Year of the Black Rainbow
1. One
Coheed and Cambria have a long-running tradition of their albums being opened with an intro track. It was certainly the case with The Afterman both Ascension and Descension (though on those albums narration and some lyrics were included, whereas up to that point intro tracks remained instrumental). It has long been assumed by fans that the intro-tracks represented a changing in scene. For Year of the Black rainbow this doesn't work so well as a theory, as at the time of it's relase, the album served as a prequel to the story. So chronologically, there is no scene to change.
The music is gentle within this song. It opens with an industrial hum, which is soon followed by a dramatic, hollow bash, along with metallic squeals. This industrial doomscape continues and piano plays in the background, until a shivering, whining hum fades in and out. The piano starts again with a musical phrasing that seems to have been referenced in The Hollow on The Afterman: Ascension. The industrial crashes, hums, echoes and screeches continue at a soft and subtle volume, belying their source.
I believe the song, and it's title, refer to the prologue. The prologue in the YOTBR novel tells of the creation of Heaven's Fence, and of the three races that inhabit it. Man, whose job it is to tend the land, Mage, whose job it is to rule over Man and govern their affairs, and the Prise, whose job is to protect Heaven's Fence. In their task, the Prise were left with this riddle from God's own mouth:
As seen above, the Prise fear this riddle for they do not truly understand it. They worry that if they protect Heaven's Fence, then they will un-wittingly cause the destruction of Heaven's Fence and every living being upon it.
One gives the feeling of this mystery. The soft tones giving a sense of mystique, with the industrial sounds and screeches providing a certain sense of terror. One is a musical presentation of the feelings of the Prise, as well as a harbinger of the events to follow.
2. The Broken
Hooray! I'm back! I'm terribly sorry guys that it's taken me this long to get around to writing this. Uni has been in its closing weeks, and everything was getting Al-The-Killer-Crazy! Today was my submission day, meaning that I chucked an essay in a bucket and presto my studies are done with for the semester! Yaaaaaaay!!!! So, now with nothing (well...quite a lot actually but nothing that will stop me writing this website!) more to do, let's get on with it. Ladies and gents of the Fence, I give you, The Broken!
The Broken opens by continuing the industrial squeals of One with such perfection that to listen to them in sequence, unless you're watching the timer you don't know the songs have changed. Guitars and drums blast heavily while Claudio screams and shouts the violent anthem at us. The song is angry, brutal, passionate and scarily violent. The gruff blasts from the guitar and the insanity within Claudio's enraged voice are an assault to the system-and it's beautiful. However in contrast the chorus is passionate and sad. The guitars rather than blasts utilise strummed power chords that ascend in pleasent tones that match the empowering deliverance of the Chorus. The bridge is a
Lyrics:
I followed your every move,
In a stride that wills disguise,
Little markings clue the find.
Your red lips speak of painted figures,
The teeth of mangled little listeners,
The thoughts that hide your rusted scissors and hooded men.
Swinging honesty accross this violence.
Obscurity has no hero.
Chorus
The world looks better when you're falling.
Grace to comfort enough, to crawling.
Divided we must,
Pray for the broken, no one can fix us.
We are, we'll always be, the wronged.
Blah x 8
Your touch seethes of emptiness,
The callous tips against the brush,
The worlds now breaking off to crust.
Chorus
We're conspiring.
Where was your heart, when we needed it most?
Live in denial, and I'll be your ghost.
There is nothing to let go,
Only time will let you know,
If you're worth anything and know, then,
Giving up way too early,
Let the axis turn you free,
And destroy everything you love.
The world looks better when you're falling,
Grace to comfort enough to crawling.
Divided we must,
Pray for the broken, no one can fix us.
We are, we'll all....
We are, we'll all....
We are, we'll always be, the wronged.
disturbing blend of the violence and sorrowful passion of the song's verses and chorus. Claudio's screamed vocals with his falsetto are jarring and place the listener off-guard. A guitar solo squeals sorrowfully, and Claudio's deliverence of the final chorus is a beautiful finale to the tale this song tells.The Broken is a song which re-inforces what I said in the "The Band, The Story, The Detective" section of this website. Songs are not always in sequential order of the story. The Broken covers the period of The Mage Wars. Their beginning, their conflict and it's tragic resolution.
