Coheed and Cambria | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Coheed and Cambria performing in 2016 Left to right: Travis Stever, Josh Eppard (on drums), Claudio Sanchez, Zach Cooper | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Toxic Parents (1995); Shabütie (1995–2001) |
| Origin | Nyack, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels |
|
| Spinoffs | The Prize Fighter Inferno |
| Members |
|
| Past members |
|
| Website | coheedandcambria |
Coheed and Cambria is an Americanprogressive rock band fromNyack, New York, formed in 1995. It consists ofClaudio Sanchez (vocals, guitars, keyboards),Travis Stever (guitars, vocals),Josh Eppard (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), and Zach Cooper (bass, backing vocals).[1] The group's music incorporates aspects ofprogressive rock,pop,heavy metal, andpost-hardcore.[2]
All of Coheed and Cambria's albums except for 2015'sThe Color Before the Sun areconcept albums based on a science fiction storyline calledThe Amory Wars, a series written by Sanchez, which has been transcribed into a series of comic books as well as a full-length novel.[3] The band has released eleven studio albums, three live albums, and several special-edition releases. Six of their albums have reached the Billboard Top 10.[4] The band's eleventh studio album,Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe, was released in 2025.
In March 1995, after the split ofClaudio Sanchez andTravis Stever's band called Toxic Parents, they formed a band withNate Kelley called Beautiful Loser. The band featured Stever on vocals and guitar, Sanchez on guitar, Kelley on drums and Jon Carleo on bass. The group was short lived, breaking up by June 1995 after an argument over gas money.[5] Stever left the band, and the resulting trio was named Shabütie,[6] a word taken from African tribe chants that means "naked prey" in the filmThe Naked Prey.
The band spent nearly a year experimenting with a multitude of different musical styles, includingpunk rock,indie rock,acoustic rock,funk, andheavy metal. When Carleo left the band in August 1996, Kelley recruitedMichael Todd to take his place. Todd, who was primarily a guitarist, picked up the bass specifically for Shabütie.[6][7] As Shabütie, the band wrote dozens of songs and released their first studio demoPlan to Take Over the World in 1999. The band also releasedThe Penelope EP in 1999, shortly after which Stever rejoined the band.
Kelley left the band during a performance in late 1999.Josh Eppard (then the drummer of his brotherJoey Eppard's band3) replaced him.[6][7] The band went on to releaseDelirium Trigger in 2000, still featuring Kelley on the drums, but listing Eppard in the liner notes.[8]
.png)
Several songs that appeared onDelirium Trigger were adapted into a series of science fiction comics written by Claudio Sanchez calledThe Bag.On.Line Adventures, which was later renamedThe Amory Wars. Sanchez's side project originally developed during a 1998 trip to Paris, where the band members decided to rename themselves Coheed and Cambria, named after two of the story's protagonists, and adopted the concept story as a theme that would unify their future albums.[9] This side project also created Coheed's official logo, the Keywork, a symbol for the planetary alignment of theAmory Wars universe.[10]
In February 2002 the band released its first studio albumThe Second Stage Turbine Blade after signing withEqual Vision Records.[11] Influenced by thepost-hardcore groupAt The Drive In,[12] the band's first release also featured a guest appearance fromDr. Know of the hardcore-punk bandBad Brains as well as the revised "Delirium Trigger", "33", and "Junesong Provision" from theDelirium Trigger EP. The band also released its first single and music video, "Devil in Jersey City".[12][13] The band eventually played several tour dates in the United States and Japan, as well as a brief stint on the 2002Vans Warped Tour. In August 2002, Coheed and Cambria started working with manager Blaze James.[9]
Following extensive touring with groupsBreaking Pangaea,Linkin Park, andThe Used, in October 2003 the band released its second studio albumIn Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, also on Equal Vision Records.[12][13] Featuring the singles "A Favor House Atlantic" and "Blood Red Summer" and corresponding videos which received airtime on MTV, the band supplemented the release by touring with various artists such asThursday,Thrice,AFI, andRainer Maria. Coheed and Cambria also made its second appearance on theWarped Tour and performed additional European shows.[13] The album peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard charts and was certified Gold by theRIAA.[14][15]
The band also supported the release by filming an August 2004 concert at New Jersey'sStarland Ballroom. The performance was converted into the band's first live DVD,Live at the Starland Ballroom, which was released in March 2005.
