Ten relentless tracks that tug at each individual heartstring. Formerly known as Shabutie for six years. Features guest appearance from the legendary Dr. Know.
Ten relentless tracks that tug at each individual heartstring. Formerly known as Shabutie for six years. Features guest appearance from the legendary Dr. Know.
Brian Audette | Jamaica Plain, MA United States | 01/31/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's march of 2002 and I've accidentally tuned to the local college radio station when I am bombarded by a quizically catchy tune sung by what sounds like a high-pitched man or a boyish girl. 4 months later after repeated listenings of 'Everything Evil' and 'Hearshot Kid Disaster' on mp3 I buy the CD and it still hasn't left my player. In a sea full of well-meaning but ultimately uninspired and unoriginal emo music Coheed & Cambria stand out as something more than just another genre pandering, pop-punk wanna-be. Co&Ca eschew the politics of the emo world and the pretensions of post-punk angst rock for a sound that once accepted, yields untold amounts of talent and originality.From the single string picking intro of 'Time Consumer' to the pleading desperation of 'God Send Conspirator' The Second Stage Turbine Blade is an album of contrasts assembled like a fine novel with a sentence structure of sound. In fact narrative is important to Co&Ca not only in the album's conception as a companion to Claudio's own writing (on which the album is based) but in the composition of songs such as 'Everything Evil' where story progression isn't just a matter of words but is relayed musically as well through peaks and valleys and careful composition.Co&Ca may not be for everyone, but given the chance the raw talent of this group should be enough to entertain the ears of a broad range of listeners. If you can look past the genre labels and past the intial perception of the sound, the soul of Coheed & Cambria shines through in the experimental love for music it's members lend to their work. If their already dedicated following and live presence (with a headlining tour starting Feb '03) are any indication, Coheed & Cambria are destined for greatness. Do yourself a favor and check this one out. Give it a chance and I doubt you'll be disappointed."
This cd has touched my life and will always be a favorite
traemyn | 10/19/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wow, this band is exactly what I was searching for. Music is something that I have enjoyed playing (drums) and listening to all my life. Early 2002 I remember searching for something new, emo was starting to kick full effect everywhere and I was hooked on stuff like Thrice and Taking Back Sunday but I still felt something was missing. I remember staying up late at night searching music websites and looking for a prog band that did not have "Im a 40 year old nerd singing about dungeons and dragons" vocals and "lets stuff every single over-played metal guitar riff into this song OK?" guitars. No luck, till my musically gifted friend showed me Coheed and Cambria. I didn't like it/or pay attention to it at first. I think it was the vocals that threw me off. But my roomate got the cd and after listening to it a couple more times I was HOOKED, forever. Seriously this cd is awesome and it IS fresh and is very intelligent and the band members are very talented. They mix so many styles of music together its amazing, and top it off with Claudio's voice and storytelling ability - WOW, it just blows my mind.
To the Nay-sayers -
Claudio is not a rip-off of RUSH, the ONLY similarity is the high pitch, thats it, they sing completely different styles
Don't be fooled by the MTV crowd that worships "Favour House Atlantic" (from their newest album) - its just their most poptastic song and teenage girls love that stuff i guess
Notice how the bad reviews usually post 2 sentences along the lines of "THIS SUX , omg he sounds like a girl! EWW"- they have no REAL criticism because they don't have the intellect/patience to appreciate good music, let alone form rational arguments.
Give Coheed and Cambria a chance!
If you feel something is missing in your cd case then this is the CD that will fill the void."
They better not break up!
Angel W. Balcarcel | Hickam AFB, HI United States | 12/07/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After ATDI broke up I extensively searched for a band I could get to the same level of liking with. My search took me through Thursday, Finch, Recover, Taking back Sunday, poison the well, Thrice and many many more similar bands..........This site was actually the tool I needed to find what I was looking for. The fact that you guys also bought this album are the reason I have a favorite band again cus I found Co & Ca by pilaging through pages of "People who bought this album also bought...." They are not as Hardcore as ATDI were but the vocals are simply amazing and his range is unbelieveable as he switches back and forth between Coheed's words to Cambria's word's. One of the few Cd's I can just put in and listen to all the tracks and have no real preference on which to hear. Can't wait for the next CD and they better not break up on me.
Sometimes there aren't enuff Stars but 5 will have to do."
Essential listening for fans of progressive rock
Drumhedz | Tucson, AZ USA | 12/13/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was turned on to Coheed & Cambria and The Mars Volta by a friend. Being intrigued by the Co&Ca samples I heard online, I bought The Second Stage Turbine Blade and was pretty much blown away (which is saying something from a 40-year-old guy with a library of 1100+ CDs). This band is definitely prog, I don't know where the emo label fits in to the picture?!? Claudio's vocals have been endlessly compared to those of a certain Canadian (whose band I love dearly and grew up with since the 1970s) -- all I will say is that his talent stands on its own and is quite infectious. The guitars are savage, tight and beautifully support the conceptually poetic lyrics, all on a foundation of a heavy and cohesive rhythm section. Coheed & Cambria has created something of a masterpiece -- this is one of those CDs you will cherish for a long time, and quite possibly become a classic. All I can say to Mr. Sanchez and the rest of this gifted band is thank you for keeping the spirit of progressive music alive and well. You have made another fan, and I will definitely be checking out your other releases very soon. It's been a long time since I have been this excited about a band. Rock on..."
For the music appreciating, we have this specimen:
Ieatemokids | Virginia | 10/06/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"No matter how many screaming girls cause their concerts to be endlessly sold out, no matter how many votes they actually get on MTV (because occasionally, yes occasionally, they win video clash against such popular garbage as hoobastank), and no matter how much you are going to whine at me that Claudio's voice is gay and sounds like a girl, I will love this band. Never before have I truly stomached a bands popularity before, but there is just 200% heart poured into each and every second of this album, and I, for one, just can never get enough. Now, the story of Coheed and Cambria (two people...in case you didn't know...) is a mystery to most. It isn't first nature to discover that the entire disc is really a weaving of a complicated and delicate storyline, playing out over the belting highs of "everything evil" and the sing-a-long funness of "33." No matter who turns on their radio cluelessly and jams to "a favor house atlantic" from their newer release, Coheed and Cambria have something much bigger planned for the dedicated listener. You will be endlessly baffled as you try to untangle each word of every song looking for hints as to who is who and what is happening. So lyrically, this is the best thing you could ever hope for. Hopefully that sums it up.
Musically the album is a heap of emotive progressive music. Jagged and slowly evolving song structures are characteristic, but nothing can possibly top the moments on the album where you are yelling at the top of your lungs with everything you got just like Claudio is. Track by track, they are all amazing. I'd lie to you if I said there was one second on this album I do not completely and fully enjoy. For me, "Delirium Trigger" is the best track just because the melody and lyrics grab me the most. But it's different for everyone. The pseudo-single "Devil in Jersey City" is a favorite for some, and it definitely has its merits.
If you can stomach the vocals, there's no reason you shouldn't own this. My friends, this album is phenomenal. You won't be able to put it down. It's where the story begins..."