Description
If you heard Blind Side Sonny, the first single from Coheed and Cambrias tenth album, ‘The Father of Make Believe’, then you probably noticed that something seemed different about the sci-fi-inspired New York prog legends. A two-minute, thrash-adjacent metal ripper whose chorus screams, Blood! We want blood! We want blood!, the track embodies an urgent, almost rabid desire to be heard clearly and felt intensely. How many times have I heard the underrated statement about us? asks Claudio Sanchez. Its something that lives in all of our subconscious minds and has certainly played a role in making us who we are. This is a song of revenge.
A funny thing happened as Sanchez a master of translating reality into fantastical tales began plotting Coheeds latest. Yes, The Father of Make Believe carves out new sonic territory amidst all of the wailing guitars, drums that crack like fireworks, and Sanchezs aching, powerful voice that centers us through moments both placid and pinwheeling. But where the set really forges new ground is in how Sanchez embraces the role of main character. Hes often used epic songcraft to mask the stories he wanted to tell: reflections on an addicted father, memories of his beloved grandfather, concern about raising a child in a cruel world, hopes and fears around the love of his life. This time, hes writing more directly about his life and, especially, his unusual career. Sanchez is the ‘Father of Make Believe’, gazing down upon this world he’s wrought.
This record is a midlife crisis, he chuckles. I realized, 20-some-odd years in, I was struggling with the brand I’ve given myself: Am I satisfied being the science fiction rock n’ roll guy when so much of my material comes from personal experiences? Of course, Sanchez being Sanchez, Coheeds wiki-writing legions of fans will still find plenty of rich character work, narrative flourish, and references to the running lore. But if youre new here, theres no homework required to tap directly into our hosts struggles and triumphs although, you might get drawn in anyway.
One way to look at ‘The Father of Make Believe’ is as Coheed and Cambria establishing a desire to move forward while honoring a remarkable history. Another: a series of questions, emotions, and thoughts at war with each other a war within myself, as Sanchez puts it. Ive lost time defining ideas I want to see through. Its beautiful to look back and enjoy it for what it was. He pauses. But there’s no need to go back. And why would he? Coheed are finding new ways to bring new listeners into their universe. The Amory Wars live on, but a new general is at the helm. Sanchez is ready to fight the battles hes relegated to his imagination for all these years.
CD softpack version – 6-panel softpak with 12-panel poster folder.
Tracklisting:
Yesterday’s Lost
Goodbye, Sunshine
Searching for Tomorrow
The Father of Make Believe
Meri of Mercy
Blind Side Sonny
Play the Poet
One Last Miracle
Corner My Confidence
Someone Who Can
The Continuum I: Welcome to Forever, Mr Nobody
The Continuum II: The Flood
The Continuum III: Tethered Together
The Continuum IV: So It Goes
The Omni-Voice
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