Coheed and Cambria

Take a deep breath. Coheed and Cambria’s latest effort, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 is a whirlwind of sonic assaults, ingenious storytelling and boundary bursting melodies. In other words, this is probably one of the most important hardcore-emo releases of the year. Pushing the boundaries of hardcore and indie beyond recognition, C and C uses progressive rock and metal fusion to keep this record full of surprises. Songs circle around science fiction and lost worlds, a thread that ties in every C and C record. Fierce melodies are the core of this album, like the irresistibly catchy finale to "Three Evils” and the striking harmonies on "The Light & the Glass.” Lyrics jump from love-oriented to the purely sadistic, while the guitars remain intricate and technical. Vocalist Claudio Sanchez sounds to have grown into his falsetto, as he experiments with his upper and lower and manages to create dramatic, creative of melodies. Fans of the last C and C album will also find themselves a worthy surprise in the secret track. In Keeping Secrets falls between genres and breaks boundaries, therefore a virgin Coheed and Cambria listener may need a few listens in order to dig deep enough to hear its beauty.