The success ofIn Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 attracted the attention of the record labelColumbia Records,[11] with whom they signed a multi-album contract.[16][17] The band stopped touring to record their third studio album and first major-label releaseGood Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness in early 2005 for a September 2005 release.
Their most commercially successful album to date,Good Apollo Volume One has sold almost 1 million copies and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard charts.[18][19] The album represented a departure from their previous melodicpost-hardcore influenced rock toward aprogressive rock sound. The single "Welcome Home" was described by John A. Hanson as "a heavily Led Zeppelin-influenced metal tune".[20] The band supported the album with American and European tours accompanied byThe Blood Brothers,Circa Survive,Dredg,Head Automatica, andAvenged Sevenfold, tours culminating in the release of the exclusive iTunes EPKerrang!/XFM UK Acoustic Sessions and their second live DVDThe Last Supper: Live at Hammerstein Ballroom.[21]
Claudio Sanchez released an album from his side-projectThe Prize Fighter Inferno in October 2006 titledMy Brother's Blood Machine. Like Coheed and Cambria's albums, it was a concept album, related to Coheed and Cambria via a character that appears in both stories: Jesse, "The Prize Fighter Inferno". The album was intended to be a prequel to the Coheed and Cambria albums.[22] Claudio says "when we were called Shabütie, the initial idea for Coheed and Cambria was to be an acoustic/electronic side project. So I guess The Prize Fighter Inferno is kind of the original idea for Coheed and Cambria."[23]
In early November 2006, Josh Eppard and Michael Todd left the band for personal reasons, forcing Matt Williams and the band's drum technician, Michael Petrak, to fill out temporarily the band's rhythm section for a handful of shows.[24] In April 2007, bassist Michael Todd rejoined Coheed and Cambria, and the band entered theLos Angeles-based studio with new producerNick Raskulinecz. The following JuneChris Pennie, formerly of theDillinger Escape Plan, joined Coheed and Cambria as its drummer, but due to contractual restrictions with his previous record label, Pennie did not appear on the band's fourth release.[2] Instead,Foo Fighters drummerTaylor Hawkins recorded the drums, making use of several ideas Pennie had previously written in correspondence with Sanchez.[2]
The band's fourth studio album, and second release withColumbia Records,Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow, was released in October 2007, debuting at number 6 on the Billboard charts.[25] The album's first single, "The Running Free", was released to radio in August 2007. The second single was "Feathers" with a video starringRena Riffel.[26] The band continued touring, headlining portions of the 2007Warped Tour,[27] a tour supported byClutch andThe Fall of Troy, and opened forLinkin Park's 25-city U.S. tour, which forced the cancellation of Coheed and Cambria's performances on Australia'sSoundwave Festival.[28][29] In addition to the return of Todd on bass and new drummer Pennie, the band also recruited a touring keyboardist and backup vocalists for its live performances.[30]
In November 2007, their song "Welcome Home" was included as a playable track in the video gameRock Band,[31] and a cover of their song "Ten Speed (of God's Blood & Burial)" was later made available as a download forRock Band. In 2009 two more songs were made available for download, "The Running Free" and "A Favor House Atlantic", for the video gameRock Band,[32] later joined in 2010 by the songs "Guns of Summer", "Here We Are Juggernaut" and "The Broken".[33]
The band prepared a four-month world tour beginning in January 2008.[34] They later headlined atThe Bamboozle 2008 music festival.[35]
The band headlined the 2008Kerrang! Tour in the U.K., where the band performed and recorded a cover of "The Trooper" byIron Maiden, which is featured on Kerrang!'s Iron Maiden tribute album,Maiden Heaven, that came with the July 16 issue.[36] They were nominated for Best International Band and Best Music Video (forFeathers) in the 2008 Kerrang! Awards.[37]
In October and November 2008, the band playedNeverender, a four-night concert series in which the band played one album per night. The event was held inNew York City,Chicago, Los Angeles, and inLondon in early December.[38]Neverender: Children of The Fence Edition, a CD/DVD box set of their Neverender performance, was released on March 24, 2009.[39]
Coheed and Cambria toured through most of early 2009. Between January and March, they toured withSlipknot andTrivium on the Slipknot-headlined All Hope Is Gone tour. In August 2009, Coheed and Cambria toured in support ofHeaven & Hell on their tour in support ofThe Devil You Know.[40] On September 16, 2009, they performed at the Puyallup Fair alongsideBrand New and Jaguar Love. In October they performed at theAustin City Limits Music Festival inAustin, Texas.[41] They also performed at theWacken Open Air festival, at the UK leg of theSonisphere Festival tour,[42] and at theLollapalooza festival in Chicago, Illinois.[43]
