Year of the Black Rainbow by Coheed and Cambria (2010)

 Year of the Black Rainbow (2010)

1. One - 1:54

2. The Broken - 3:53
3. Guns of Summer - 4:47
4. Here We Are Juggernaut - 3:44
5. Far - 4:54
6. The Shattered Symphony - 4:26
7. World of Lines - 3:18
8. Made Out of Nothing - 4:38
9. Pearl of the Stars - 5:05
10. In the Flame of Error - 5:29
11. When Skeletons Live - 4:18
12. The Black Rainbow - 7:33
13. Chamberlain (Demo) - 4:20
14. The Lost Shepherd (Demo) - 4:11
15. Hush (iTunes Exclusive Track) - 4:18

On April 14, 2010, Coheed and Cambria released their album, Year of the Black Rainbow. The album is the fifth and final installment in The Amory Wars, a sequence of stories written by singer and guitarist Claudio Sanchez. Coheed goes considerably darker on this album than on previous ones, their new sound apparent on songs like “Guns of Summer,” which have a more psychedelic and progressive feel to them. “The Broken” and “Here We Are Juggernaut” remain true to the sound previous records have had, and both are single worthy. An acoustic guitar is present throughout “Pearl of the Stars” which is done rather tastefully and is the softest track on the album. “Far” is another soft track, and with lyrics like, “So, whatever this is, this thing that now I've become / you hate it so much, you keep on running from it,” the song is somewhat bone chilling. “World of Lines” allows drummer Chris Pennie to show off his chops, and is my personal favorite on the CD; the fast guitars and the vocals are what make the track one to watch out for.

If you were not a die-hard Coheed fan, in regards to this album, you most likely would not be able to tell one song from another. As someone who does not listen to the band religiously, the remainder of the album sounds like it blends together in a way, and I feel this is a consistency on their earlier albums as well. It is not an attack on the band all together, but I do think they could be a bit more original at times.

Overall, this album is a decent effort from Coheed and Cambria, and if you were a fan beforehand, Year of the Black Rainbow will not disappoint.

Recommended Tracks: “The Broken” and “Far”
Rating: 4/5