Review by Josh Felty
Rating: ***
Coheed and Cambria never fails to deliver an engaging collection of music, reeling their way through a fantasy-inspired landscape of progressive rock both spine-tingling and daunting. I've seen these guys live and I must admit, they put on a great show, complete with female backing singers and the whole shebang. With Year of the Black Rainbow, it seems Coheed is evolving further and further down a heavy, melodic interstellar wormhole.
Black Rainbow starts with the instrumental prologue "One" (no, not the Metallica song) and segues into the spirited "The Broken" and intense "Guns of Summer". The earworm continues through an arc of moving tracks in "Here We Are, Juggernaut" and "Made Out of Nothing", colorful tapestries of Coheed's prequel to The Amory Wars epic written within their recorded works.
One cannot deny Coheed and Cambria's originality; they really don't sound like any other post-hardcore or progressive rock band out there. Another case of cleverly taking from everything and nothing in the same handshake. The lead singer's high-pitched singing has always reminded me of Geddy Lee, for better or worse. I don't mind Rush at all; they're one of the most talented rock outfits to spring out of the Canadian tundra, clearly as their influence is heard in Coheed.
You simply cannot listen to music, any music, and not feel some glimmer of your own identity within it. Year of the Black Rainbow is no exception, another testament to Coheed's talent. I've never really been into Coheed before this one, even though the missus and I saw them open for Linkin Park. I was quite moved by the acoustic "Pearl of the Stars", a far and away change of rhythm and style amidst the sparkling energy of the remainder.
I believe albums, conceptual ones especially, should have an ebb and flow to them. Start out with some great openers, build upon it, then come back down to terra firma for a reload. These guys always manage to guide listeners through an illustrious soundscape with everything they've got. Their sound may not be for everybody, but com se, com sa.