Coheed and Cambria finished recording their fifth studio albumYear of the Black Rainbow in 2009. It is a prequel to their conceptual story, having events that take place beforeThe Second Stage Turbine Blade.[44] A novel was released to accompany the album co-written by Sanchez andPeter David.[45] The album was released on April 13, 2010, in both a standard, iTunes special, and deluxe edition (with the deluxe edition including theYear of the Black Rainbow novel and a special Year of the Black Rainbow "black card" that provided the holder early access to some Coheed shows. The concept of a special card with this privilege would carry over into future album releases). In 2010 the band played the UK rock festival Download, alongsideA Day to Remember andBullet for My Valentine.[46]
"The Broken", "Guns of Summer" and "Here We Are Juggernaut" were released on theRock Band music store on April 20, 2010.[47]
Sanchez stated that with the Coheed and Cambria saga completely chronicled on the group's first five albums, he was contemplating the direction of future releases. "I've thought of telling stories of the future and stories of the past, maybe getting involved more in the story of Sirius Amory (sic – Sirius Amory in the stories), the fellow who figured out the value of the Keywork," he said. "Or even stories that kind of parallel the one that we're telling. It's kind of up in the air. I've started writing music for that next record, and I'm kind of hoping that maybe in doing that it's going to tell me which one to do."[48]
On July 10, 2011, bassist Michael Todd was arrested and taken into police custody inAttleboro, Massachusetts, on charges of armed robbery.[49]Wes Styles acted as a temporary replacement for the remaining dates.[50] On August 4, 2011, Todd and the band parted ways by mutual decision.[51][52]
The band recorded a cover of theZZ Top song "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers" for the tribute albumA Tribute from Friends,[53] and the song "Deranged" was released on the soundtrack for the video gameBatman: Arkham City on October 18, 2011.[54]
Claudio announced atNew York Comic Con in "Radio.com" in October 2011 that the upcoming album was written and that the recordings would begin in November. He also confirmed that the band were continuing to write music following theAmory Wars storyline, hinting that fans would be surprised by which character was followed in the new album.[55]
In November 2011, Chris Pennie departed the band by mutual agreement due to creative differences.[56] Two weeks later, Pennie was replaced by the band's former drummerJosh Eppard,[57] and the following April, the band announced via social media that their replacement bassist would be Zach Cooper, previously of the band AM to AM. According to an interview with Cooper, Coheed manager Blaze James "cold-called" Cooper to audition for the bass position based upon a personal recommendation.[58]
In June, the band completed the recording of their sixth studio album at Applehead Studios.[59] The following month, Coheed announced via their website that the upcoming album would be a double album called "The Afterman." The first part, titledThe Afterman: Ascension, was released on October 9, 2012, and the second, titledThe Afterman: Descension, was released on February 5, 2013. It was produced by Coheed and Cambria, with Michael Birnbaum and Chris Bittner. 'The Afterman' tells the story of Sirius Amory, the namesake of the concept, as he explores the energy source holding together the Keywork (the 78 worlds in whichThe Amory Wars is set) and finds that it is in fact an afterlife for departed souls.[60] In the same month, Claudio announced atSan Diego Comic-Con thatEntourage producersMark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson would be developing his comic book seriesThe Amory Wars into a full-length live action film.[61] In September 2019, Sanchez revealed that Wahlberg's agreement to produce the project had expired.[62]
On August 28, 2012, the band released the music video for "Key Entity Extraction I: Domino the Destitute", the first single fromThe Afterman: Ascension, on theirVevo channel,[63] reaching over one million views. Two weeks before the album's release, the band premiered the studio version of the title track "The Afterman" onRolling Stone.[64] The second video from the album was later created for this track.[65] In 2013, the band released videos for "Dark Side of Me" and "Number City", fromThe Afterman: Descension.[citation needed]
On August 18, 2014, it was revealed on a Billboard.com article that Coheed and Cambria would be releasing a remastered version ofIn Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 on October 21, including some interview questions about why they were releasing it, and premiering the remastered version of the single "A Favor House Atlantic" from that album.[66]
On August 25, 2014, a video of Claudio playing a new song titled "Atlas" was uploaded to the band'sYouTube channel.[67][better source needed]
In September and October 2014, Coheed and Cambria went on tour withThank You Scientist, playingIn Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 in its entirety in correspondence with its remastering. In February 2015, it was announced onBBC Radio 1 that the band would be performing "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3" at Hevy Fest held atPort Lympne, Kent, England.[citation needed]
