Like some of the most interesting stories, …Silent Earth: 3 begins with a phone call. But this being Coheed And Cambria, there’s a twist.
Originally released in 2003 and now remastered and reissued on vinyl, the NY band’s second album is actually the third part of fantasy saga The Armory Wars. As epic and overblown as the results might be, don’t expect an easy ride or, given that the tale overlapped onto later releases, a cosy conclusion.
Claudio Sanchez’s ozone-hostile voice requires some getting used to, but the album is full of grandiose yet memorable songs that cross-pollinate metal with elements of hardcore punk, prog-rock, indie and pop. A Favor House Atlantic and Blood Red Summer both became big hits as the album raced towards sales of half a million, so if you’re expecting something highbrow and forbidding, don’t panic.
And by the time you read this, C&C will have played the album in its entity on a coast-to-coast US tour. We can only hope they’ll bring it to Britain.
