Coheed and Cambria | |
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![]() Coheed and Cambria performing in 2016 Left to right: Travis Stever, Josh Eppard (on drums), Claudio Sanchez, Zach Cooper | |
Background information | |
Also known as | Shabütie (1995–2001) |
Origin | Nyack, New York, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 1995–present |
Labels |
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Spinoffs | The Prize Fighter Inferno |
Members |
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Past members |
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Website | coheedandcambria |
Coheed and Cambria is an American rock band from Nyack, New York, formed in 1995. It consists of Claudio 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 progressive rock, pop, heavy metal, and post-hardcore. [2]
All of Coheed and Cambria's albums except for 2015's The Color Before the Sun are concept albums based on a science fiction storyline called The Amory Wars , written by Claudio Sanchez and transcribed into a series of comic books and 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 Claudio Sanchez and Travis Stever's band Toxic Parents split, they formed a band with Nate 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 broke in June 1995 after an argument over gas money. [5] Stever left the band, and the resulting trio was named Shabütie, [6] an African word from the film The Naked Prey .
The band spent nearly a year experimenting with different musical styles, including punk rock, indie rock, acoustic rock, funk, and heavy metal. When Carleo left the band in August 1996, Kelley recruited Michael Todd to take his place. Todd, primarily a guitarist, played bass specifically for Shabütie. [6] [7] As Shabütie, the band wrote dozens of songs and released their first studio demo, Plan to Take Over the World, in 1999. The band also released The Penelope EP in 1999, shortly after which Stever rejoined the band.
Kelley left the band during a performance in late 1999. Josh Eppard replaced him. [6] [7] The band released Delirium Trigger in 2000, with Kelley on the drums but listing Eppard in the liner notes. [8]
Several songs from Delirium Trigger were adapted into a series of science fiction comics written by Sanchez called The Bag.On.Line Adventures, later renamed The Amory Wars . Sanchez's side project developed during a 1998 trip to Paris, where the band members renamed themselves Coheed and Cambria after two of the story's protagonists, and adopted the concept story as a unifying theme for their future albums. [9] This side project also created Coheed's official logo, the Keywork, a symbol for the planetary alignment of the Amory Wars universe. [10]
In February 2002, the band released its first studio album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade , after signing with Equal Vision Records. [11] Influenced by post-hardcore group At The Drive In, [12] the band's first release featured a guest appearance from Dr. Know of hardcore-punk band Bad Brains, as well as the revised "Delirium Trigger", "33", and "Junesong Provision" from the Delirium Trigger EP. The band released its first single and music video, "Devil in Jersey City". [12] [13] The band played several tour dates in the United States and Japan, as well as a brief stint on the 2002 Vans Warped Tour. In August 2002, Coheed and Cambria started working with manager Blaze James. [9]
Following touring with Breaking Pangaea, Linkin Park, The Used, and Slipknot, in October 2003, the band released its second studio album, In 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 that received airtime on MTV, the band supplemented the release by touring with various artists such as Thursday, Thrice, AFI, and Rainer Maria. Coheed and Cambria made its second appearance on the Warped Tour and performed additional European shows. [13] The album peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard charts and was certified Gold by the RIAA. [14] [15]
The band filmed an August 2004 concert at New Jersey's Starland Ballroom for their first live DVD, Live at the Starland Ballroom , released in March 2005.
