Album of the Week: Coheed and Cambria - The Afterman

     The observant among you (or just the extremely set in the routine among you) may have noticed something missing from your week last week: an album recommendation from yours truly.

     Don't worry, I didn't forget about you, and I haven't called it quits with the Album of the Week feature just yet. The last couple of weeks have been a little busier than normal here at Loud Noises HQ, and last week's album just slipped through the cracks. By the time I got my shit together to do one, it was already the weekend, and I figure you deserve the full week to do your homework.

     On the other hand, I don't like the idea of just skipping last week, even though that's essentially what we're doing here today, and I'd like to play catch up a little bit, even if it is only symbolic. To that end, I've decided that this week's album pretty much has to be a double album. Is this cheating? Maybe, especially when you consider that the record(s) I've chosen weren't even released simultaneously, but who cares?

     So, without further ado, this week you're going to spend some time with one, or preferably both, of Coheed and Cambria's Afterman albums. I've been a fan of Coheed for years, but even if you haven't, I think you'll still appreciate the high calibre of the total Afterman package: poppy, rocking, proggy, songs that span a gamut of styles and moods; some sci-fi concepts woven into the lyrics (but not an inextricable part of them -- no need to find a Coheed wiki to get up to speed on their albums-spanning space opera); hell, even the album artwork is suitably far-out.

     As much as the band's sophomore In Keeping Secrets... might still be my favourite record from their catalogue, there's no question that The Afterman, Part I: Ascension and The Afterman, Part II: Descension represent the band's best work in years, and there's also no question that I eagerly look forward to whatever they release next. Give these records some spins this week and I'll bet you'll be clamouring for new Coheed too.

Album of the Week: Coheed and Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

     Last week when I was recommending the Coheed song "Ten Speed (Of God's Blood and Burial)" it occurred to me that they're a band with a nice, deep back catalogue that could most definitely yield an album with enough meat on its bones for a week of auditory enjoyment. So today I'm makin' it happen, cap'n.

     But which Coheed and Cambria album should you spend the next seven days getting to know? There's several good candidates. The band's debut Second Stage Turbine Blade is a landmark in the post-hardcore movement of the early 2000's. Then again, their most recent work, the Afterman double album, is a bit of a return to form after a lackluster record or two, and as good as anything from their lengthy career.

     For my money, however, if you have to pick one Coheed album to push on people, it's got to be sophomore disc In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, an album that works on multiple levels. If you're a sci-fi dork who digs the ongoing story of the Kilgannon family, then I put it to you that IKSSE:3 is when the story really kicks into gear. If, on the other hand, you couldn't care less about the concept and instead dig Coheed and Cambria on a purely musical level, all you need to know is that IKSSE:3 is a stellar prog-pop post-rock (is that a thing?) album from front to back, a genre classic like its predecessor the aforementioned Second Stage Turbine Blade. Riffs, beats, songs, melodies, harmonies, this record is so well crafted it's scary. Get familiar this week if you're not already. 

Monday: Coheed and Cambria - Delirium Trigger

     Finally back on top of things, and we're going to cap all this catch-up off with a quickie post for your Monday evening.

     It hasn't been that long since Coheed and Cambria released the second part of their The Afterman double album, but I for one am already ready for new material. This isn't to say that The Afterman isn't a satisfying listen, because it is -- more satisfying perhaps than the couple of records that preceded it. Coheed is just one of those bands that I've been into for so long that I'm always interested to hear what they'll come up with next.

     Tonight, however, we're looking back because we can't look forward to new material on the horizon any time soon. Your Monday song is "Delirium Trigger" from the band's debut 2002 LP Second Stage Turbine Blade. Enjoy.

Song of the Day: Coheed and Cambria - The Velourium Camper II: Backend of Forever

     I've no doubt that pop proggers Coheed and Cambria earned themselves a bunch of new fans with last fall's The Afterman: Ascension and this spring's The Afterman: Descension. Maybe you're among them.

Song of the Day: Coheed and Cambria - Key Entity Extraction V: Sentry the Defiant

     This past Tuesday saw the release of the second half of Coheed and Cambria's latest space epic The Afterman. Last October saw part one of the story of Sirius Amory, entitled Ascension, and now we've got the second half in Descension.

Song of the Yesterday: 3 - Alien Angel

     No excuses today, just late with yesterday's song, so you get another double header. The first one requires a bit of a walk, so bear with me. Now, by now you should all at least have heard of Coheed and Cambria, what with all the talking about them I've done: a couple of songs of the day and the Super Tuesday post in anticipation of their new album, The Afterman Part 1: Ascension (which, by the way, is pretty good). If you read that super Super Tuesday post, then you might remember me mentioning a gentlemen named Josh Eppard, Coheed's original drummer, who was gone for an album or two but is now back with the band.

Song of the Day: Coheed and Cambria - Domino the Destitute

     A few days ago I started some Super Tuesday prep when I said we'd be doing some Songs of the Day based on the badass albums coming out next week. Last time we did this was Between the Buried and Me's new video "Astral Body" and today is round two: Coheed and Cambria's new video.

Super Tuesday

     I used to follow American politics somewhat closely, back during the... ahem...tumultuous term of Bush II. As a Canadian, it's a little hard not to. We're so closely commercially and culturally linked, and on top of that our own politics are so much...drier than those of our neighbours to the south. Don't get me wrong, as a voter I like the fact that the Right and the Left in Canada are both pretty Centrist positions. But as a spectator, I can't deny the appeal of a little political drama, things like mudslinging and the like. I don't really follow any sports closely, so stuff like that can be fun to see when they're not my politicians. Hence, I used to follow American politics. I haven't payed as much attention to this election as I did the last couple, but I still maintain more than a passing interest in Obama vs. Romney.