Columbia, 2010
7/10
I’ll confess ignorance in never having heard Coheed And Cambria before, but hopefully my analysis of the new Year Of The Black Rainbow opus will be fair since this seems to have divided longtime fans. I was intrigued to give this a listen since the band is generally regarded as having moved into progressive rock territory. If you’re like me, progressive rock brings to mind Yes, Porcupine Tree, and Dream Theater, so Coheed And Cambria won’t be considered a progressive band by most. Experimental rock would be a better description. Many aspects of Year Of The Black Rainbow are truly beautiful, but the lack of a consistent sound dogs the record. “The Broken” is an amazing track to start the album, and the chorus contains some cool guitar tones that harken back to some of the distinctive guitar work of English bands like The Cure and Psychedelic Furs. Another favorite is “Made Out Of Nothing (All That I Am)”, a memorable pop song that is sure to be a future single. The subdued tones of “Pearl Of The Stars” and “The Black Rainbow” also work well, and these really show what great songwriting ability the band has. The remainder of the album isn’t nearly as impressive. “World Of Lines” and “Guns Of Summer” unleash the heavier side of Coheed And Cambria, but their pop-like melodies strip away all of the underlying anger. Fancy studio tricks bog down “Here We Are Juggernaut” and “Far”, with the over-processed drums becoming an annoyance. Another gripe is the occasionally annoying vocals of Claudio Sanchez. At times the Mike Patton-style whine sounds contrived and overdone. I can’t say how Year Of The Black Rainbow fits into the rest of the Coheed And Cambria catalog, but the band still sounds like they’re experimenting stylistically which cuts both ways here. The dynamics and melodies of the best songs give them a huge, grand sound, however, the inconsistency of a good half of the record sinks any hope of legendary glory.
Coheed And Cambria will be appearing at First Avenue in Minneapolis on Thursday, May 13. Support will come from Circa Survive and Torche.
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