In an interview, Claudio Sanchez stated that he hoped to take Coheed and Cambria into the studio during January 2015 for a spring or summer release.[68]
The band's eighth album,The Color Before the Sun, was released on October 16, 2015. It is the band's first album not connected toThe Amory Wars storyline.[69] Instead, the album reflects on Sanchez's recent events in his life, such as moving from the country to the city, as well as his child Atlas.[70] The album's first single, "You Got Spirit, Kid" was released on July 10, 2015.[71] The second single, "Here to Mars", was released on September 3, 2015.[72]
The band embarked on an early 2016 U.S. tour withGlassjaw,I the Mighty, and Silver Snakes,[73] and a late 2016 U.S. tour withSaves the Day andPolyphia.
On August 19, 2016, the band released a Deconstructed version of the album which includes demos of the tracks as well as live recordings.[74]
On February 20, 2018, the band announced a summer tour withTaking Back Sunday andThe Story So Far.[75]
It was announced on April 5, 2018, that the band had signed withRoadrunner Records and released a teaser potentially for a new album set to release in 2018.[76] The band decided to premiere a new song after a show at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster, PA on May 5, 2018. After videos of the song went viral among fans on YouTube the band decided to premiere the video for a new song, "The Dark Sentencer" along with the album's "Prologue" (the album's backstory), on May 31, 2018, against their promotional plan set forth by Roadrunner Records. On June 22, 2018, the band announced their new album,Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures, would be released October 5, 2018. It continues theAmory Wars storyline that the band's first seven albums followed. The second song on the album, "Unheavenly Creatures", was released on June 28. A third single, "The Gutter", was released on August 16. A fourth, "Old Flames", was released on September 27. A fifth, "Love Protocol", made its debut on BBC Radio 1 on September 30.[77]
The band embarked on an early 2019 tour withMaps & Atlases. On February 12, 2019, the band announced The Unheavenly Skye Tour, co-headlined withMastodon and featuring special guestsEvery Time I Die.[78]
On August 21, 2020, the band released "Jessie's Girl 2", a sequel toRick Springfield's 1981 song, "Jessie's Girl", featuring Springfield on the recording. The song was released on both a red and blue 7" vinyl on September 4. According to an article byEntertainment Weekly, the band reportedly has considered releasing a whole album calledSequels entirely composed of sequels to other songs.[79]
In early 2021, the band announced a tour co-headlining withThe Used. On July 21, 2021, they released the lead single, "Shoulders", from their tenth studio album. The album continues theAmory Wars "Vaxis" saga from the previous album, though frontmanClaudio Sanchez noted that parts of the story were still in flux as some plot points felt insensitive in the wake of theCOVID-19 pandemic, such as a song titled "Hallelujah Quarantine" written before the pandemic, centered around a "celebration called The Quarantine. It's almost like a cotillion where the young come to party and to decide their fates. But this organization is really just taking these young kids to use them as blood banks."[80] On November 10, 2021, the band released their new album's second single, "Rise, Naianasha (Cut the Cord)". In December 2021, the band announced The Great Destroyer Tour withSheer Mag, to take place in February and March 2022. In January 2022, the band announced the title and track listing of their tenth album:Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind, which released on June 24, 2022,[81] to critical acclaim. A third single, "The Liars Club", was released on February 22, 2022. The next day, the band announced the A Window of the Waking Mind Tour withDance Gavin Dance andMothica. A fourth single, "Comatose", was released on May 18, 2022, and the band added European tour dates withThrice andTouché Amoré. Due to sexual assault allegations against Dance Gavin Dance singerTilian Pearson and his departure from the band,Alkaline Trio replaced Dance Gavin Dance on the A Window of the Waking Mind tour.[82] On January 24, 2023, the band announced the Neverender: No World for the Waking Mind Tour withDeafheaven. On February 6, 2024, the band announced a tour supportingIncubus, and on February 20, they announced a co-headlining tour withPrimus. On May 8, 2024, the band released a new song, "The Joke", a track cut fromVaxis – Act II.[83]
On July 12, 2024, the band premiered a new song, "Blind Side Sonny", on tour. They released a music video for the song on October 2, 2024. On November 20, the band revealed the title of their eleventh studio album,Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe, the full tracklisting, and second single, "Searching for Tomorrow", along with a release date of March 14, 2025. On December 9, 2024, the band announced the Infinite Arc Tour withMastodon andPeriphery. On January 14, 2025, the band released the single "Someone Who Can" and announced a second leg to their 2025 tour withTaking Back Sunday andFoxing. On June 3, 2025, the band announced the Welcome to Forever Tour, a UK and European tour withHaken.
