Coheed and Cambria - Vaxis - Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind
Coheed and Cambria
Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind
Release Date: June 24th, 2022
Label: Roadrunner Records
Review by Jared Stossel
Honestly, you could write a book about Coheed and Cambria’s albums that would explore not just the creation of the albums, but the inception of each of the stories’ that are interwoven throughout the band’s discography. The lore goes deep throughout Coheed and Cambria albums, with many of them being translated by frontman Claudio Sanchez into graphic novels. Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind, is a continuation of the story that began on 2018’s The Unheavenly Creatures, and it feels even larger in scope than its predecessor. Coheed truly never half-ass anything they put out, and Vaxis II is further proof of their work ethic and dedication to crafting both great music and great stories.
Apple Music describes the plot line of the Vaxis series as “an intricate cinematic narrative following a couple on the run from tyrannical forces while trying to find a cure for their young son’s mysterious condition”. I thought this was the best summary of the story’s plot I could find, to keep it as simple as possible for this review, but there’s so much going on conceptually and sonically throughout Vaxis II. “The Embers of Fire” is a burgeoning, cinematic opening track that leads into the powerful “Beautiful Losers”, treading the line between emo and progressive rock (as Coheed have always done throughout their nearly twenty-year career). “Comatose” features truly excellent riff work between Sanchez and guitarist Travis Stever. That’s the beauty of a band like Coheed; they’re able to push the genre forward, without being so progressive that it just turns into an ongoing jam session and the melody gets lost in the mix.
“Shoulders” is one of the heavier tracks on Vaxis II, pushing the band into hard rock radio territory, featuring a chorus that is primed and ready for arenas. “A Disappearing Act” was one of my favorite tracks on the album, with the full band coalescing around a four-to-the-floor dance hall beat of the future, a synthesizer line permeating the air as Sanchez singing lyrics about the changing world. “Love Murder One” finds the band moving throughout time signatures and tones, one of the album’s more progressive tracks, with some remarkable rhythm work from bassist Zach Cooper and drummer Josh Eppard.
“Blood” is a core track for this album, and it finds Sanchez weaving personal lyrics within the overarching story of Vaxis. With the story dealing with a couple trying to take care of their song during uncertain times, Sanchez has remarked in interviews that he wrote this song (along with several others) for his son. It’s a song about understanding that, even though things may seem dire, you’re never alone. “The Liars Club” features one of the best choruses written in Coheed and Cambria’s career, a sweeping epic that feels like our characters are going into battle and kicking ass.
The song “Bad Man” finds Sanchez delivering one of his most soul-filled vocal performances in recent memory, which leads into “Our Love”, one of the calmer and more tender moments found on Vaxis II. “Our Love” features only Sanchez and a Korg ARP 2600 synthesizer, in which our heroes understanding the meaning of love, how it can persevere through anything.
The last three songs lead to the epic conclusion of the album, with each of the three tracks clocking in at least five minutes. “Ladders of Supremacy” with a nearly two-minute instrumental interlude, ballooning into a science-fiction battle of epic proportions. Without stopping, we’re lead into “Rise, Naianasha (Cut The Cord)”, the penultimate track that channels themes of unconditional love as the four-piece act showcase incredible musicianship. The eight-and-a-half minute “Window of the Waking Mind” closes out Vaxis II, the fiercest track of the bunch, fading out as the opening score from “The Embers of Fire” swells to a conclusion, channeling the movie scores of a maestro like John Williams.
I often wonder if a Coheed and Cambria film will ever make its way to the big screen. Or hell, even the small screen. As much as this band make incredible music, they’ve always been able to create larger-than-life worlds within their music. I wait for that day with anticipation. Until then, I’m perfectly content with re-listening to albums like Vaxis II and playing out the story in my mind.
Coheed and Cambria
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