To the uninitiated, Coheed and Cambria's sound can take a little getting used to. They blend several different musical styles, and their high-pitched lead vocalist, Claudio Sanchez, can make Geddy Lee sound like that singer from the Crash Test Dummies. That is not to take anything away from Sanchez, the guy can sound absolutely superhuman at times, and he is what really makes this band so unique. Sanchez plays a pretty mean guitar too, and the rest of the band, Travis Stever (guitar), Michael Robert Todd (bass), and new drummer, Chris Pennie, are all equally adept.
Once the music starts, it is a non-stop barrage of colors, lights, and sound that completely absorb you into the world of Coheed and Cambria. Midway through the first set, Sanchez makes it clear that he is not at ease with the typical between-song crowd banter - although the few times he does open up, he comes across as very charming and humble. His best moment was when he told of how the names Coheed and Cambria were loosely based on his parents, and how the title of their debut album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade, is actually the name of a part his father used to work on at a factory.
The first thing that smacked me upside the head when watching these performances was just how tight and accomplished this band is on the live concert stage. They pulled off these challenging shows as if they had been playing these entire albums for an entire tour. The brilliant light show and video screens also provided the perfect compliment to the music. There were too many memorable moments to describe in a reasonable length review, so I will only mention a few of my absolute highlights.
The 3rd night, first set closer, "The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut" was the absolute highlight of the DVD for me. They turned this Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness album closer into their very own "Dazed and Confused," and it was stunning. Watching Sanchez work his magic on the Theremin was mind-bending enough, but his and Stever's guitar work on this track was absolutely phenomenal. And if you had any doubt as to whether new drummer Chris Pennie could hold his own in the band, check out the amazing extended drum solo he throws down during this one.
Article comments
1 - alex b
Great review. i attended the 4th night, and it was just as good as any show ive ever been to. i applaud you coheed and cambria, and i cant wait till the next tour