Coheed and Cambria facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria performing in 2016 Left to right: Travis Stever, Josh Eppard (on drums), Claudio Sanchez, Zach Cooper
Background information
Also known as	Shabütie (1995–2001)
Origin	Nyack, New York, U.S.
Genres	Progressive rock alternative rock post-hardcore emo progressive metal
Years active	1995–present
Labels	300 Evil Ink Hundred Handed/Everything Evil B-Unique Columbia Equal Vision Roadrunner Sony
Associated acts	The Prize Fighter Inferno Davenport Cabinet Weerd Science Fire Deuce 3
Members	Claudio Sanchez Travis Stever Josh Eppard Zach Cooper
Past members	John Carleo Nate Kelley Mic Todd Chris Pennie

Coheed and Cambria is an American rock band. They formed in 1995 in Nyack, New York. The band's members are Claudio Sanchez (who sings and plays guitar and keyboards), Travis Stever (who plays guitar and sings), Josh Eppard (who plays drums, keyboards, and sings backup), and Zach Cooper (who plays bass and sings backup). Their music mixes different styles like progressive rock, pop, heavy metal, and post-hardcore.

Most of Coheed and Cambria's albums are concept albums. This means they tell a continuous story. Their story is a science fiction tale called The Amory Wars. Claudio Sanchez wrote this story, and it has been turned into comic books and a novel. The band has released eleven studio albums and three live albums. Six of their albums have made it into the Top 10 on the Billboard charts. Their newest album, Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe, came out in 2025.

Band History

How the Band Started (1995–2001)

In March 1995, Claudio Sanchez and Travis Stever formed a band called Beautiful Loser. This was after their old band, Toxic Parents, broke up. Beautiful Loser included Stever on vocals and guitar, Sanchez on guitar, Nate Kelley on drums, and Jon Carleo on bass. This group did not last long. They broke up by June 1995 after an argument.

Stever left the band, and the remaining three members changed their name to Shabütie. The band spent almost a year trying out different music styles. These included punk rock, indie rock, acoustic rock, funk, and heavy metal. When Carleo left in August 1996, Kelley found Michael Todd to play bass. Todd was mainly a guitarist but learned bass for Shabütie.

As Shabütie, the band wrote many songs. They released their first demo, Plan to Take Over the World, in 1999. They also released The Penelope EP in 1999. Soon after, Stever rejoined the band. Kelley left the band during a show in late 1999. Josh Eppard took his place as the drummer. The band then released Delirium Trigger in 2000.

The Amory Wars Story Begins (2001–2004)

"The Keywork", a commonly used logo for the band, symbolizes the energy stream among the planets in Coheed and Cambria's fictional universe.

Some songs from Delirium Trigger became part of a science fiction comic series. Claudio Sanchez wrote these comics, first called The Bag.On.Line Adventures. Later, it was renamed The Amory Wars. In 2001, the band members decided to rename themselves Coheed and Cambria. They chose the names from two main characters in Sanchez's story. They also decided to use the story as a theme for all their future albums. This project also created Coheed's official logo, the Keywork. This symbol represents the planets in the Amory Wars universe.

In February 2002, the band released their first studio album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade. They signed with Equal Vision Records for this release. The album included songs from the Delirium Trigger EP. The band also released their first music video for the song "Devil in Jersey City". Coheed and Cambria toured in the United States and Japan. They also played at the 2002 Vans Warped Tour.

After touring with bands like Linkin Park and Slipknot, they released their second album. In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 came out in October 2003. This album featured popular songs like "A Favor House Atlantic" and "Blood Red Summer". Their music videos for these songs were played on MTV. The band toured with other groups and played at the Warped Tour again. This album reached No. 52 on the Billboard charts and sold very well.

Growing Success and New Albums (2004–2006)

Coheed and Cambria performing live in 2005

The band filmed a concert in August 2004. This performance became their first live DVD, Live at the Starland Ballroom, released in March 2005. The success of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 led them to sign with Columbia Records. This was a big record label.

