me into the world of Coheed and Cambria. The band's last album, 2015's The Color Before the Sun (which I reviewed here), was a bit of departure for the band. While it sounded quite similar to what had come before, it was the band's first album to not to feature The Amory Wars' story line and is therefore the band's only non-concept album. The band's poppy take on alternative/progressive rock was still very much intact, but the more grounded subject matter certainly took some the band's edge away. I really liked The Color Before the Sun on release, and I still like it a lot now, but I feel that it definitely is missing something. While I have never really embraced the epic concept story lines of the band's older albums, I think their presence and the strange science fiction lyrics add to the overall 'epic' feeling of the band's older work. So, while I think The Color Before the Sun was a great experiment, the choice to return to The Amory Wars story line on the new album The Unheavenly Creatures was a good idea. Released last month, the band's ninth album is clearly an attempt from the band to re-capture some of their early sound. The Color Before the Sun had a poppier, more whimsical feel at times, but The Unheavenly Creatures feels somewhat heavier, and a lot more progressive. It is also the band's longest album to date, at just under 80 minutes in length, which means there is a lot of music to digest here. The more overtly poppy elements of The Color Before the Sun remain here too, making this new album a bit of a hybrid of different eras of the band's sound.

The album starts out with a Prologue, and like many of Coheed and Cambria's old albums this opens with a melancholic piano melody. This soon dies away however, to replaced by spacey sound effects and a melodramatic spoken word section which no doubt sets the scene for the album's story. This segues nicely into the first proper song, The Dark Sentencer, which has a great classic Coheed and Cambria feel with tricky interlocking guitar leads, driving rhythms, and Sanchez's high vocals. The main riff is quite muscular, but is accentuated with soaring progressive rock leads, and as soon as Sanchez's dramatic lyrics kick in the piece really takes off. Soundwise, the song reminds me of the style the band followed on the two The Afterman albums - which are some of my favourite works by Coheed and Cambria. Unsurprisingly then, this song really resonates with me. The heavier riffing and the poppy vocal melodies fit perfectly together, and the tricky riffing keeps the song feeling interesting throughout its seven minute-plus run time. The chorus is extremely catchy, and provides the first true hook of the album. The album's title track is up next, and this pulls back on the more expansive prog rock feeling of the opening song and goes for a more straight ahead vibe. The song opens with a playful synth melody, before powerful guitar chords join the party to add depth. This is a simple, catchy piece with a really strong chorus which definitely harks back to the band's early singles. Despite the overt melodies, there is still quite a lot going on musically. I feel that drummer Josh Eppard's contributions to the band's sound over the years has always been understated. His groove-based playing always really helps to accentuate the riffs and melodies in a way that a more 'traditional' drumming style might not. When he joins in for the second verse the song takes on a huge new groove which elevates it to new heights, and his driving chorus beats are powerful in their simplicity. Toys opens with some gentle vocal harmonies, offset with some overly-distorted guitar chords, but soon transitions into a muscular guitar riff that is the heaviest thing on the album so far. From there, the song is mostly a mid-paced rocker that is based around this riff which forms the basis of the verses. The chorus is pretty strong too, but very simplistic when compared to the previous two. This is not necessarily a bad thing however, as the melodies are still easily conveyed and I can imagine a crowd singing along to it live. A stand out moment however is a tortured guitar solo, presumably from Travis Stever, that helps to enhance the heavier mood of the piece. Black Sunday is another fairly mid-paced piece, but this one really relies on the band's rhythm section to drive it forward. The aforementioned Eppard and bassist Zach Cooper are the stars of the verses, as their intricate groove-based playing provides the main point of reference. The guitars mostly add colour, and during the strange choruses mainly add a discordant backing. That being said however, as the song moves forward the melodies are pushed more to the fore. The ending section is extremely memorable, and is a departure from the gritter early portions.

