Album Review: Coheed and Cambria – “The Afterman: Ascension”

By: Adam Harrison –

The immensely creative and imaginative New York-based progressive rockers Coheed and Cambria are back with their sixth studio album, The Afterman: Ascension. It is the first part of a double album, the second part being The Afterman: Descension, to be released in February.

If you’re new to Coheed and Cambria, you should know that they’re not your everyday garage band telling their tale of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Each Coheed and Cambria album is a concept album and a chapter from the storyline of the Armory Wars, a science fiction series created by front man Claudio Sanchez featuring characters like Coheed and Cambria Kilgannon. The series, in fact, has it’s own comic books and the deluxe version of The Afterman: Ascension comes with a coffee-table book, which could prove useful if you’re hoping to follow along with the bizarre and whimsical story. It has recently been announced that the series will be adapted into a feature film by Entourage producers, Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson.

Coheed and Cambria have always been an acquired taste as their style of progressive rock isn’t exactly radio friendly. They did enjoy some commercial success during their previous double album, Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, which featured a few pop sounding tracks. However, The Afterman: Ascension is pure progressiveness throughout the album. The stand out track and first single “Key Entity Extraction I: Domino the Destitute” proves this statement. The eight minute epic includes all the screechy vocals, solo guitar work, heavy-hitting drums and backup chanting one would expect from Sanchez and his band mates.

Another suspenseful track is “Key Entity Extraction III: Vic the Butcher” which is delightfully heavy. I dare you not to bang your head, pump your fist and chant along to the line “Hang your secrets, hang ‘em up, hang ‘em up now.”

The Afterman: Ascension also comes with a couple throw away tracks, which is a bit of a let down on an album that only offers nine track to begin with. The very short length of the album surprised me. Past Coheed and Cambria albums hovered around the hour mark, but The Afterman: Acension is even shy of 40-minutes. If part two is just as short, they could have offered it as one album, or at least a two-disc set.

Like past Coheed and Cambria albums, there are always a couple of standout tracks, but individually, the rest will likely not make your “favourites” playlist. The Afterman: Ascension is no different, it’s certainly creative, but it lacks consistency.

Essential Tracks: “Key Entity Extraction I: Domino the Destitute,” “Key Entity Extraction III: Vic the Butcher.”