The first verse takes the perspective of Wilhelm Ryan. It's tone reflects his arrogant character, and Claudio's vocalisation enhances the effect of Ryan's tyranny, insanity and lust for power. Ryan proudly and boastfully proclaims how he used the Mage order to establish his own dominance over Heaven's Fence. He says "I followed your every move, In a stride that wills disguise, Little markings clue the find." This quote relates to the passage in Chapter 2 of the Year of the Black Rainbow novel, where Ryan is talking to Covent Marth. He confesses with arrogant joy that he was essentially a trojan horse, joining the Mages (I followed your every move) in order to destroy them (In a stride that wills disguise) and even mocks Marth about his inability to do anything about his plans (Little markings clue the find), with "markings" referring to Marth's painting of the destiny he sees for Heaven's Fence at the hands of Ryan. The next line "Your red lips speak of painted figures", seems to continue to talk to Marth through it's reference to painting, however the mention of "red lips" throws me on this, as Marth is a Mage, and Mages uniformly have blue skin that is covered with pronounced veins, none of them have red lips. However, Claudio mentions in YotBR that:
So, its entirely possible that, while not mentioned, Marth also paints his lips red as a method of "regaining subtle differences". If this isn't it, then I can only guess the line refers to blood dripping from Ryan's mouth, however I don't feel that ties in with the rest of the verse. It goes on to say "The teeth of mangled little listeners, the thoughts that hide your rusted scissors and hooded men." The first line refernces "teeth" which, aside from the obvious definition is said to mean "A sharp, distressing or destructive attribute or agency" on dictionary.com (because who can be assed using a normal dictionary?). In this respect, "teeth" refers to the powers of the Mages, however while recognising their power Ryan refers to them as "mangled little listeners". With spite, Ryan is recognising his perceived weakeness in the Mages. He claims in chapter 4 of YotBR that it is the Mages' own fault for their loss of the Mage War, as they failed to realise their full potentials due to the fear of the stories of the Tri-Mage. Therefore, in this line Ryan bitterly regrets the power bestowed upon the Mages, seeing them as unworthy. This is backed up by the line "The thoughts that hide your rusted scissors and hooded men." This line specifically refers to the cowardice of the Mages regarding the Tri-Mage. The Mages are defined through "rusted scissors and hooded men." The uniform of the Mages are hooded robes, also their distinct shoulder horns, which bear a slight resemblance to rusted scissor blades in colouration and shape. In this line, Ryan berates the Mages for not realising what he perceives to be their "full potential" as Mages (hide your rusted scissors etc)
The line "Swinging honesty across this violence" refers to the Mage Wars itself. The line "Obscurity has no hero" is important for two reasons. The first, "Obscurity Has no Hero" is the title of the first chapter in YotBR. So, if it is the title of the first chapter, why aren't the events of the first chapter referenced in the song? Which brings us to the second reason, which takes us all the way back to the first issue of The Second Stage Turbine Blade.
Within the pages of Issue #1 of SSTB, Claudio briefly introduces the origins of Heaven's Fence with this simple panel with a box that reads "Long ago, the universe held nothing but cold, obscure darkness." That word again, Obscure. In this chapter, we gain a definition for the word "obscure" in this context, where it is there to represent the galaxy. In the song, when Claudio says "Obscurity has no hero", it is Ryan saying "Heaven's Fence has no guardian against me." So why is the phrase the title of Chapter 1 of YotBR? Because Chapter 1 is a flash-forward to Coheed and Cambria's first field mission. The chapter itself serves as a response to Ryan's declaration of the Fence being unprotected, and the chapter says "The galaxy has a hero, the KBI."
The chorus continues from Ryan's perspective. Ryan states "The world looks better when you're falling", musing about Heaven's Fence existing without the Mages. He is not only proud of the Mage War, but he's enjoying watching the Mages become extinct. He goes on to say"
Grace to comfort enough, to crawling." Which seems random, but once again utilising dictionary.com (just assume this is where I get all my definitions) "grace" is defined as "a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment". In this context, Ryan is talking about his power as the Supreme Tri-Mage, which has been defined as a position like unto God, meaning Ryan literally considers himself "Divine Grace". In this sentence, Ryan outlines his plans for Heaven's Fence. He will utilise his "grace" to "comfort" the people enough so that they like him, in order to enslave them (crawling). It is literally, "through my grace, I will get the people on my side so that they will be my slaves." What a dick right? In the second part of the chorus, however it is the good Mages that take over the chorus. They say "Divided we must, Pray for the broken, no one can fix us. We are, we'll always be, the wronged." This is the Mages lamenting over their plight. The Mages, once an order of unified beings, is divided. The Mages are the Broken, wronged by Ryan's lust for power. The "blahs" that follow, are Ryan simply brushing off the Mages.
