Recommended Tracks: “Searching For Tomorrow,” “The Continuum 1: Welcome to Forever Mr. Nobody,” “The Continuum III: Tethered Together”
Artists You Might Like: Circa Survive, The Used, A Day To Remember
While it is seemingly becoming a trend for bands to write books, comics, and music to accompany them, New York-based Coheed and Cambria (who are most known for their track “Welcome Home“) have been at it for over two decades.
Coheed and Cambria are back in action with their new album, The Father of Make Believe, the third act of the Vaxis series within The Amory Wars saga. With Coheed, there are multiple layers of listeners — you have the chapter of the fanbase that is purely in it for the love of the music and that uniquely “Coheed” sound, and then there is the sect of lore-driven, adventure-immersed fans who analyze every word, plot twist, and song connection within the storyline.
For the music fans, The Father of Make Believe takes you on a journey through a gamut of influences from their previous albums. As for the story-driven fanbase, this album marks the third part of what will ultimately be a five-part Vaxis series, which in the story’s timeline takes place after No World for Tomorrow. Within the album are numerous callbacks to The Afterman albums, which in the storyline occur before the events in The Year of The Black Rainbow. This album even features the presence of Sirius Amory (the protagonist of The Afterman albums) himself, though the full narrative remains unrevealed, as this part of the story has yet to be released in comic form.
Musically, The Father of Make Believe is just — long exhale — a stunningly emotional album that will have tears swelling within the first couple of songs. From sounds reminiscent of Coheed’s early work (The Second Stage Turbine Blade, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, and Good Apollo) to the more atmospheric textures found in The Afterman albums, the record feels like Claudio himself is tearing through the fabric of the lore, revealing that his own life serves as both inspiration and sustenance for the entire Amory Wars universe.
The early singles, “Searching for Tomorrow,” “Blind Side Sonny,” and “Someone Who Can,” effectively built anticipation for the album’s full release, ensuring that there was no climactic drop-off—just more to keep listeners engaged. Aside from the prog-rock energy and the Rick Springfield-esque tones that have emerged in recent albums, fans who love Coheed’s classic ballads like “Wake Up” and “Lucky Stars” will find a new favorite in the heartfelt “Corner My Confidence.”
The tracklist opens with “Yesterday’s Lost,” which immediately tugs at longtime fans’ emotions, followed by “Goodbye, Sunshine” — a song that has you reaching for a Kleenex. The next few tracks help stabilize the listener before the album picks up momentum again.
Then comes the album’s epic centerpiece — The Continuum, a four-part suite (“I • Welcome to Forever, Mr. Nobody,” “II • The Flood,” “III • Tethered Together,” and “IV • So It Goes”). It kicks off with the familiar voice of the All Mother from The Afterman albums before launching into a ferocious guitar intro that sets the stage for a highly theatrical, dynamic, and emotionally charged sequence.
It’s incredible to see how Coheed’s sound has evolved over more than 20 years. Some fans are harsh critics of this evolution, while others embrace the journey. I fall into the latter category, and I believe this album has something to satisfy every type of Coheed fan while also showcasing how Claudio, Josh, Travis, and Zach continue to push forward as this saga unfolds.
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