LIVE REVIEW: Coheed And Cambria @ O2 Forum Kentish Town, London

One glance at the queue wrapping round the building and down a side street says it all; tonight’s a special show for prog/emo/metal troupe COHEED AND CAMBRIA. Not two days removed from a near-weekend stealing headline set on the Avalanche Stage at Download Festival over the weekend, they’ve embarked on an ambitious run of shows playing 2007’s No World For Tomorrow in its entirety, along with a smattering of singles from their latest album Vaxis II: A Window Of The Waking Mind on the aptly-titled No World For The Waking Mind tour.

Supporting them today are the Pennsylvanian hardcore outfit SOUL GLO, likewise fresh from their Download Festival slot. Armed with a ferocious take on the genre that blends hip hop flows with snarling punk, they stride onstage blaring an air horn before tearing into their set. Part of the rising tide of phenomenal hardcore coming from the US at the moment, it’s easy to see why they’ve garnered critical acclaim and fans so quickly; they’re a razor-sharp storm of frenzied guitar, screeching vocals and incisive lyrics that target inequality, racism and the experience of being black in America, all the while keeping the energy sky high. Vocalist Pierce Jordan is a lightning rod frontman, picking up drumsticks to pound on the kit, standing tall on monitors and commanding attention, even while GG Guerra and Rob Blackwell hold instruments aloft during moments of feedback or between pit-inciting riffs. It’s a powerful statement how far SOUL GLO can go when they get such a great reception on a bill with a band that, on paper, they have nothing in common with but whose fans they win over with their uncompromising, unapologetic racket. 

Rating: 8/10

The biggest cheers and whistles are, of course, reserved for COHEED AND CAMBRIA. Roving orange spotlights herald their arrival, anticipation and the crowd building to a fever pitch before red lights pulse over the drums and Claudio Sanchez steps out to begin The Reaping. He’s almost outdone by the crowd but that’s nothing compared to the singing along to the title track of No World For Tomorrow. The atmosphere is electrifying, the mix is perfect and COHEED AND CAMBRIA themselves are utterly mesmerising; they’ve not even said a word for the first portion of their set but they don’t need to; the album is simply so good. Watching the crowd bounce to Feathers is a wonderful moment, as is hearing them be as loud as Claudio for the entire duration of the first portion of the set. On the explosive Gravemakers and Gunslingers the band seemingly find yet another gear, Claudio barrelling round the stage even during squealing solos and dancing with an infectious glee it’s impossible not to be swept up in as he loses himself to the music. 

The second portion of the set, a selection of tracks from Vaxis II, is no slouch either; it might not have the same place in fans’ hearts (yet) but it’s one of their strongest albums with towering pop hooks and choruses. The Embers of Fire once more sees the crowd eclipse the band on volume even as an intro, before Beautiful Losers threatens to take off what’s left of the roof after the No World For Tomorrow playthrough. It’s ludicrously stacked and shows just how consistently brilliant COHEED AND CAMBRIA are, that decades into their career they’re still penning some of their best ever songs. The half hour consists of Shoulders, whose rollicking riff gets hips moving in the pit, Rise, Naianasha (Cut the Cord), A Disappearing Act, The Liars Club and a towering Ladders of Supremacy to close, and none of them see the energy dip even the tiniest bit. A 20 song setlist that never drops from brilliant, with singalongs you could hear from across town: it’s a wonder this band aren’t filling arenas, but this feels all the more special for it. 

Rating: 10/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Emma Barrott here:

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