Coheed mainman Claudio Sanchez has described this album as a midlife crisis of sorts, having started to question his satisfaction with being known as the ‘science fiction rock’n’roll guy’. The Father Of Make Believe is another instalment of the ongoing Amory Wars saga, forming the third part of the Vaxis arc, but the allegories and real-world references embedded in the world-building are more upfront than ever before.
Longtime fans will be familiar with the characters Sirius and Meri Amory, modelled on Claudio’s grand- parents. Here they take centre-stage on Meri Of Mercy, a fragile ballad that reunites the departed pair. Goodbye, Sunshine sees Claudio ruminating on the future endpoint of this creative journey via a brightly brittle pop punk anthem with more than a flicked fringe of 2000s emo about it. The title track is a layered mini-epic with a dramatic post-hardcore sweep and Claudio revelling in his role of creator.
Musically, The Father... reaches to the extremes of Coheed’s sound and sometimes a little beyond. Blind Side Sonny is one of their heaviest songs, introducing a new villain across a fuzz of distorted punk-metal distortion, screams and rowdy guitar licks. Play The Poet brings a clatter of industrialised noise while Corner My Confidence spotlights Claudio with an acoustic guitar and a delicate vocal performance, and Someone Who Can is a deliciously chewy pop-rock nugget, complete with handclaps and little bursts of new wave guitar.
In between, there are the deceptively complex compositions masquerading as simple, melodic singalongs. Coheed And Cambria can be enjoyed on multiple levels, from full immersion in the concept to simply pumping a fist and hollering along to those anthemic hooks. The Father Of Make Believe brings this duality to life as never before.
Vaxis Act III: The Father Of Make Believe is out this Friday, March 14
