Review: Coheed and Cambria – The Afterman: Descension

Artist: Coheed and Cambria
Album: The Afterman: Descension
Rating: 5/5

Tracklist:

1. Pretelethal
2. Key Entity Extraction V: Sentry the Defiant
3. The Hard Sell
4. Number City
5. Gravity’s Union
6. Away We Go
7. Iron Fist
8. Dark Side of Me
9. 2’s My Favorite 1

If you thought The Afterman: Ascension was good? Just wait until you’ve heard The Afterman: Descension! With slightly more subtle tones than part 1, part 2 of this epic journey will leave you BEGGING for more. The continuing story of Sirius Amory through “The Keywork” sees our protagonist facing his greatest struggles. From the opening track Pretelethal to the closing track 2’s My Favorite 1, you will hear a progression like no other. In this album, we once again hear from “The All Mother” which is the computer system monitoring Sirius’s journey. She questions his logic as to why he wants to stay out when he has been brought so close to death, states that she cannot comprehend human emotion and is, in every way, like a nurturing guardian rather than a computer. So sit back, relax, and enjoy my review of The Afterman: Descension out now on Hundred Handed/Everything Evil Records!

Key Tracks:

Key Entity Extraction V: Sentry the Defiant: To me, this track was one of the most exciting to get a studio version of. As most of you know, about a year before the release of the album, Claudio Sanchez posted a video of him playing this track on an acoustic guitar. This track is a spotlight on a deceitful character. To this character, he can do no wrong, but to Sirius, he is evil incarnate. He calls him out for being a coward and a liar right from the start, “Believer, your spotlight’s on the subject so incorrect and suggestion, suggests that I am someone you should not respect” To me, this track has undertones of being political, while also being tied into The Amory Wars series. This remains one of my favorite tracks on the album.

The Hard Sell: This track is centered around a case of falsehood that has tried to tear Sirius apart. “I’m paranoid and sick of this world’s misconceptions of things I did.” Apparently, this character did something that seemed to be wrong in the eyes of many and they are attempting to make him pay for his wrongdoing. Have you ever done something that you knew would be considered wrong in the eyes of others, but felt right to you? That is the feeling that this track is centered around. It also centers around hypocrisy and “selling out”. Definitely pay attention to the lyrics to this track!

Dark Side of Me: The 2nd single to the album and honestly, they couldn’t have picked a better time to roll this one out. This track is about the realization that this character’s ego got too big and he let it consume him. He gave up everything and became something he swore he would never be and now it’s all for nothing. At the end of this track, you hear all mother question whether or not his desire to go on, despite her almost terminating the mission and his life, is what love is. Sirius simply replies “Yes” and then the most beautiful track on the album comes in to play.

2’s My Favorite 1: This track is centered around Sirius’s love for his wife, MaryAmory. His trip was meant to discover more about himself and the one thing he truly learns, is that love conquers all. “This is her, no regrets. I embrace your defects to confess you were my every wish. I admit that I will never feel alone. Once I call, oh, you home.” This track, lyrically, is the most embracing on the album. Every word is absolutely beautiful. If you don’t listen to any other track on the album, I recommend this one for it’s simplicity in stating the obvious. From the beginning of Ascension you can tell that Sirius doesn’t truly want to leave, but he feels he must to save himself. There couldn’t have been a better ending for this incredible double album.

Final Thoughts:

This album is the epitome of everything that Coheed embodies. It has everything you love about the band, with some new elements thrown in to keep them fresh. This part of The Amory Wars saga is just so captivating and mind-boggling that it leaves you begging for more. Can Coheed top it with their next release? We shall see. But either way, go pick up both The Afterman: Ascension and The Afterman: Descension today and discover one of the best tales ever created!