The band took a break from touring to record their third album. Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness was released in September 2005. This album became their most successful one. It sold almost 1 million copies and reached No. 7 on the Billboard charts. The album's sound moved more towards progressive rock. The song "Welcome Home" was described as a "heavy metal tune" influenced by Led Zeppelin. The band toured in America and Europe to support the album. They also released a second live DVD, The Last Supper: Live at Hammerstein Ballroom.

Changes in the Band (2006–2009)

Claudio Sanchez released an album for his side-project, The Prize Fighter Inferno, in October 2006. This album, My Brother's Blood Machine, was also a concept album. It connected to Coheed and Cambria's story through a character named Jesse.

In late 2006, Josh Eppard and Michael Todd left the band for personal reasons. Matt Williams and Michael Petrak filled in temporarily. In April 2007, bassist Michael Todd rejoined Coheed and Cambria. The band then went into the studio with a new producer, Nick Raskulinecz. In June, Chris Pennie joined as the new drummer. However, due to past contracts, Pennie could not play on their next album. Instead, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins recorded the drums.

Claudio Sanchez during the Kerrang! Tour 2008

The band's fourth album, Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow, came out in October 2007. It debuted at number 6 on the Billboard charts. The first song released from the album was "The Running Free". The band continued touring, playing at the 2007 Warped Tour. They also opened for Linkin Park's tour.

In November 2007, their song "Welcome Home" was added to the video game Rock Band. Other songs were later available for download in the game. The band started a four-month world tour in January 2008. They also headlined The Bamboozle 2008 music festival. In 2008, they played and recorded a cover of "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden. They were nominated for Best International Band and Best Music Video at the 2008 Kerrang! Awards.

In October and November 2008, the band held "Neverender" concerts. They played one album each night over four nights. These shows took place in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and London. A CD/DVD box set of these performances, Neverender: Children of The Fence Edition, was released in March 2009.

New Stories and More Changes (2009–2011)

Coheed and Cambria toured throughout early 2009. They toured with Slipknot and Trivium. They also supported Heaven & Hell on their tour. The band performed at several music festivals, including Austin City Limits Music Festival and Lollapalooza.

Coheed and Cambria performing live in 2009

Coheed and Cambria finished recording their fifth album, Year of the Black Rainbow, in 2009. This album tells a story that happens before their first album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade. A novel was released with the album, co-written by Sanchez and Peter David. The album came out on April 13, 2010.

Claudio Sanchez mentioned that the band's first five albums covered the entire Coheed and Cambria story. He thought about telling new stories in the future. He considered stories about the past or about Sirius Amory, a character who discovered the Keywork.

In July 2011, bassist Michael Todd left the band. Wes Styles filled in temporarily for the remaining shows. On August 4, 2011, Todd and the band decided to part ways. The band recorded a cover of the ZZ Top song "Beer Drinkers & ..." for a tribute album. Their song "Deranged" was also released on the soundtrack for the video game Batman: Arkham City in October 2011.

New Members and Double Albums (2011–2014)

In October 2011, Claudio announced that a new album was written. Recording began in November. He confirmed the band would continue the Amory Wars storyline. In November 2011, Chris Pennie left the band. Two weeks later, the band's former drummer, Josh Eppard, rejoined. In April 2012, Zach Cooper joined as the new bassist.

In June 2012, the band finished recording their sixth album. The next month, Coheed announced it would be a double album called "The Afterman." The first part, The Afterman: Ascension, was released on October 9, 2012. The second part, The Afterman: Descension, came out on February 5, 2013. These albums tell the story of Sirius Amory. He explores the energy source of the Keywork (the 78 worlds in The Amory Wars). He discovers it is an afterlife for souls.

In August 2012, the band released the music video for "Key Entity Extraction I: Domino the Destitute". This was the first song from The Afterman: Ascension. In 2013, they released videos for "Dark Side of Me" and "Number City" from The Afterman: Descension.

In August 2014, Coheed and Cambria announced a remastered version of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3. It was released on October 21. In September and October 2014, the band toured with Thank You Scientist. They played In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 in its entirety during these shows.

