Coheed and Cambria
In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3

THE REVIEW

In the now boundless (and trendy) emo melting pot, populated by beardless teenagers, tormented by unbearable existential and/or sentimental crises and the first hairs on their groin, Coheed and Cambria definitely represent a very unusual case: if the debut album, "The Second Stage Turbine Blade", which already shone for originality, led to the group being more or less framed within the emo-rock circle, after this "In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3", the definition of emocore band tout-court is really too tight for the New York quartet and not only from a musical or image point of view (I dare anyone to mistake frontman Claudio Sanchez for a "kid" adrift with their own heart problems!), but also from the lyrics standpoint, more akin to the epic metal genre, full of barbarians, elves, and trolls, rather than to the emo one; no tear-jerking and nerve-racking ballads, but rather the deeds of two characters, Coheed and Cambria precisely, responsible for the band's moniker, set in a fantastic universe reminiscent of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" lands; these stories recur in each of the combo's works, all of which are concept albums based on the aforementioned narratives.

Returning to the strictly musical discussion, the emo influences have diminished significantly compared to the debut and are confined only to a few melodies drawn by the singer's voice, inversely proportional to the technical virtuosity, the frequent time changes (although the tempos remain generally rather mellow) and the metal riffs, all enriched by Claudio's splendid voice. The band is in great form and the result is monumental and, frankly, unclassifiable! The monstrous technique of ALL the band members allows them to mix very different sounds with disarming simplicity; during the seventy minutes of the album, permeated by a strong dark component, emo, metal, indie rock, and progressive alternate. Yes, seventy minutes, an enormity for any other punk band; within the album, there are three tracks exceeding eight minutes and, as for the others, they average a five minutes per song. Do not think, however, that the mix proposed by the quartet is heavy to listen to, because it is not so, quite the contrary! Despite a clear display of great technical skill, this does not weigh down the sound of the album in the slightest, because the musicians have the virtue of restraining themselves and not overdoing it.

An extremely original band, therefore, without a doubt the most original in the entire emocore scene, now nearing total saturation, which certainly deserves more than one listen to be appreciated, given the complexity of its style; but anyone wishing to delve into the fantastic world of Coheed and Cambria, rest assured they will be amply rewarded by a great album.