Coheed and Cambria - The Father of Make Believe - Album Review
The prog-outfit fail to disappoint with their 11th outing , a true tour-de-force of emotion and guitar wizardry.
Coheed and Cambria are back with their 11th studio album and next instalment of their Amory Wars saga – The Father of Make Believe. I’ve been familiar with Coheed for a few years, but it wasn’t until their cover/continuation of Jessie’s Girl that I became a fan. I mention this as I went into this album without knowing the larger story.
This has been one of my anticipated albums of the year after listening to the single ‘Blind Side Sonny.’ The fast pace hit that needs no standing star with an instantly recognizable riff, thumping drums and a crowd chanting chorus.
The Father of Make Believe plays like an audio comic book filled with high concepts, stakes, and a narrative that captivates the listener. Before knowing of the larger narrative, I was thinking about how this would make a great comic book. Yesterday’s Lost is a great introduction to this chapter but also eases new listeners to the lore with the soft-strummed rumination. The opening piano and ethereal instrumentals are hauntingly beautiful, so much so that I’d love to hear an instrumental version.
This is an album swimming in a sea of literature and comic books filled with rich context for die-hard fans but equally a fantastic experience for newcomers. Tracks like Searching For Tomorrow is an mesmerizing exercise in six-string wizardry. Meri Of Merci unfolds as a glorious slice of euphoric emo that takes me by surprise, showing a sensitive side to the prog-rock outfit. Title track The Father of Make Believe my personal favorite is a rich narrative sung beautifully by Claudio over slick guitars.
The Father of Make Believe is a fantastic album that can be listened to as a stand alone and part of a larger narrative. A wonderful blend with mesmerizing guitars, brilliant lyrics, in a box of chocolate of sounds. I’ve been looking forward to this album, and it did not disappoint.