Year of The Black Rainbow

The trouble with concept art, be it music or anything else, is that either people tend to judge based on this premise, condemning something because of its medium, or they fail to take it into account, judging it on face value. For a band such as Coheed and Cambria, it is this that tends to colour opinions of them, be they music moguls or the man on the street, and yet the four piece; drummer Chris Pennie, bassist Michael Todd, guitarist Travis Stever and vocalist/guitarist Claudio Sanchez have just released their fifth studio album, a prequel to their previous albums. Still, critical acclaim or not, the band have what many would call a rabid fan base – so much so that they recently won MTV’s March Musical Madness, a play off of 64 bands, voted for by fans – and they have a willingness to constantly evolve their music, just as the concept it echoes advances.

(The band. R-L: Stever, Sanchez, Pennie, Todd.)

Indeed, for a concept as massive in scope as Coheed’s, it is hard not to be drawn into the world. The albums follow, or at least echo, the tales told within the universe of Heaven’s Fence, a fictional environment created by frontman Claudio Sanchez. A collection of 78 planets, held together by a beam of light known as the Keywork, Heaven’s Fence serves as the setting for the tale, as protagonist Claudio Kilgannon faces up to his destiny of becoming the Messiah figure of The Crowing, and defeating the evil Wilhelm Ryan – the man who submitted Heaven’s Fence to his rule, and caused the death of Claudio’s family. In amongst these stories, told in the comic books ‘The Amory Wars’, there are revelations concerning Claudio’s parents, Coheed and Cambria, as well as other individuals who are referenced in song lyrics, such as Ambellina, the angel-like Prise who becomes Claudio’s mentor. Clearly, with such huge ambition and scale, the tale told by Coheed and Cambria is bound to draw attention, and perhaps criticism, from some quarters. However, the tale itself is a sweeping sci-fi saga, with many varied undercurrents, such as love, loss and religious subservience, as well as a healthy dose of plot twists to keep it fresh. The distinction must be drawn then between the comics and story, and the music. One is there to tell a tale, the other merely to add lyrical interpretations and melodic pictures to the storyboard.

(The Keywork, the band's symbol and representation of the beams of energy holding Heaven's Fence together.)

Certainly, the band’s albums can be seen as a part of the story arc – from the opening events in The Second Stage Turbine Blade, to the Empire Strikes Back repercussions in In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3 and the revelations in Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume I: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness and Volume II: No World For Tomorrow. Indeed, the albums contain all the imagery of the comics, thanks to killer hooks, lyrical suggestions and epic guitar riffs that conjure up the images of a universe unlike our own. However, they are musically independent of the comics, a series of progressive prog-rock and post-hardcore songs that are remarkably hard to classify, yet all feature the unique vocal dexterity of Claudio and the ever evolving musicality of the band. Still, if one is familiar with the comics, then the music has yet another plane of resonance, for only a fan would understand the references to a certain Patrick in the song 33.

So, how to finish such a grandiose story if it has reached a conclusion? Quite simply, go back in time – a la A Phantom Menace – to before the story begins. This exactly what the band have done, creating the album Year of The Black Rainbow as a prequel, telling the story of Claudio’s parents, Coheed and Cambria. Released with a deluxe edition – containing a novel penned by Sanchez and novelist Peter David – the album certainly appeals to fans, filling in the gaps in the story, filling in some of the more background characters...but that is enough of that, lest I say too much.

On, then, to the album itself. Unlike the aforementioned Phantom Menace, Coheed have delivered a punchy, proggy, technically excellent album that acts well alone and as a brilliant underscore to The Amory Wars. Opening track ‘One’ is typical of Coheed’s opening songs, an atmospheric piece that ramps up tension, with melodic tones creating the air of a battlefield before a charge, before launching into ‘The Broken’ a drifting piece of prog that dances into an anthemic chorus before diving into a driving riff that, alongside some brutal drumming, keeps you on your toes. This is followed by the heavier ‘Guns of Summer’ with sweeping guitar effects, and duelling harmonies that are punctuated by Sanchez’s vocals. The album is then blown wide open by what is perhaps the most thunderous song on the album, ‘Here We Are Juggernaut’. Overdriven guitars and anthemic vocals combine with killer hooks and majestic harmonies to make this perhaps one of the most memorable songs of all five albums of material. Skipping ahead (so as not to spoil all of the album), the softer ‘Pearl of the Stars’ breaks up the heavy guitars with an atmospheric and emotional ballad, acoustically driven but still catchy as other songs on the album. ‘In the Flame of error’ and ‘Where Skeletons Live’ are excellent examples of prog at work, looping riffs and darting vocal harmonies, overdriven guitars and pulsing drum beats. The album ends with the titular ‘Year of the Black Rainbow’, a song that ties both the album together at the end, bringing out a dark, drifting atmosphere that then roars to a crescendo, as well as the entire concept, with the final seconds of the song bleeding into the first seconds of The Second Stage Turbine Blade, the next part of the story.

So, final thoughts. A magnificently executed album, Year of the Black Rainbow manages to mesh the overall scope of The Amory Wars into a tightly written and executed series of melodies, hooks and lyrics that underlines the concept without weakening it. Standing alone as a great piece of prog and post-hardcore music, the lyrics and music are universal in their emotion and message, but hold a special significance for any fans of The Amory Wars, showing how it is possible for critical success and conceptual story to hold hands. Only one question remains.

Where to now?

The New Doctor Who

So, David Tennant ended his run on Doctor Who in a rather epic way, and I am unashamed to say that I got a bit choked. After all, he reinvented the character after Eccleston’s great performance, and brought the sci-fi genre back to prime time TV where it belongs. Suffice to say then, Matt Smith has some rather large shoes to fill. After his brief, yet entertaining entrance as the Doctor regenerated, we now have had the chance to see him taking up the sonic screwdriver and dishing out alien justice. This blog is my musings and reflections on Matt Smith, and his performance as the Doctor. (Also, I don’t name aliens etc, and I try to avoid spoilers, just in case you missed it...)


















