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

Most of Coheed and Cambria's albums tell a big science fiction story. This story is called The Amory Wars. Claudio Sanchez wrote it, and it has also become a series of comic books and a novel. The band has released ten studio albums. Six of these albums have made it into the top 10 on the Billboard music charts. Their latest album, Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind, came out in 2022.

The Band's Journey

How Coheed and Cambria Started (1995–2001)

In 1995, Claudio Sanchez and Travis Stever started a band called Beautiful Loser. Nate Kelley joined them on drums, and Jon Carleo played bass. This band didn't last long.

Later that year, Stever left, and the remaining members changed their name to Shabütie. They tried out many different music styles. These included punk rock, indie rock, and heavy metal. In 1996, Jon Carleo left, and Michael Todd joined as the new bass player.

As Shabütie, they wrote many songs. They released their first demo, Plan to Take Over the World, in 1999. Stever then rejoined the band. Later in 1999, Nate Kelley left during a show. Josh Eppard became the new drummer. The band 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 inspired Claudio Sanchez to create a science fiction story. This story was first called The Bag.On.Line Adventures. It was later renamed The Amory Wars. In 2001, the band decided to rename themselves Coheed and Cambria. This name came from two main characters in Sanchez's story. They also decided to make all their future albums part of this story. This project also created Coheed's official logo, "The Keywork". It's a symbol for the planets in the Amory Wars universe.

In 2002, the band released their first studio album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade. They signed with Equal Vision Records. The album included songs from their earlier Delirium Trigger EP. They also released their first music video for "Devil in Jersey City". The band 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 2003. It was called In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3. This album had 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 groups like Thursday and AFI. This album reached number 52 on the Billboard charts. It was also certified Gold, meaning it sold over 500,000 copies.

Growing Success with Good Apollo (2004–2006)

Coheed and Cambria performing live in 2005

In 2004, the band filmed a concert in New Jersey. This became their first live DVD, Live at the Starland Ballroom, released in 2005.

Because of their success, they signed a deal with Columbia Records. The band then recorded their third studio album. It was their first album with a major record label. This album, Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness, came out in 2005.

This album became their most successful one. It sold almost 1 million copies. It also reached number 7 on the Billboard charts. The album's sound moved more towards progressive rock. The song "Welcome Home" was noted for its Led Zeppelin-like sound. The band toured in America and Europe. They also released another live DVD, The Last Supper: Live at Hammerstein Ballroom.

Changes and No World for Tomorrow (2006–2009)

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

Later in 2006, Josh Eppard and Michael Todd left the band for personal reasons. Matt Williams and Michael Petrak filled in for a short time. In 2007, bassist Michael Todd rejoined the band. Chris Pennie, a new drummer, also joined Coheed and Cambria. However, due to earlier contracts, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins played drums on their next album.

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, was released in 2007. It debuted at number 6 on the Billboard charts. The song "The Running Free" was the first single. The band continued touring, playing at the 2007 Warped Tour. Their song "Welcome Home" was included in the video game Rock Band. Other songs were later added for download in the game.

In 2008, the band went on a four-month world tour. They also headlined The Bamboozle music festival. They played a cover of "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden for a tribute album. In late 2008, the band performed "Neverender". This was a special concert series where they played one full album each night. A CD/DVD box set of these shows was released in 2009.

Year of the Black Rainbow (2009–2011)

Coheed and Cambria toured for most of 2009. They played with bands like Slipknot and Heaven & Hell. They also performed at big festivals like Austin City Limits Music Festival and Lollapalooza.

The band finished recording their fifth album, Year of the Black Rainbow, in 2009. This album tells a story that happens before their first album. A novel was released with the album, co-written by Sanchez and Peter David. The album came out in 2010.

In 2011, bassist Michael Todd left the band. Wes Styles filled in for a short time. The band also recorded a cover of the ZZ Top song "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers". Their song "Deranged" was released on the soundtrack for the video game Batman: Arkham City.

