Coheed and Cambria - Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind (June 24, 2022) Album • Page 44

My post is prob gonna reiterate everything already said on the last few pages. This album is great, probably the most immediate fun I've had listening to a Coheed record since NWFT (no diss to those in between). Just so many great hooks. Band is definitely special, and when I think about some of the best friendships I've made in my life, a lot of them centered around this band, I've texted a bunch of people about it since Friday.

Only interesting thing I can add is that "A Disappearing Act" really reminds me of the band HIM. It basically follows their formula, dancey synths in the intro/verses, big buzzy guitars, huge chorus. Prob unintentional but I can't unhear it ha

 

“a disappearing act” reminds me of devin townsend in his most pop/disco metal mode and it’s the greatest

 

The same song getting compared to HIM and Devin Townsend back to back is pretty wild. Not saying either are wrong though, haha.

Do y'all think "game's over, love murder one" was just a funny way of spelling "game's over love, murder won"?

 

Dare I say this is the most accessible and fun Coheed album in years.

 

Yeah I'd say so. Claudio's always got the melodies, but I think refining them with this "new wave of pop punk" producer worked out well.

EDIT: That might be a little reductive of Cervini, but mostly pop-punk/metalcore/the new Limp Bizkit album? It was a bold choice that paid off well.

 

The opening melody/riff reminds me of a Thirty Seconds to Mars track.

 

I've been doing a discography run this week, currently up to Afterman Ascension. I'll save all my thoughts till I'm finished, but I will say that Year of the Black Rainbow is definitely more enjoyable than I remembered. I dont think it's my last place album anymore.

 

I really like about 2/3 of YOTBR these days. I still think it sounds like a band worn out, and the title track might be my least favorite closer they have. It is easier to listen to some of their lesser albums knowing more of the context of where they went afterward.

 

As someone who has never delved into the story much beyond what I can glean from just listening to their songs and a couple blurbs, already the most emotionally invested I have ever been in the story through Nia, Nostrand, and Vaxis.

 

Yeah as @unbornwhiskey pointed out last page, the core Amory Wars story is... kind of rough for me. This story (along with Afterman) seems much more palatable. Say what you want about whether Claudio has improved as a singer/songwriter over time, but I definitely think he's become a better storyteller. I also think Chondra does most of the actual writing these days from what I understand, and Claudio is the guy who creates the big picture story.

 

Yeah, I feel like the first 8 songs on YOBR are really solid but it loses steam quick after that imo

 

the only bit of the amory wars as a story i ever enjoyed was the yobr novel

 

I will always stand up for YOTBR. It’s still probably my second least favorite album from them, but I do think it’s good. I think it loses a bit of steam with In The Flame Of Error and When Skeletons Live, but I really enjoy The Black Rainbow as a closer. That song, The Broken, Juggernaut, and Far are my favorites on the album and there are still some really good songs on there. I do think it’s an album with a bunch of good and few great songs because Juggernaut is really the only song on there that I would put up against some of their best from other albums, but I find myself really enjoying the majority of YOTBR.

As for The Amory Wars narrative, yeah, it’s rough. Or at least the earlier albums/story is. Lot of misogynistic lyrics and storytelling at times and it’s blatantly obvious a lot of that stems from the falling out Claudio and Chandra had around IKS/GA1.

 

The Broken and Far are awesome.

cant say i've ever really followed the amory wars narrative.

 

In The Flame of Error goes off

 

I assume Wikipedia or Google could tell me the answer to this but have they ever said what order the albums go in story wise? I didn’t even know they didn’t go in order until I just recently saw that on their Wikipedia. I know there’s a story going on but have never paid attention to it in the slightest outside of each song so I wonder like… is Vaxis II the 8th album in the story progression or is it a prequel?

I don’t really care to know, but interesting to consider and I wonder how many more albums the band plans to release with the stories / themes.

 

The Afterman is set way before the events of the main Amory Wars saga. Then it’s…

YOTBR
SSTB
IKS
G1
NWFT

The Vaxis albums are set way after the events of the main Amory Wars saga

 

Whoa, goddamn, ok good to know! Thanks!

 

And “Ten Speed” seems to be the universal best song by them? Hmm.

Gonna have to think about that. Not sure I’ve ever really thought which songs are my favorite.

 

it's The Crowing

 

Yeah I don’t agree with that, but I also don’t know what I would consider their best song either.

IKS, The Crowing, Welcome Home, Apollo II, NWFT, The End Complete, Gravity’s Union would be the pool I would choose from probably.

 

All of these are great. Apollo I as opposed to II I prefer though.

 

i actually do like the story for the afterman even though it’s just like a heavily modified contact

 

Yeah I get that, I think it work better as a standalone song and the structure is better, but I like the callbacks to EE and blood red summer.

 

Fuel For The Feeding End is the best Willing Well track