Coheed and Cambria

Seldom does a fledgling band impact the independent music scene the way Coheed And Cambria did with their debut album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade. Steadily building in sales and acclaim since its spring 2002 release, The Second Stage Turbine Blade's dynamic hooks and melodies, dark lyrical content--in conjunction with passionate performances, soulful songwriting and a year and a half of nonstop touring--have garnered Coheed And Cambria a legion of loyal followers.

Creativity and success, however, are never without their demons. Coheed found this out firsthand at the tail end of six straight months of touring. Newly discovered levels of attention and rigors of touring culminated in a post-show blow up, with the band abandoning their tour and going home, fairly unsure if they would ever play together again.

But happily, the band took a breather and luckily was able to work out their differences and have since toured the United States three times, played 14 dates on the Warped Tour and somehow found time to write and record a new album. ?I think what has made the difference is that now we exist more like a family than a band,? Claudio Sanchez admits, ?and that has brought us all closer together and made the highs and lows just a part of our lives and not the end of the world.?

It is mind boggling that Coheed And Cambria was able to write and record over two dozen brilliant songs during this roller coaster ride. If listeners thought their first album was an impressive start, then Coheed And Cambria?s sophomore effort, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, is a startling, dark, uplifting and exciting work that shows as much depth as virtually any indie artist has ever shown. Recorded over a period of months, between tours with the Used and their inaugural visit to Japan, Coheed And Cambria was able to lay down the framework of what was to become their most accomplished work yet. This epic album takes a large leap forward in two areas that were arguably less focused on before: songwriting and production. The end result is an inspiring and beautiful, shadowy and foreboding masterpiece that draws its strength from the band?s powerful performances.

Within the intricate layers of In Keeping... lies an interwoven saga that began taking shape on their debut album. Sanchez?s continuing epic of another world where the characters Coheed and Cambria live and die, is carried out again on In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3. Each song carries the listener through a dark and violent never-never world that is intelligent, stark, and at times, disturbing. Sanchez reveals, ?This sequel is based around a premonition that one of the characters has during a dream, but that dream slowly turns into a nightmare.?

The band has chosen to take the long road, sticking it out in the indie world and touring to build a solid and constantly growing fan base. This patience has left them in the proverbial catbird seat, with a brand new album and lots of excited fans anticipating it, while they are now veterans to both touring and the recording process. Coheed And Cambria are now comfortable in their own skin and no matter what comes at them from here on, they?ll be able to breathe easy.