A New Direction (2015–2017)

Coheed and Cambria performing live at Summer Breeze Open Air in 2016

The band's eighth album, The Color Before the Sun, was released on October 16, 2015. This album was different because it was not connected to The Amory Wars storyline. Instead, it focused on Claudio Sanchez's life events. These included moving to the city and the birth of his child, Atlas. The first song from the album, "You Got Spirit, Kid", came out in July 2015. The second song, "Here to Mars", was released in September 2015.

The band toured in early 2016 with Glassjaw. They also had a late 2016 tour with Saves the Day. In August 2016, the band released a "Deconstructed" version of the album. This included demo versions of the songs and live recordings.

Returning to the Story (2018–2020)

In February 2018, the band announced a summer tour. In April 2018, they signed with Roadrunner Records. They also released a hint about a new album coming in 2018. The band premiered a new song, "The Dark Sentencer", in May 2018. They also released the album's "Prologue" (the backstory).

On June 22, 2018, the band announced their new album, Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures. It was released on October 5, 2018. This album continued Amory Wars storyline. Other songs from the album, like "Unheavenly Creatures" and "The Gutter", were released later.

The band toured in early 2019 with Maps & Atlases. In February 2019, they announced The Unheavenly Skye Tour. They co-headlined with Mastodon. In August 2020, the band released "Jessie's Girl 2". This song was a sequel to Rick Springfield's 1981 song, "Jessie's Girl". Rick Springfield also appeared on the recording.

The Vaxis Saga Continues (2021–2024)

In early 2021, the band announced a tour with The Used. On July 21, 2021, they released "Shoulders". This was the first song from their tenth studio album. The album continued the Amory Wars "Vaxis" story. Claudio Sanchez mentioned that some parts of the story were changed due to world events.

On November 10, 2021, the band released their new album's second song, "Rise, Naianasha (Cut the Cord)". In December 2021, they announced The Great Destroyer Tour for early 2022. In January 2022, the band announced the title of their tenth album: Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind. It was released on June 24, 2022, and received good reviews. A third song, "The Liars Club", came out in February 2022. The band also announced the A Window of the Waking Mind Tour. Alkaline Trio later joined the tour.

In January 2023, the band announced the Neverender: No World for the Waking Mind Tour. In February 2024, they announced tours supporting Incubus and co-headlining with Primus. On May 8, 2024, the band released a new song, "The Joke". This song was originally planned for Vaxis – Act II.

Future Plans (2024–present)

On July 12, 2024, the band played a new song, "Blind Side Sonny", on tour. They released a music video for it in October 2024. In November 2024, the band shared the title of their eleventh album, Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe. They also revealed the songs and a release date of March 14, 2025. The second song, "Searching for Tomorrow", was also released. In December 2024, the band announced the Infinite Arc Tour with Mastodon. In January 2025, they released the song "Someone Who Can" and announced more tour dates. In June 2025, the band announced the Welcome to Forever Tour in the UK and Europe.

Music Style and Influences

Claudio Sanchez has said that the band is influenced by older groups. These include Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Police, Queen, and Thin Lizzy. Sanchez also mentioned other influences like the post-hardcore group At the Drive-In and heavy metal band Iron Maiden. A big influence for Coheed and Cambria was the alternative metal band Faith No More. Travis Stever said their album Angel Dust "showed [them] the light."

Many people compare Coheed and Cambria to Rush. However, Josh Eppard said that the band members were not "big" Rush fans. Claudio later started listening to Rush's albums more closely after these comparisons. Influences from punk rock have also been mentioned, especially Misfits and Bad Brains. Dr. Know from Bad Brains played a guitar solo on the song "Time Consumer" from Second Stage Turbine Blade. Sanchez has also said that The Amory Wars story is similar to other stories, like the Star Wars movies.

Music Genre

The band's music style is often called progressive rock. Songs like "Blood Red Summer" also have elements of pop music. One review said Coheed and Cambria "mix up the standard pop-punk scheme with creative and original riffs." The band has also been described as alternative rock, new prog, progressive metal, emo, post-hardcore, and alternative metal.

Band Members

Band Member Timeline

Discography

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Coheed and Cambria para niños