HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: The Afterman: Ascension – Coheed And Cambria
Mention COHEED AND CAMBRIA to the everyday person on the street and you’ll likely be met with a blank stare. Others may recognise them from Guitar Hero with colossal LED ZEPPELIN–esque riffs of Welcome Home being hummed accompanied by a terrible rendition of lead singer Claudio Sanchez’s impossibly high vocals. To those in the know though, you’ll get a wealth of talk about favourite tracks, intricate storylines tied together by outrageous album titles. They are a marmite band in that there is rarely middle ground in people’s opinion if they’ve heard of them. Fans love them, everyone else dismisses them.
For the fans, those amongst the fence, there are is a wealth of high points wherever you care to look within the COHEED AND CAMBRIA back catalogue. One notable stand out was the double album release of The Afterman. The first instalment, Ascension, was released in October 2012. It introduced us to more of the Amory Wars Universe created by Sanchez. Those that followed the comics were excited to learn of Sirius Amory, the protagonist of this section of the concept. For those that were following the music were treated to nine brand new tracks of epic prog-tinged rock and metal.
In terms of the band, …Ascension is somewhat of a landmark album. It marks not only the first album to feature bassist Zach Cooper who has been a stalwart of the COHEED AND CAMBRIA rhythm foundation since replacing Michael Todd. It also sees the welcome return of long-time drummer Josh Eppard, who last appeared on 2005’s Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness. Kit duties on the intervening studio albums having been fulfilled by Chris Pennie and the late great Taylor Hawkins. Although, there will always be a learning curve for any band when it changes a line-up and has to find its new groove. This line-up quickly cemented and endeared itself to the wider fanbase with these nine tracks. There was some discourse around Cooper’s abilities compared to that of Todd’s, however, it is widely accepted that he is the right fit. Looking back at …Ascension and what has come since, he executes his bass duties exceedingly well. He could now be seen as integral to their sound and this is the album which first alluded to how important he would become.
Diving into the album musically, COHEED AND CAMBRIA set the scene with The Hollow. A track used as world building for the album to follow, a device used on previous works of their catalogue. Our hero asks if the mysterious computer All-Mother is awake before we’re introduced to a reprise of the piano refrain used from The Ring In Return from their second album; In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3 (2003). This entices you in and ties what follows to the wider concept COHEED AND CAMBRIA have constructed. We’re then into what many would consider the strongest track of the album, Key Entity Extraction 1: Domino The Destitute. In many ways it is a complete COHEED AND CAMBRIA song, featuring the thematic layering they are known for. The guitar lines provide catchy melodies and crushing riffs while the lyrical content is anthemic in its delivery. It has become a fan favourite and features on latter day compilations.
Elsewhere on the record, the likes of The Afterman and Goodnight, Fair Lady offer up more classic COHEED AND CAMBRIA. The former takes on a ballad like quality that is fairly typical and reminiscent of Far from previous album Year Of The Black Rainbow (2010). The latter track provides the catchiest chorus on the whole of …Ascension. Despite these strong tracks, they have not made it onto many of the band’s more recent setlists. Indeed, there is nothing from this album on their current tour. While there are several stand out moments on this record, some critical reviews of the time highlighted that it was a little disjointed. The benefit of hindsight shows some of this to be true, the links and segues can be a little clunky. There is quite a juxtaposition between Goodnight, Fair Lady and Key Entity Extraction II: Holly Wood The Cracked which is a little jarring. It is also an album that ends on a subtle note. Subtraction is almost one long acoustic fade out, not to suggest that it’s a bad song, however, there is a lot of energy in what has gone before and the final few minutes take some of the power out of the bigger songs that preceded the close.
Looking back, The Afterman: Ascension provides fans with an excellent slice of COHEED AND CAMBRIA. It’s an important part of the catalogue for several reasons. Firstly, it reintroduces the drumming powerhouse of Eppard whose talents make a welcome return, as well as bringing in new bassist Cooper who has now become an important and established member. Secondly, it’s an album which helps piece together more of the ever growing Amory Wars Universe. Thirdly, it sets up the exciting second part of the double album. The Afterman: Ascension walks so that The Afterman: Descension (2013) can run. It’s a solid offering, however, it isn’t one we would jump to if someone was asking to be introduced to COHEED AND CAMBRIA. There are a number of other albums for that, but this would definitely fall into the essential listening category for established fans.
The Afterman: Ascension was originally released on October 9th 2012 via Hundred Handed/Everything Evil.
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