Coheed & Cambria- The Color before the Sun (2015)

Coheed & Cambria- The Color before the Sun (2015)

“The universe is information and we are stationary in it, not three dimensional and not in space or time.”

Philip K. Dick

By: Ghost Writer

If the key for previous Coheed & Cambria records was their love for conceptual stuff, this The Color Before the Sun is a complete departure, as the band free themselves from such burden and change completely their thematic approach.

But don't despair over the apparent changes in direction for this peculiar band, as their characteristic sound remains intact with Claudio Sanchez, Geddy Lee like vocals soaring high over  hard edged catchy guitar riffs and energetic drumming, all of this while the band travels effortlessly through the worlds of pop, post hardcore and prog rock.

First song is called Island, a hell of a song featuring acoustic guitars and heavenly chorus as intro, the guys really know how to start a record, as quickly catchy guitar lines and powerful riffing follows, Sanchez immediately recognizable vocals are put in motion fast and the band starts delivering their infectious tunes, guitars get furious on Eraser which also features solid drumming and the band visiting the realms of pop music, but then retracting towards a more Faith No Moreish type of chorus, Sanchez adding more venom than ever to his vocal approach, the band getting really heavy on this one, with a particularly interesting interplay between the guitars.

The band change the pace and goes into the moody Colors a tune without the punch of the previous ones and more keyboard based, kind of dreamy sounding but not satisfying enough, but by the time we get to Here to Mars we are face to face with a fast evolving band that is not afraid from taking ideas from everywhere, displaying here an interesting mix of The Police and anguished post punk, with the band never losing its melodic edge, which is put again in beautiful display on Atlas, a song that also shows the bands known love for Rush with Sanchez really getting the most emotion out of his vocals while the band seems to create a very similar sounding Tom Sawyer like tune, and then going really wild on Young Love, featuring a kind of Captain Beefheart disjointed arrange without abandoning the bands pop punk deviations.

You Got Spirit, Kid is another chance for the band to get really close to the world of pop, a sing that could easily find its place on the radio and featuring a curious sing along chorus part Yes, part pure bubblegum pop, the band achieving the difficult task of sounding all tine accessible but not losing its love for complex melodies.

The album real closer is the biting epic named The Audience, a theme that manages the feat of making the band sound menacing and dangerous as the band channels it's never ending through a maze of complex instrumental arrangements and Sanchez toxic wailing.

The Color Before the Sun is a really engaging record, the band could be tagged as prog, but just like their one time prog peers, The Mars Volta, Coheed & Cambria know that in order to keeping the audience attention they must play fast and heavy, and they let everyone know.