The success of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 attracted the attention of Columbia 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 release, Good 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 was a departure from their previous melodic post-hardcore influenced rock toward a progressive 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 by The Blood Brothers, Circa Survive, Dredg, Head Automatica, and Avenged Sevenfold, tours culminating in the release of the exclusive iTunes EP Kerrang!/XFM UK Acoustic Sessions and their second live DVD The Last Supper: Live at Hammerstein Ballroom . [21]
Sanchez released an album from his side-project, The Prize Fighter Inferno, in October 2006, titled My Brother's Blood Machine . It was a concept album related to Coheed and Cambria via a character that appears in both stories. The album was intended as a prequel to the Coheed and Cambria albums. [22] Sanchez said, "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, Eppard and 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, Todd rejoined Coheed and Cambria, and the band entered the Los Angeles-based studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz. The following June, Chris Pennie, formerly of the Dillinger Escape Plan, joined Coheed and Cambria as its drummer, but due to contractual restrictions with his previous record label, did not appear on the band's fourth release. [2] Instead, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins recorded the drums, using several of Pennie's ideas. [2]
The band's fourth studio album, and second with Columbia 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 starring Rena Riffel. [26] The band continued touring, headlining portions of the 2007 Warped Tour [27] supported by Clutch and The Fall of Troy, and opened for Linkin Park's 25-city U.S. tour, forcing the cancellation of Coheed and Cambria's performances on Australia's Soundwave Festival. [28] [29] In addition to the return of Todd on bass and new drummer Pennie, the band 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 game Rock Band , [31] and a cover of their song "Ten Speed (of God's Blood & Burial)" was made available as a download for Rock Band. In 2009, two more songs were made available for download, "The Running Free" and "A Favor House Atlantic", for the video game Rock Band, [32] later joined in 2010 by "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 headlined The Bamboozle 2008 music festival. [35]
The band headlined the 2008 Kerrang! Tour in the U.K., where the band performed and recorded a cover of "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden, featured on Kerrang!'s Iron Maiden tribute album, Maiden Heaven , which came with the July 16 issue. [36] They were nominated for Best International Band and Best Music Video (for Feathers) in the 2008 Kerrang! Awards. [37]
In October and November 2008, the band played Neverender, a four-night concert series in which the band played one album per night. The event was held in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and in London 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 with Slipknot and Trivium on the Slipknot-headlined All Hope Is Gone tour. In August 2009, Coheed and Cambria toured in support of Heaven & Hell on their tour in support of The Devil You Know . [40] On September 16, 2009, they performed at the Puyallup Fair alongside Brand New and Jaguar Love. In October they performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas. [41] They also performed at the Wacken Open Air festival, at the UK leg of the Sonisphere Festival tour, [42] and at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago. [43]
Coheed and Cambria finished recording their fifth studio album, Year of the Black Rainbow , in 2009. It is a prequel that takes place before The Second Stage Turbine Blade. [44] A novel was released to accompany the album, co-written by Sanchez and Peter David. [45] The album was released on April 13, 2010, in a standard, iTunes special, and deluxe edition (including the Year of the Black Rainbow novel and a special Year of the Black Rainbow "black card" that provided early access to some shows). In 2010, the band played the UK rock festival Download, with A Day to Remember and Bullet for my Valentine. [46]
"The Broken", "Guns of Summer" and "Here We Are Juggernaut" were released on the Rock Band music store on April 20, 2010. [47]
Sanchez stated that with the Coheed and Cambria saga 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, Todd was arrested in Attleboro, 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 the ZZ Top song "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers" for the tribute album A Tribute from Friends , [53] and the song "Deranged" was released on the soundtrack for the video game Batman: Arkham City on October 18, 2011. [54]
Sanchez announced in October 2011 that the upcoming album was written and recording would begin in November. He confirmed the band were writing music following the Amory Wars storyline, hinting fans would be surprised by the character the new album would follow. [55]
In November 2011, Pennie departed the band by mutual agreement due to creative differences. [56] Two weeks later, Pennie was replaced with the band's former drummer Josh Eppard, [57] and the following April, the band announced their replacement bassist would be Zach Cooper, previously of the band AM to AM. According to an interview with Cooper, manager Blaze James "cold-called" Cooper to audition for the bass position based on a personal recommendation. [58]
In June, the band completed the recording of their sixth studio album at Applehead Studios. [59] The following month, Coheed and Cambria announced the upcoming album would be a double album called "The Afterman." The first part, titled The Afterman: Ascension , was released on October 9, 2012, and the second, titled The 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 as he explores the energy source holding together the Keywork and finds it is an afterlife for departed souls. [60] In the same month, Sanchez announced at San Diego Comic-Con that Entourage producers Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson would develop his comic book series, The 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 from The Afterman: Ascension, on their Vevo 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" on Rolling Stone . [64] The second video from the album was created for this track. [65] In 2013, the band released videos for "Dark Side of Me" and "Number City", from The Afterman: Descension.[ citation needed ]
On August 18, 2014, it was revealed on a Billboard.com article that Coheed and Cambria would release a remastered version of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 on October 21, including 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 Sanchez playing a new song titled "Atlas" was uploaded to the band's YouTube channel. [67] [ better source needed ]
In September and October 2014, Coheed and Cambria went on tour with Thank You Scientist, playing In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 in its entirety. In February 2015, it was announced on BBC Radio 1 the band would perform "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3" at Hevy Fest held at Port Lympne, Kent, England.[ citation needed ]
In an interview, Sanchez stated 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 to The Amory Wars storyline. [69] The album reflects on Sanchez's recent life, such as moving from the country to the city and 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 with Glassjaw, I the Mighty, and Silver Snakes, [73] and a late 2016 U.S. tour with Saves the Day and Polyphia.