New Members and The Afterman (2011–2014)

In late 2011, Chris Pennie left the band. Two weeks later, their former drummer Josh Eppard returned. In 2012, Zach Cooper joined as the new bass player.

In June 2012, the band finished recording their sixth album. They announced it would be a double album called "The Afterman". The first part, The Afterman: Ascension, came out in October 2012. The second part, The Afterman: Descension, was released in February 2013. 'The Afterman' tells the story of Sirius Amory. He explores the energy that holds the Keywork together. The Keywork is the universe where The Amory Wars takes place.

In 2012, the band released the music video for "Key Entity Extraction I: Domino the Destitute". They also premiered the song "The Afterman" on Rolling Stone. In 2013, they released videos for "Dark Side of Me" and "Number City".

In 2014, Coheed and Cambria released a remastered version of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3. They also toured, playing the entire album live.

The Color Before the Sun (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 in October 2015. This album was different because it was not part of The Amory Wars story. Instead, it was about Claudio Sanchez's own life. It talked about moving and his child, Atlas. The first song from the album, "You Got Spirit, Kid", came out in July 2015.

The band toured in 2016 with bands like Glassjaw and Saves the Day. In August 2016, they released a "Deconstructed" version of the album. It included demo versions of the songs and live recordings.

Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures (2018–2020)

In 2018, the band announced a summer tour with Taking Back Sunday. They also signed with Roadrunner Records. In May 2018, they premiered a new song called "The Dark Sentencer".

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

In 2019, the band toured with Maps & Atlases. They also announced "The Unheavenly Skye Tour" with Mastodon. In August 2020, the band released "Jessie's Girl 2". This song was a sequel to Rick Springfield's 1981 hit, "Jessie's Girl". Rick Springfield even sang on the recording.

Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind (2021–2024)

In early 2021, the band announced a tour with The Used. In July 2021, they released "Shoulders". This was the first song from their tenth album. The album continues the Amory Wars "Vaxis" story.

In November 2021, the band released their second single, "Rise, Naianasha (Cut the Cord)". In January 2022, they announced the title of their tenth album: Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind. It was released in June 2022 and received good reviews. Other singles like "The Liars Club" and "Comatose" were also released. The band announced more tours, including the "Neverender: No World for the Waking Mind Tour" in 2023. In 2024, they announced tours with Incubus and Primus. They also released a new song called "The Joke".

Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe (2024–present)

In July 2024, the band played a new song called "Blind Side Sonny" on tour. They released a music video for it in October 2024. In November, the band shared the title of their eleventh album, Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe. They also announced its release date for March 14, 2025. A second song, "Searching for Tomorrow", was also released. In December 2024, they announced the "Infinite Arc Tour" with Mastodon. In January 2025, they released the single "Someone Who Can".

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. He also mentioned post-hardcore band At the Drive-In and heavy metal band Iron Maiden. One of the biggest influences for Coheed and Cambria was Faith No More.

The band's music also has influences from punk rock, like the Misfits and Bad Brains. Dr. Know from Bad Brains even played a guitar solo on their song "Time Consumer". Sanchez has said that The Amory Wars story is similar to other stories, like the Star Wars movies.

What Kind of Music Do They Play?

Coheed and Cambria's style is often called progressive rock. Reviewers have also noted that some of their songs have elements of pop music. Their music has been described as alternative rock, new prog, progressive metal, emo, post-hardcore, and alternative metal.

Band Members

Timeline

Albums Released

• The Second Stage Turbine Blade (2002)
• In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (2003)
• Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (2005)
• Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow (2007)
• Year of the Black Rainbow (2010)
• The Afterman: Ascension (2012)
• The Afterman: Descension (2013)
• The Color Before the Sun (2015)
• Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures (2018)
• Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind (2022)
• Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe (2025)

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Coheed and Cambria para niños