The new Doctor; Matt Smith.

His first episode, The Eleventh Hour, started with a glorious beginning, as we witnessed the TARDIS plummeting to Earth, all smoke and fire, with the Doctor clinging on for dear life. We also witnessed the greatest of TV staples, the narrow avoidance of groin injury. Cliché though it may be, it raised a smile. Following this however, we were treated to a rather epic introduction. Gone was the normal music, and instead the iconic tune was replaced by a juddering, broken version – magnificently reflecting the broken nature of the Tardis.

Then we get a brief intro to a young girl, who is obviously the young version of the new companion, and then the real fun begins...

Entering by clambering from his crashed TARDIS, the Doctor soon regales us with some quick fire banter, whilst in the midst of regenerating and demolishing a kitchens worth of food ...
“You’re Scottish, fry something.”
Already I like him, he’s a bit rubbery with his antics and his deadpan delivery brings a good chuckle. Just what you want.

Moving on, after meeting the ‘bad guy’ (guy in the loosest sense of the word), the most predictable part of the episode occurs: the time travel mishap, in which 5 minutes becomes 12 years (just enough time to age the co-star...). Indeed, upon arrival, the Doctor enters the house and is dealt with by a female occupant who is, clearly to all but the Doctor, the young Amelia Pond, but all grow’d up (and ‘too sexy’ according to the Daily Mail...). Anyways, after ignoring the Doctor, as all good sidekicks must, we are set – the baddie is loose, the world in danger...

So, now the Doctor has a test – how will he cope? Admirably I must say. Following the fast talking Tennant, Matt Smith keeps up the lively pace, portraying a knowledgeable Doctor, with the right doses of sarcasm and wit. And then we meet a gimmick. The idea of a photographic memory, that was hinted to before, as the camera flashes over everything, allowing the Doctor to figure out a plan. Well managed and clever, this could be quite a neat little trick (almost like Holmes in Guy Ritchie’s new imagining...) Then, gimmick number two. Breaking from Tennant’s iconic speech will be hard to do, but must be done to establish Matt Smith as a great Doctor... and he nails it. After giving a request, only to be blanked, he repeats with gusto:
“Man and dog. Why? Tell me now.”
Abbreviating the question while sounding almost perturbed that he has to repeat himself, and with a pinch of resigned condescension at having to do so, Matt Smith perfectly hits the role of hero with no time to waste. He repeats this little quirk later too, suggesting a recurring theme, and one that neatly slots into the idea of a Timelord who knows more than anyone around him, and has to constantly slow his mind down to get points across to mere humans. Brilliant.

Moving on again, trying to avoid too many spoilers (just in case), we come to a point where the Doctor has to set in motion a plan to stop the bad guy... Enter a brilliant little sequence of sarcasm and genius, as the Doctor proves himself to NASA etc, and the legend that is Sir Patrick Moore. Indeed, his little cameo had me giggling, and was a nice little refresher – as we have come to expect from Doctor Who. And, after asserting a nice little genius touch, we reach another highlight; the commandeering of a Fire Engine as a rescue vehicle. The joy on Matt Smith’s face as he zooms around was brilliant, and echoed Tennant’s exuberant Doctor, which is not a bad thing.

Then we have the showdown (which I won’t spoil), but it does have the Doctor on great form. Parading as a conquering general, his self-assurance oozes from Matt Smith, who carried off the idea of a triumphant Doctor with aplomb. But he’s not done. Using the phone of Amy’s ‘boyfriend’ (sort of...) he gets in a quick one liner (“Sorry about the bill”) before calling back the alien police who were chasing the bad guy, determined that they will be reprimanded for their actions on Earth. Raiding the cloakroom, the Doctor requisitions himself some new attire before heading to the roof.

The next instance is Matt Smith’s finest moment, and only the video does it justice...

Basically, run.

Epic.

The episode then concludes, leaving a few neat little touches. Firstly, the new Sonic Screwdriver. Unlike the old one, Matt Smith’s is green – a nice little hint at the changes to the show with the departures of Tennant and Russell T. Davies. Also, the nerd in me couldn’t help but smile at the fact that a new doctor gets a green screwdriver; my mind instantly compared it to Luke Skywalker getting his new green lightsaber after losing his (father’s) original blue one...but maybe that’s just how my mind works...
Anyways, the Doctor then jumps in his newly revamped TARDIS, taking it for a spin, before returning to pick up Amy. Surprise surprise, he’s late again, this time only by two years (enough to make her 21...the cynic in me reels...) and he tries to persuade her to come with him – a request to which she eventually agrees after making the Doctor promise she can return before tomorrow, before stepping into the new TARDIS, letting us all look into the newly designed interior – again another way of stepping away from the Tennant era. (I won’t spoil it with a picture, you’ll have to watch it to see it). The last thing we see is the inside of Amy’s room, past the Doctor toys and pictures she drew, up to (predictably) a wedding dress. Clearly, all the women in the Doctor’s life have to have some kind of man situation – good to see some traditions carried on...

So, overall then, it was an epic episode. Well written and directed, with all the expected Doctor Who familiarities, yet Matt Smith delvered us a new Doctor, fresh and eager, that manages to seamlessly transition away from Tennant. Indeed, the highest compliment I can pay him is that whilst watching it, I stopped comparing him to Tennant, and enjoyed him for who he was. Well done Matt, now we get to see what else happens, and after the juicy teasers at the end, I am officially psyched...

Still. One last time to say goodbye and for old time’s sake...

Allons-y!