ALBUM REVIEW: Coheed and Cambria – Vaxis – Act III: Father of Make Believe
Photo Credit: Jimmy Fontaine
Coheed and Cambria have been known as the nerdy sci-fi brainchild of frontman Claudio Sanchez for over 20 years and, after seemingly having finished with the story arc known as The Amory Wars, Sanchez has decided to continue it via a planned five-album series. We’re now seven years into this arc, and the third part is finally upon us: Vaxis – Act III: Father of Make Believe. Has it been worth the three-year wait?
For those who are already familiar with the band’s previous output, this is Coheed 101. Sonically, there’s not that much here that hasn’t been heard before on past albums, but fans who know all the melodies and have kept up with all of the storylines will be pleasantly surprised. That said, let’s dive into what all of this means and unpack it for everyone.
After the lullaby-like instrumental intro of Yesterday’s Lost, which features a familiar motif of album openers past (The Ring in Return off In Keeping Secrets, anyone?), we’re thrust headfirst into the powerchord-fueled Goodbye, Sunshine, a song which falls squarely into the poppier side of Coheed, like The Suffering or A Favor House Atlantic before. Similarly, Someone Who Can and One Last Miracle also follow this blueprint, with the former being one of the more uplifting tracks on this release, while the latter harkens back to Love Protocol off 2018’s The Unheavenly Creatures, the first part of the ongoing saga. Those who don’t particularly care for the band’s more easily digestible offerings won’t be too impressed by these songs, but otherwise, they’re very solid offerings and are very welcome in the greater Coheed catalogue.
Elsewhere, the band ventures into heavier territories. For one, the fuzz-laden single Blind Side Sonny sees Sanchez use harsher vocals for longer stretches at a time, with the “Yeah, yeah, give us some” chants in the chorus bound to get some interaction from the crowds. It’s immediately followed by Play the Poet, another of the higher-octane songs on the album, and a very catchy one at that. Searching for Tomorrow is a song that easily fits the “classic Coheed” formula, while Father of Make Believe slows the speed down a bit to be a mid-tempo progger. Good stuff all around.
Then, there’s even some more sensible numbers: the acoustic Cover My Confidence, and the uplifting Meri of Mercy, a track written for and about Sanchez’ grandparents, which also ties to an in-canon character that hasn’t been mentioned since the Afterman albums.
It wouldn’t be a proper Coheed and Cambria album, however, without a multi-song arc, found here in the form of four-parter The Continuum. Theatrical and bombastic, this is the band doing what it does best: seamlessly flowing through down-tuned guitars and pummelling drums in Welcome to Forever, Mr. Nobody, before switching to staccato riffs and the repeating “Are you afraid of me?/You mean nothing to me” lyrics of The Flood, the longest song of the record at nearly six-and-a-half minutes. Tethered Together turns up the theatricality of everything with an anthemic chorus, only for So It Goes to neatly tie everything together, with some bouncy piano playing and a harpsichord thrown in for good measure. There’s a few references that casual fans might not pick up on from the Afterman era, however, so make sure to listen carefully for these sci-fi easter eggs.
So, time to sum everything up. Vaxis – Act III: Father of Make Believe is a quintessential Coheed and Cambria album. It’s quiet and sensible in some parts, heavy and high-octane in others, and as theatrical and bombastic as one can expect from the mind of Sanchez. This third entry into a five-album saga takes elements from their entire past catalogue, both in terms of canon and soundscapes, and polishes them up for this new chapter in the overarching canon. Now, let’s just hope it won’t be too long before we find out where this story takes us next.
9/10
Standout Tracks: Searching for Tomorrow, Play the Poet, The Continuum I: Welcome to Forever, Mr. Nobody, The Continuum II: The Flood
For Fans Of: The Dear Hunter, Thank You Scientist, Circa Survive, Taking Back Sunday
Written by: Florin Petrut
