Coheed & Cambria

I’ve never been particularly partial to the onslaught of emo/screemo/finding nemo bands that have occupied one half of Reading/Leeds Festivals but I was thoroughly impressed by Coheed and Cambria’s set at The Glasgow Barrowlands.

The intro music was more than a little over the top, combining weepy violins and orchestral swoons. This sounded more like a teary love scene from a blockbuster Hollywood romance than the beginning of a night of rock.

Coheed and Cambria mix delicate acoustics with heavy distorted guitars which are probably where the emo likeness can be drawn from. However, the band places a lot of emphasis on their intricate guitar work. They come across more like a vintage metal band than a teenage emo outfit.

The single ‘Welcome Home’ comprises a killer riff that reminds me a lot of Zeppelin’s Kashmir. A comparison I expect Coheed and Cambria would have strived to achieve. There are definite similarities with other metal bands in their music, notably Iron Maiden. Coheed and Cambria certainly aren’t afraid to shy away from overblown rock songs but manage to pull it off with a slice of originality, much more so than their mainstream contemporaries The Darkness.

Lead singer Claudio Sanchez shares a haircut with other exceptionally cool rock stars like Joseph Washbourn from Toploader. An association he probably would be pretty happy to shed, and could be cured by a quick visit down the hairdressers.



Vocally Coheed and Cambria are fairly unique, Sanchez’s voice doesn’t quite match his appearance and he sounds a little like he’s sat down a bit too hard on one of his testicles, therefore sounding a fair bit higher than you would expect. Surprisingly enough this sounds fantastic and is a perfect accompaniment to the elaborate guitar backing.

‘The Suffering’ has bucket loads of commercial appeal and is just begging for more radio play. It has a brilliant catchy chorus and is the type of song that could really launch Coheed and Cambria into the mainstream.

‘Wake Up’ was one of the few songs where Coheed and Cambria’s musical ability could really be relished due to it’s stripped down acoustic feel. With the distortion left off for a moment it was easier to hear the intricacies of the song and provided a welcome relief from some of their heavier material.

The Barrowlands always has a great atmosphere and tonight was no different. The crowd gave as much support to support act Thrice as they did to Coheed and Cambria themselves.



It was good old fashioned metal with a twist. It’s not difficult to see how much time, effort and work has gone into this band and when Sanchez breaks into a self indulgent guitar solo on ‘The Final Cut’ which involves some behind-head-Hendrix-style guitar playing you can’t fail to be impressed by how talented this band are.

Set list:-
Intro: Keeping the Blade
Welcome Home
Ten Speed (Of God’s Blood and Burial)
Blood Red Summer
Apollo 1: The Writing Writer
A Favour House Atlantic
Wake Up
The Suffering
Devil in Jersey City
Everything Evil
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In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3
The Final Cut

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.