The next verse continues Ryan's anti-Mage tirade by going on to say "Your touch seethes of emptiness, The callous tips against the brush, The worlds now breaking off to crust." Ryan uses the first line to belittle the Mages about their weakness against him. Specifically Marth, whose ability to see into the future is cut short by the fact that the other Mages never believe his predictions, making them "empty". The second line confirms that Ryan is speaking to Marth, as it is, once again, a reference to painting.. The final line refers to the event in SSTB, where Ryan caused Star VII to extinguish, causing the planets of Sector XII to drift into open space. Using the word as a verb without an object, I believe Claudio is saying that had Star VII not become a sun and the Prise not sacrificed themselves to restore that particular part of the Keywork, the planets of Sector XII would have become dry and lifeless. Essentially a crust.
The bridge opens with the line "We're conspiring". These two words refer to the Mage Grave Minetoter, who fled the Mage Wars in order to re-establish the Mage order. This conspiracy is lightly touched on in YotBR but is expanded on in the In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 series.
The bridge opens with the lines "Where was your heart when we needed it most? Live in denial and I'll be your ghost." This can be read one of two ways. The first is Marth speaking to the Mages, criticising their non-belief of his predictions, as well as lamenting his existence as the final Mage at the end of the Mage Wars. The second is Ryan to the Mages, declaring his victory. he taunts the Mages, asking them where their courage to embrace their potential as Mages was, and because they lived in denial, Ryan is now their ghost as the sole remaining Mage. The line "There is nothing to let go" refers to Ryan's murder of Covent Marth, whom he killed by literally tearing apart his atomic structure. Ryan offered Marth the chance to be captive and become an Onstantine Priest, but Marth refused and his death was the penalty. The next two lines "Only time will let you know, If you're worth anything and you know, then." refers to the captive Mages being experimented on and being turned into the Onstantine Priests. The line "Giving up way too early" refers to Ryan hearing the celebration of Marth's forces after their supposed victory over Ryan at the end of Chapter 4, shortly after which the Red Army wiped them out. The next line in the chorus is interesting, and required some word-play to figure out. Claudio says "Let the axis turn you free, and destroy everything you love." Reading this line causes is confusion as with a literal translation of "axis" is makes no sense. However, if you look up "Axis" on thesaurus.com, you will find that the word "arbor" is another word for "axis". Hmm..."arbor"...where have I heard that before?...
OH YEAH!
With this sentence, Ryan outrightly mocks the future of the rebellion, and taunts the free people of the Fence, saying "sure, join the rebellion, but in the end you and everything you love will end up dying against me." It also hints at the fates of both Dr Hohenburger and Claudio Kilgannon. Because they rebelled against Ryan, they both ended up losing everything they love.
So, in short, this song is basically Ryan being a pompous, power-hungry, sadistic, megalomaniacal dick with a God complex. The things presented in this essay are backed up by the video clip, which seems to show a battle within the Mage Wars, possibly the battle for House Atlantic, the conclusion of which makes up Chapter 4 of the YotBR novel. Hope you guys enjoyed reading this, I'm sorry it's taken so long to post it. Love you guys!
3. Guns Of Summer
Lyrics:
If this is my last chance, keep it
I don't need your jokes
I'm better off without the misunderstanding
If I am displeasing, then leave me
The reason to all our worth
Would I truly care if we truly mean nothing?
Oh, have we been fed crazy?
or will the curtain save me
from my final pun?
No one will save us
You think that somebody cares
while the water is rising up?
Let the cleansing begin
Mother will they ever thank you?
Instead we hide behind these foolish lies
Ambitions have told us otherwise
Chorus
Cold as winter, Guns of summer
Point and watch them run
Summer's will and debris in their son
This is your last chance, will you give up?
But in our turning towards the new
And disregarding these old ways
Will we gain some truth or suffer again?
Allow it as it breaks and showers our soul
Rain down fire and burn us all!
No one will save us
You think that somebody cares
while the water is rising up?
Let the cleansing begin
Mother will they ever thank you?
Instead we hide behind these foolish lies
Magicians have told us otherwise
Chorus
There is only one judge...it is yourself
Chorus
Run, summer's will and debris in their son
This is your last chance, will you, this is your last chance
(Cold as winter, guns) This is your last chance, will you give?