On September 10, 2025, the band announced a deluxe edition ofVaxis – Act III, called theNew Entities Edition, with four new tracks that was released on October 3, 2025.[84]
The band's style is described asprogressive rock byEqual Vision,[85]Spin,[86] andAllMusic.[87][88][89][90][91] Songs such as "Blood Red Summer" and "Three Evils (Embodied in Love and Shadow)" have been noted in many reviews of the band also to contain several elements of pop, as exemplified by one review bySputnikmusic which says "Coheed and Cambria manage to bring new life to a dying genre, and mix up the standard pop-punk scheme with creative and original riffs."[92] The band has also been described asalternative rock,[93][94]new prog,[95][96]progressive metal,[97][98][99]emo,[100][101]post-hardcore,[102] andalternative metal.[103][104]
Sanchez has stated that he is envious of his father's era of music, with the band being influenced by groups of that era such asLed Zeppelin,Pink Floyd,The Police,Queen, andThin Lizzy. Sanchez also acknowledges an eclectic array of influences, includingpost-hardcore groupAt the Drive-In andheavy metal pioneersIron Maiden.[12][105][106]
One of the biggest influences for Coheed and Cambria was alternative metal bandFaith No More. Before establishing the band, Sanchez and Stever got hold of their 1992 recordAngel Dust, which Stever claimed "showed [them] the light", and they would later listen toKing for a Day andAlbum of the Year continually as well. Stever also stated "There are many more songs that we have done through the years that have had a guitar part or vocal melody that I will say, 'Oh shit - there's that Faith No More influence'."[107]
Contrary to rumors, bassist Michael Todd said the band was not influenced bySaga and that he had never heard of that group.[108] Many draw similarities betweenRush and Coheed and Cambria,[109][110] but Josh Eppard stated in an interview that neither he nor the other band members were "big" Rush fans.[110] Claudio later stated he began to listen more critically to Rush's albums after the comparisons.[111]
Influences ofpunk rock have been cited as well, especially theMisfits andBad Brains. Dr. Know ofBad Brains plays a guitar solo on the track "Time Consumer" fromSecond Stage Turbine Blade. Sanchez and Stever's early band Toxic Parents drew many similarities fromJane's Addiction and Misfits.[112]
Sanchez has stated thatThe Amory Wars, the story on which Coheed and Cambria base its lyrics, has similarities to other stories, especially to theStar Wars trilogy. For example, when the characterCoheed returns home to his wife Cambria, she says, "Somehow I've always known," a line thatPrincess Leia said toLuke Skywalker inReturn of the Jedi.[113][114]
Current members
| Former members
| Former touring musicians
Session musicians
|
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | MTVU Woodie Award | Soundtrack of My Life Woodie (Best Album) (In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3)[116] |
| 2004 | MTVU Woodie Award | The Road Woodie (Best Live Performance)[116] |
| 2006 | Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards | Best Album (Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness)[117] |
| 2008 | Kerrang! Awards | Best Music Video ("Feathers")[37] |
| 2010 | MTV Musical March Madness | Championship Title[118] |
Welcome Home is a heavily Led Zeppelin-influenced metal tune (hell, they ripped the riff from Kashmir)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
