Lead singer/guitarist, Claudio Sanchez, is also writing a graphic novel series to further illustrate this story. To date, three studio albums have been released, The Second Stage Turbine Blade (2002) , In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (2003), and Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (2005). These albums make up the second, third, and fourth parts of the saga of Coheed and Cambria. The albums are being released out of sequence; this will be the first of a two-part conclusion to the saga, which will be followed by the story's introduction.

The band comprises five members: Claudio Sanchez (vocals/guitar), Travis Stever (guitar), Michael Todd (bass),Dave Parker(keyboards/guitar) and Josh Eppard (drums). Although the group mainly sticks to their predescribed instruments, they may also be heard playing others; such as the lapsteel, or mandolin. The original name of the band was Shabutie (at the beginning of the song "Devil in Jersey City", you can hear Claudio say, "Shabutie"), and they released one EP under this name. Coheed and Cambria was actually started as a side project by Claudio Sanchez, but he decided to make it the band's name, because he liked it so much better. Claudio currently has another side project, called The Prize Fighter Inferno, which has an upcoming album titled My Brother's Blood Machine.

Coheed and Cambria's music is often compared to that of Rush, due to lead singer Sanchez's unusual vocal range and their often epic scope for songs (although Sanchez wasn't a Rush fan until recently). It has been suggested by some fans, however, that Sanchez's higher vocals reflect the teller of the story (that being a young boy). Those fans point out that now that the storyteller has grown up somewhat in the new album, Sanchez's vocals have gotten slightly lower-key. The band also titled the last track of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 "21:13," as a joking reference to Rush's famous 2112 (but also a time of significance to the overall storyline). They're also often compared to Yes, partly because of the intricate "dueling guitar" style between the bassist and guitarists. Their technical precision, terse rhythmic phrases and the advanced compositional structures of songs evoke earlier, similarly crafted rock. Another strong influence on Coheed and Cambria's thematic approach may have been Canadian group Saga, who dispersed individual chapters to their science-fiction concept album across their first four albums, between 1978 and 1981. Saga also used a moth/butterfly symbol similar to the theme of The Second Stage Turbine Blade. Furthermore, the 1988 QueensrГїche opus, Operation: Mindcrime also shares some similarities with Coheed and Cambria's futuristic worldview -- including a protagonist who commits assassinations and murders against his will. Their newest album also features a large roman numeral IV on the cover, possibly a nod to instrumental progressive rock band The Fucking Champs' album 'IV'.

Story elements and melodic themes are cohesively wrought throughout their albums to date. Co&Ca are perhaps the most visible arbiters of a new sort of "prog-rock opera" style for the 2000s. Notably, though, the futuristic sci-fi storyline on which all their music is based harkens back to the epic sound and feel of 1970s progressive-rock. However, Claudio Sanchez's singular lyrics reflect more raw language than many of these classic bands would have used.

The Coheed and Cambria Story

See The Bag On Line Adventures for a full discussion of the story.

Discography

• Penelope EP (As Shabutie) (2000)
• Delirium Trigger EP ( As Shabutie) (2000)
• The Second Stage Turbine Blade (2002)
• In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (2003)
• Live at the Starland Ballroom (2005) (Contains a live DVD and an audio CD of the same content)
• The Second Stage Turbine Blade Reissue (2005)
• Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (2005)

Singles

Music Videos

• Devil in Jersey City from The Second Stage Turbine Blade (.mov file from evrhq.com)
• A Favor House Atlantic from In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (.mov file from evrhq.com)
• Blood Red Summer from In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
• Welcome Home from Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
• The Suffering from Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
• A series of six vignettes that showcase music from Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness

External links

• Read a review of Good Apollo
• Official website
• Equal Vision Records
• Co&Ca fansite: Cobalt&Calcium
• Nasty Little Man profile - Coheed and Cambria PR firm.
• MTV.com Video page - Music videos. Josh Eppard's hip-hop side project.