Queen of the Dark is overall a lot slower, and opens with a chiming melody which is soon replaced by a lumbering percussive drum beat and droning guitar backing. It is a very strange song that sounds different to most of the band's back catalogue, and actually manages to create a heavy overall feel throughout. Those who enjoy doom metal should find a lot to enjoy here, although Sanchez's signature high vocals provide a bit of a contrast with the heavier backing. That being said however, there is still a certain melancholy about the piece which adds some emotional weight. This stops the song from simply becoming a lumbering piece of doom metal, and instead makes it a surprising highlight that is different from most of the rest of the album. True Ugly picks up the pace again, but retains the heaviness of the previous song. The song's main guitar riff has a classic 1980s heavy metal feel about it, with Sanchez and Stever locking together to nail some melodic lead harmonies which are mixed in nicely with the tougher riffing. Of all the songs so far, this is probably the most similar to the band's first few albums. The punky pace from those albums is back, and occasional bursts of rasping harsh vocals really add to that feeling. The fact that the song also transitions into lighter, poppier sections also recalls the band's early works - all of which helps to ensure this song is another stand out moment. Love Protocol is lighter overall, but still maintains a good pace which helps to bring the best out the simple melodies. The ringing guitar lines really stick in the brain, and the overwrought epic chorus may feel a little melodramatic at times but it is packed full of strong melodies so it remains memorable. The band's more progressive elements are somewhat absent here however, which maybe makes the song less interesting than some of the others here - but the melodies ensure that it remains enjoyable. The Pavilion (A Long Way Back) opens with an almost-indie rock chiming guitar melody, but this is soon joined by an anthemic drum pattern which grounds the song more in the traditional hard rock setting. The progressive elements are back here, with lots of different moods going on. The verses are quite sparse and simplistic, while still remaining an anthemic quality thanks to the drums, but the chorus really explodes in a flurry of power chords and spacey synths. The chorus melodies are catchy, and is is easily the best one since the album's opening trio of songs. Night-Time Walkers is the only song on the album that was not written solely by Sanchez, with Stever also earning a writing credit. The song opens with a frantic synth melody, which is paired with some simple effects-heavy vocals and this sets the tone for what is to come. This is not a heavy or a fast song, but instead keeps a relatively slow pace throughout and relies on the power of Sanchez's vocals to make it stand out. This is a song which has really grown on me over repeated listens, and I now think that it is a really strong moments. The use of synths throughout the piece make it stand out, and is one of the closest things to a true ballad found on the album.

The Gutter initially sticks with the slow feeling of the previous song with some distant piano notes, but soon the explodes in a fury of punky harsh vocals and some of the most aggressive drumming Eppard does on the album. Overall however the song is not all that heavy, but it is spiked with the occasional bursts of energy which really give it a kick up the behind! For the most part however the song is a solid mid-paced rocker, with some tricky guitar riffing and a few stand out melodies. It is the heavier sections that really make it what it is though, and it stands out as a bit of curiosity as a result. As with many of Coheed and Cambria's albums, there are often little transitions between songs, and this latter part of the album seems to rely on piano melodies for this. This is how All on Fire starts, but the piano soon gives way to a frantic guitar riff and a strong fluid bassline from Cooper. Sanchez is obviously, and rightly, the main focus of the band, but the other three members really help to bring his visions to life. Cooper has been in the band for six years now, and he has really integrated himself into the band's sound well. His playing style is much more fluid and melodic than the band's previous players, which has probably helped to inform the band's more recent directions, and this song is a great example of his talents. It Walks Among Us feels a little heavier than the previous couple of songs, with a stronger distorted guitar presence throughout, but the vocal melodies are the real focus which ensures the song is a catchy little number. Again, I feel that The Afterman albums are being referenced quite strongly here, and that melody-focused sound shines through. The song's chorus is a real selling point, and it also features some great bass drum work from Eppard. As a result, this song has become another personal favourite as the melodies of the chorus like to continually run around my head. The piano melodies are back for the intro to Old Flames, and again they soon fade away to be replaced by a smooth melodic piece that is probably the song on the album most resembles the style explored on The Color Before the Sun. There is little of the band's punky side here, with the rock mostly feeling smoother with subtle, lush keyboards and Sanchez's less-powerful vocal performances helping to contribute to this lighter feel. Much of the album has felt relatively heavy, so it is nice to have this lighter, airier piece near the album's end to provide a little respite. The album's closing number Lucky Stars opens with a gentle acoustic guitar and vocal combination, which is soon joined by some simple strings to fill the piece out. Ending a fairly tough album on a song that is this light might seem like a strange choice, but I think it works well. There has been only one other ballad-like piece on the album, and this song goes a long way to helping to even out the tone. There is also an excellent guitar solo here, which is packed full emotion and sounds like something taken straight from an old 1970s progressive rock album. Overall, The Unheavenly Creatures is a really strong album from Coheed and Cambria and one that sees them returning to their old sound somewhat. It is an album that really benefits from repeated listens, as at first I was not at all taken with it, but now I can find something to like in most of the songs here. Long time fans of the band will love it!

The album was released on 5th October 2018 via Roadrunner Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Unheavenly Creatures.