(Cold as winter, guns) This is your last chance, will you?
(Cold, cold) This is your last chance, will you give?
(as winter, guns) This is your last chance, will you?
Guns of Summer is a unique song in the Coheed and Cambria discography. It forgoes their usual pattern that a lot of their heavier songs follow, and instead tells the story of two seperate chapters within the Year Of The Black Rainbow novel.
Electric hums whir in and out while electric drums gently burst in the background. A milliseconds' silence is followed by the hard introduction of distorted guitar rises and falls, causing the sounds to mesh together in a messy haze of violence. Synth bass "wows" over the guitar, adding to the chaos. Claudio's singing is tonal and structured, and against the chaotic music it makes very little sense. The whole musicality of the song is displaced, illogical and confusing. The pre-chorus brings some melody and structure into the song, but it's stil rough and chaotic. The chorus adds a sinister tone to the song, and the outro ads a hint of tradgedy that finishes this chaotic ode nicely.
Guns of Summer is a cause-and-effect retelling of Chapters 3 and 5 of Year of the Black Rainbow. Chapter 2 is the song's namesake and called Guns of Summer, while Chapter 5 is titled Torn to Pieces.
In Chapter 3, Leonard Hohenberger wakes up to his son Jospeh sneaking off to protest against the Mage War. After a brief discussion, Joseph convinces his father to let him join the protest. Leonard visits his wife Pearl in her "greenhouse", where she reveals she has genetically altered a dragonfly to have a syringe in the tip of it's tail. After Jospeh confesses to Pearl he allowed their son to go to the demonstration, she angrily forces him to go with
her to retrieve him. However they arrive too late and Joseph dies after the protest is caught in a cross-fire between Ryan and Marth's forces.
In Chapter 5, we are taken back to Pearl and Leonard in their home, several months after the death of Josepch, Pearl has been in a catatonic state since Jospeh was killed, and now only responds once she hears Ryan has won the Mage War. She confesses to Leonard that the death has changedtheir relationship, and that it probably won't go back to normal, unless Wilhelm Ryan dies. After this, Ryan throws a parade in celebration of his triumph over the mage wars. Some protestors during the parade are run over by his huge armoured float. Ryan's red army douses the populace with fine wine, and what follows is the most debauched planet-wide party Heaven's Fence has ever seen.
The song switches from several perspectives, and covers the events of both these chapters, juxtaposing them and turning them into a metaphor for one another.
The first verse reflects the events of Chapter 3, where Joseph and his father discuss the matters of Heaven's Fence and Jospeh's reasons for wishing to attend the protest. Joseph says "If this is my last chance keep it, I don't need your jokes.", which refers Joseph questioning Leonard about the worth of the lessons he taught his son throughout his upbringing as reflected in this quote from Chapter 2:
The line "I'm better off without the misunderstanding" acts as an extension of this, with Claudio using this line as a reflection go Joseph's argument that the people of Heaven's Fence require "full disclosure" as to the activities of the mages during their war, referring directly to the rumours of Ryan experimenting on the mages to turn them into what would eventually become the Onstantine Priests in The Second Stage Turbine Blade, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 and Good Apollo I'm Burning Staf IV: Volume 1 From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness.
The next verse "Oh have we been fed crazy, or will the curtain save me, from my final pun?" is a reference to the debauched and drunken events of Chapter 5. After throwing a parade to celebrate his victory over the mages Wilhelm Ryan announces that he is the new God, and will reward his followers in their current life, rather than force them to wait for death before they can enjoy a life free of burden. The line "have we been fed crazy" refers to the insane and illogical acts of the people of Heaven's Fence during this celebration. The line "Or will the curtain save me, from my final pun." reflects the nature of Ryan's schemes, keeping his ultimate plans a secret from the populace so that he will not have to reap the consequences of his manipulation of the people, which Claudio refers to as a "pun", meaning a play on words. Puns are usually something like "Sex while camping, it's f***ing intense", however as the lyrics CLaudio uses it more literally, to mean that Ryan is playing with words in order to coerce the people into becoming his loyal followers.