On August 19, 2016, the band released a deconstructed version of the album that includes demos and live recordings. [74]
On February 20, 2018, the band announced a summer tour with Taking Back Sunday and The Story So Far. [75]
It was announced on April 5, 2018, that the band had signed with Roadrunner 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 the Amory 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 with Maps & Atlases. On February 12, 2019, the band announced The Unheavenly Skye Tour, co-headlined with Mastodon and featuring special guests Every Time I Die. [78]
On August 21, 2020, the band released "Jessie's Girl 2", a sequel to Rick 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 by Entertainment Weekly , the band reportedly has considered releasing a whole album called Sequels entirely composed of sequels to other songs.[ citation needed ]
In early 2021, the band announced a co-headlining tour with The Used. On July 21, 2021, they released "Shoulders", the lead single from their tenth studio album. The album continues the Amory Wars "Vaxis" saga, though Sanchez noted parts of the story were in flux as some plot points felt insensitive in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as a song titled "Hallelujah Quarantine", written before the pandemic and centered on 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." [79] On November 10, 2021, the band released the new album's second single, "Rise, Naianasha (Cut the Cord)". In December 2021, the band announced The Great Destroyer Tour with Sheer Mag, 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 , released on June 24, 2022, [80] 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 with Dance Gavin Dance and Mothica. A fourth single, "Comatose", was released on May 18, 2022, and the band added European tour dates with Thrice and Touché Amoré. Due to sexual assault allegations against Dance Gavin Dance singer Tilian Pearson and his departure from the band, Alkaline Trio replaced Dance Gavin Dance on the A Window of the Waking Mind tour. [81] On January 24, 2023, the band announced the Neverender: No World for the Waking Mind Tour with Deafheaven. On February 6, 2024, the band announced a tour supporting Incubus, and on February 20, they announced a co-headlining tour with Primus. On May 8, 2024, the band released a new song, "The Joke", a track cut from Vaxis – Act II. [82]
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 with Mastodon and Periphery. On January 14, 2025, the band released the single "Someone Who Can" and announced a second leg to their 2025 tour with Taking Back Sunday and Foxing. On June 3, 2025, the band announced the Welcome to Forever Tour, a UK and European tour with Haken.
On September 10, 2025, the band announced a deluxe edition of Vaxis III, called the New Entities Edition, with four new tracks to be released on October 3, 2025. [83]
The band's style is described as progressive rock by Equal Vision, [84] Spin, [85] and AllMusic. [86] [87] [88] [89] [90] 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 by Sputnikmusic 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." [91] The band has also been described as alternative rock, [92] [93] new prog, [94] [95] progressive metal, [96] [97] [98] emo, [99] [100] post-hardcore, [101] and alternative metal. [102] [103]
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 as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Police, Queen, and Thin Lizzy. Sanchez also acknowledges an eclectic array of influences, including post-hardcore group At the Drive-In and heavy metal pioneers Iron Maiden. [12] [104] [105] One of the biggest influences for Coheed and Cambria was alternative metal band Faith No More. Before establishing the band, Sanchez and Stever got hold of their 1992 record Angel Dust , which Stever claimed "showed [them] the light", and they would later listen to King for a Day and Album 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'." [106] Contrary to rumors, bassist Michael Todd said the band was not influenced by Saga and that he had never heard of that group. [107] Many draw similarities between Rush and Coheed and Cambria, [108] [109] but Josh Eppard stated in an interview that neither he nor the other band members were "big" Rush fans. [109] Claudio later stated he began to listen more critically to Rush's albums after the comparisons. [110] Influences of punk rock have been cited as well, especially the Misfits and Bad Brains. Dr. Know of Bad Brains plays a guitar solo on the track "Time Consumer" from Second Stage Turbine Blade. Sanchez and Stever's early band Toxic Parents drew many similarities from Jane's Addiction and Misfits. [111] Sanchez has stated that The Amory Wars , the story on which Coheed and Cambria base its lyrics, has similarities to other stories, especially to the Star Wars trilogy. For example, when the character Coheed returns home to his wife Cambria, she says, "Somehow I've always known," a line that Princess Leia said to Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi . [112] [113]
Current members
| Former members
| Former touring musicians
Session musicians
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Year | Award | Category |
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2004 | MTVU Woodie Award | Soundtrack of My Life Woodie (Best Album) ( In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 ) [115] |
2004 | MTVU Woodie Award | The Road Woodie (Best Live Performance) [115] |
2006 | Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards | Best Album ( Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness ) [116] |
2008 | Kerrang! Awards | Best Music Video ("Feathers") [37] |
2010 | MTV Musical March Madness | Championship Title [117] |
Welcome Home is a heavily Led Zeppelin-influenced metal tune (hell, they ripped the riff from Kashmir)