coheed and cambria

in keeping secrets of silent earth: 3

‘Coheed and Cambria returns with their sophomore offering “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3.” It is the second piece that serves as both soundtrack and storyline to a sci-fi fantasy that lead singer Claudio Sanchez has conjured up in his mind.

The story features the main characters, ironically enough, named Coheed and Cambria. In this portion of the story, they are said to be dead, according to Sanchez. The album, actually, is supposed to serve as a dream sequence, shifting from poppy songs to represent the lighter, airier portions to heavy-metal-tinged tunes that stand for the nightmares.

Like a dream sequence, this record is long, and shifts listlessly from track to track. The songs range from five seconds to nearly 10 minutes in length. As a cohesive unit, it is sporadic, but the band cannot be faulted for this. It was their intention. As a concept record from a “concept band,” they play by their own rules.

When the songs are looked at as solitary units, they are impressive works and show marked growth from “The Second Stage Turbine Blade,” the group’s debut record under the name Coheed and Cambria (formerly, they were known as Shabutie). While “Second Stage” contained a few songs like “33” and “Devil in Jersey City” that have high stuck-in-your-head potential, “Keeping Secrets” is more consistent. Most of the songs over a matter of seconds long promise to be addictive.

This band offers something for everyone. If you’re a comic book fan, you can soon enjoy the band’s work in comic-book form. It is currently being illustrated by comic-book artist Wes Abbot. If you are a sci-fi fan, you can enjoy the intricacies of the songs’ plots. Or, if you listen to a record for the traditional sake of hearing music, you are guaranteed to like “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3.”