The third verse begins with the phrase "No one will save us, you think that somebody cares, while the water is rising up?", which is a reference to the massacre of the protestors in Chapter 3, and takes perspective from Leonard and Pearl Hohenberger. Leonard and Pearl are both scientists, and Leonard is described as "a researcher, not a string-cutter", and before the death of their son they took a passive stance on the events of the Mage War. However on having the war spill into their family life and claiming their son as a victim, the Hohenbergers are struck by the realisation that "No one will save us". The second and third lines "You think that somebody cares, while the water is rising up?" is a reference to their new-found grief and lack of understanding of the cause that their son gave his life for. The line "Let the cleansing begin" is a direct quote from Chapter 5 by Wilhelm Ryan, who says it as a command to his Red Army, to begin to spray the celebrating populace with fine wine out of giant firehoses. The line "Mother will they ever thank you? Instead we hide behind these foolish lies, Ambitions have told us otherwise." comes from the perspective of Joseph in his final moments. He questions whether Pearl will be thanked by the populace for the sacrifice of her son, but realises that through Ryan's lies, the cost of his life will be meaningless, and because of the Mage's megalomaniacal ambitions that the deaths of everyone who fought against Ryan will be in vain.
The chorus begins with "Cold as winter, Guns of Summer." This is a reference to the two signature events of Chapters 3 and 5. In Chapter 3, Joseph dies leaving his body "cold as winter." The "guns of summer" is a metaphor for the firehoses used to douse the celebrating rabble with wine in Chapter 5. The line "Point and watch them run" refers to the massacre of the anti-mage war protestors in Chapter 3, with the Red Army soldiers open-firing on the demonstrators and causing a mass panic. The line "Summer's will and debris in their son" reflects the anguish that Pearl and Leonard feel over their son's death. He went to the demonstration to oppose the Mage War, however instead he ended up getting killed, and all so that Ryan could win and incite a mass hysteria on Heaven's Fence, leaving the "will" of the protest in "debris".
The final verse in the song begins with the line "But in turning towards the new, And disregarding these old ways, Will we gain some truth or suffer again?" Which reflects the ignorance of the people of Heaven's Fence who support Ryan's simply because he signifies an end to the years-long Mag War. They would rather turn towards a new-unknown (But in turning towards the new) than struggle through seemingly impossible odds (And disregarding these old ways) to have a quick-fix to the problems the war caused. They support Ryan without truly knowing what he is doing, or what he is capable of - reflected in the statement "Will we gain some truth or suffer again?". The line "Allow it as it breaks and showers our soul." reflects the ignorant ceelbration of the peoples of Heaven's Fence. "Allow it" refers to Ryan's dominion over Heaven's Fence. Claudio uses this to allude to the fact that if all of the Fence united against Ryan to combat the threat he prevents, then they could overwhelm and defeat him. This is reinforced by "breaks and showers our soul." which refers to the wine that Ryan pours over the celebrating, ignorant masses. Just as the wine showers and inebriates their bodies, so too does the deceit of Wilhelm Ryan's lies subjugate and break the people's spirits.
The line "There is only one judge, It is yourself" refers to Ryan's arrogant declaration that there is no God to judge the people of Heaven's Fence, only Wilhelm Ryan, and that he allows the debauched evening of celebration to go ahead in his name.
With Guns of Summer, Claudio inter-weaves the concepts of Chapters 3 and 5, which both drive home several central themes of The Amory Wars universe, that of loss, war, political and social ignorance, faith, and manipulation of the people so the megalomaniac can acheive their personal objectives for power.
4. Here We Are Juggernaut
Lyrics:
Keep your secrets in the dark
Nothing matters anymore
Bodies breaking, drive me crazy
Oh this is not your place, no this is not your playground
It's my heart!
Chorus
We were stupid, we got caught
But nothing matters anymore
So what? Here we are, juggernaut
Courage broken, lashed to scars
Can this love be what I want?
Bodies breaking, driving me crazy (driving me crazy)
It's your fault!
Chorus
So let's hang us a hangman, we'll bury our burdens in blood
(Oh no) Oh so hang us a hangman, we'll bury our burdens in blood
Become stronger, juggernaut.
Answer me (did we take this too far?)
You've given all I could need (did we take this too far?)
Oh, but your kiss won't leave me be (did we take this too far?)
'Cause your teeth just won't stop
Chewing out my heart!
Chorus
Here we are, juggernaut!
Here we are, juggernaut!
Here we are, juggernaut!
Why? Why? Why?
Here We Are Juggernaut is one of my favorite songs on this album. It is punchy, entertaining and heavy, and it's music video is a good watch.
