New York proggers COHEED AND CAMBRIA continue their conceptual sci-fi saga with their eleventh studio album, “Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe,” released on March 14th, 2025, via Virgin Music Group. I guess theirs must be the longest-running concept story in the history of not only progressive rock and metal but all music, in general. Of course, I had been familiar with one of their biggest bangers, “Welcome Home,” from their third album “Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume One,” since who knows when, but the real entry point that converted me into a fan was the 2010 effort, “Year of A Black Rainbow.” So, I’m glad to spot sonic traces of that fantastic beast in this new prog venture. Still, while the band plays in familiar territory quite a lot, there is an ample amount of fresh ingredients to save the album from being a nostalgia trip only.
The album opens with a somewhat similar air to those quirky, conceptual affairs of THE FLAMING LIPS. “Yesterday’s Lost” sets things in motion with cinematic piano arpeggios that soon transform into chamber pop of THE BEATLES and COLDPLAY variety. Yeah, this is a concept album, remember? So, anything is possible. The subtle pop sensibility remains, while the follow-up track, “Goodbye, Sunshine,” gears up on the paste-shaded hard rock of yesteryear. We heard a good bit of this already on the previous installment of the saga, “Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind,” released in 2022. Then again, why not? It seems to keep the flow of the story going quite well.
Third up, “Searching for Tomorrow” is the first high-octane banger to send those nostalgic shivers up my spine, only to be further pronounced by the album’s title track. In my books, the band’s previous 2022 effort was pretty good overall, but only four tracks into this new album, I’m ready to announce that it is by far the strongest material COHEED AND CAMBRIA has released for quite some time. Maybe it’s just the nostalgia speaking, but dudes! This album slaps right off the bat! At this point, I would rather put the first four tracks on repeat before proceeding.
Okay, that said, the first ballad, “Meri of Mercy,” is not perhaps that awe-inspiring but, as some of you may know, I’m not exactly the biggest fan of ballads. To give credit where it’s due, this song does not make me want to puke as these ballady things tend to do, so it’s not all bad. Next up, the rock’n’roll riffer “Blind Side Sonny” ruffles up some feathers as if the band were hellbent on shocking the listener some more after the romantic candlelight dinner music. I mean, the song is straight-up from the NEW YORK DOLLS songbook, so I have no idea what it’s supposed to do on this album. Ah, the concept album strikes again! Sonically, “Play the Poet” picks up from where the glam-rocker left off and gives you a run for the money with some added drum&bass flourishes. Against all odds, the transition goes rather smoothly; so, in retrospect, “Blind Side Sonny” starts to make a little more sense. I see what you just did there, you slick prog devils…
This sort of mayhem calls for a breather – and it is served in “One Last Miracle.” It is quite an anthemic hard-rock banger with ample pop hooks. On occasion, I cannot help but think of what it would sound like to mix DEF LEPPARD and THE BACKSTREET BOYS. Maybe something like this? Doesn’t that sound a bit gross? No, it doesn’t. It sounds just perfect. I get why COHEED AND CAMBRIA likes these concept albums – they can get away with almost anything. How about some acoustic, fingerstyle campfire guitar melancholy next? “Corner My Confidence,” coming up. Then, it’s time to harken back to the 1980s-tinted power pop anthems with “Someone Who Can.” Here, I cannot but entertain the thought that COHEED AND CAMBRIA could make a killing with a tribute to, say, Michael Sembello or HALL & OATES.
Finally, the album is brought to nothing short of an epic close with the four-part prog suite, “The Continuum.” For longtime fans, this monolith serves as another crowning achievement, recalling some of the band’s absolute best moments in the past 30 years. So, it looks very much like COHEED AND CAMBRIA has released another haunting chapter in the Amory Wars saga. My favorite album in the band’s catalog turns 15 years in 2025, so I guess these New York proggers could not have celebrated it better than by releasing a worthy multi-faceted sequel to its progressive grandeur. Then, as someone already noticed on Reddit, the album came out on Pi day, March 14th, which could be just a coincidence or a nerdy Easter egg from the band. Who knows?
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Yesterday’s Lost
- Goodbye, Sunshine
- Searching for Tomorrow
- The Father of Make Believe
- Meri of Mercy
- Blind Side Sonny
- Play the Poet
- One Last Miracle
- Corner My Confidence
- Someone Who Can
- The Continuum I: Welcome to Forever, Mr. Nobody
- The Continuum II: The Flood
- The Continuum III: Tethered Together
- The Continuum IV: So It Goes
Lineup
Claudio Sanchez – vocals, guitars
Travis Stever – lead guitars
Josh Eppard – drums
Zach Cooper – bass
Label
Virgin Music Group
Links
https://www.coheedandcambria.com
