Coheed and Cambria

About Coheed and Cambria

Coheed and Cambria formed in Nyack, New York in 1995, though they didn't land on that name until 2001. Before that, they were called Shabütie, playing basement shows and working through the typical growing pains of a band trying to figure out what they actually wanted to be. The core lineup—Claudio Sanchez on vocals and guitar, Travis Stever on guitar, Michael Todd on bass, and Josh Eppard on drums—eventually stumbled into something most bands don't have the audacity to attempt: a prog rock concept spanning multiple albums, comic books, and an entire fictional universe called The Amory Wars.

Their 2002 debut, The Second Stage Turbine Blade, introduced this sci-fi narrative about characters like Coheed and Cambria Kilgannon. The album didn't set the world on fire immediately, but it caught the attention of people who were into bands like Rush but wished they had more emo in their blood. Sanchez's high, distinctive voice became their signature—you either connected with it or you didn't.

In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 arrived in 2003 and became their breakthrough. The title track built from a whisper to an arena-sized singalong, and suddenly they were touring with major acts and appearing on late-night TV. They'd managed to make prog accessible without dumbing it down, which is harder than it sounds.

Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness came out in 2005 and pushed them into actual rock radio rotation with "Welcome Home." That song—with its horror movie video and instantly recognizable riff—became their closest thing to a hit. The album went gold. They were now a band your roommate who didn't really follow music had probably heard of.

They've released several albums since, continuing The Amory Wars saga while occasionally taking detours. The Color Before the Sun in 2015 was their first non-concept album, just Sanchez writing about his life for once. It was fine. Fans had mixed feelings. They went back to the concept for 2018's Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures and continued it with Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind in 2022.

The band has had some lineup changes over the years—Todd left under ugly circumstances in 2011, Eppard has been in and out—but Sanchez and Stever remain the constants. They've maintained a dedicated fanbase that actually reads the accompanying comics and can explain the plot, which is more complex than it needs to be but that's kind of the point.

These days, Coheed and Cambria occupy a specific space: a prog band that emo kids can love, a concept band that doesn't feel too pretentious, a legacy act still making new chapters of their ridiculous space opera. They tour regularly, their fans show up, and they're still doing exactly what they want.

Coheed shows are for people who actually care about the music. The crowd sings every word to songs most bands would never finish. They play long sets packed with deep cuts alongside the anthems. Energy builds gradually rather than explodes immediately. It's focused intensity rather than chaos.

Known for Welcome Home, A Favor House Atlantic, The Suffering, Year of the Black Rainbow, The Crowing

See Coheed and Cambria Live