A buzzing drone filters through the listener's ears, until the aggressive guitar riffs break through the hum. Claudio's voice sings out with an almost angry grace. The chorus is epic, with quick phrasing emphasised by elongated ending syllables. The bridges of the song add a calmer, more internal element to a song that seems to otherwise respond to outside stimulus. The song ends with a final, buzzing strum on the guitar.
The song takes it's title from a quote by Coheed in the first chapter of the book Obscurity Has No Hero. The chapter takes place during Coheed and Cambria's first mission as the KBI, where they find a huge energy plant siphoning Keywork energy. Commenting on the gargantuan size of the plant, Coheed says "Here we are, Juggernaut."
The song is more direct than most Coheed and Cambria songs,
and deals with the events of Chapter 1, and briefly hints at the events of Chapter 13 Made Out Of Nothing, where Coheed and Cambria first experience love, and admit to their feelings for one another. The first verse starts off "Keep your secrets in the dark." referring to theKeywork energy plant hidden underground on the planet Howling Earth. The "your" in this line refers to Wilhelm Ryan, who plans to use the stored Keywork energy for a very specific purpose in In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3. The phrase "Nothing matters anymore" is a reference to Coheed's thoughts when their mission starts to go belly-up, and he has to make a hasty retreat with an un-concious Cambria slung over his shoulder. Nothing matters aside from getting her out. The lines "Bodies, breaking, drive me crazy. This is not your place, No this is not your, Playground it's my heart." is a direct reference to the massacre of Wilhelm Ryan's forces on Howling Earth after Coheed and Cambria destroy one of the Keywork siphons, releasing the angered spirits of the Keywork:
The chorus kicks in with the line "We were stupid we got caught" is a reference to Coheed and Cambria setting off a security breach alarm in the Keywork harvesting plant they have invaded. Overwhelmed by the feat, Cambria loses her grip on one of the miners she is holding with mind control. The miner shoots Cambria, and Coheed kills the miner. The disturbance triggers the alarm. With this line Coheed and Cambria reflect on their "stupidity" in allowing thei emotions to get the better of them on the mission. The line "But nothing matters anymore, so what?" is a reference to the desperate escape attempt after completing their mission. "Here we are Juggernaut" is a direct quote from Coheed, commenting on the size of the Keywork siphon.
The next verse begins "Courage broken lashed to scars." which, I believe takes the perspective of the Keywork miners that Coheed and Cambria are fighting in this chapter. Upon seeing the awesome might of the souls of the Keywork, their courage is broken and they are being punished in the worst way possible for their crime. The sentance "Can this love be what I want?" hints at the emerging relationship between Coheed and Cambria, which comes to fruition in Chapter 13 when the couple share an intimate, passionate kiss. This line refers to the slight hesitation felt by Cambria, who is much more aware of the purpose they were built for and less effected by her emotions than Coheed, until Chapter 13, that is. The line "Bodies' breaking, driving me crazy" ring true as in the first verse, with the ending line "Its your fault!" referring to Ryan's enslavement of the sould of the Keywork and the damage he causes to Coheed and Cambria's lives during and after Year of the Black Rainbow.
The phrase that opens the bridge "So let's hang us a hangman, we'll bury our burdens in blood." seems to reference a desire for revenge against Wilhelm Ryan. A "hangman" is an executioner, and Wilhelm Ryan is often referred to in the book as a "murderer". In this line, the KBI speaks of their mission (and want) to kill Ryan and to kill anyone assisting his cause (bury our burdens in blood). The line "Become stonger, juggernaut" refers to Coheed and Cambria's constant life of training for their mission.
The second part of the bridge becomes something of an inner monologue between Coheed and Cambria. They say "Answer me (did we take this too far?) highlighting initial doubts concerning their romantic relationship. "You've given all I could need", refers to the co-dependant nature of the romance Coheed and Cambria share. "Oh but your kiss won't leave me be, 'Cause your teeth just won't stop, Chewing out my heart!" is a reference and metphor to the kiss that sealed Coheed and Cambria's affections for one another in Chapter 13, and the permanence of the love shared between the couple.
The song ends with a final chours and the phrase "Why? Why? Why?", which I believe is a focus on the destruction that Coheed and Cambria are doomed to face in The Second Stage Turbine Blade.
5. Far
Lyrics:
I welcome this pain
beating down on me
Is it your eyes
that choose not to see?
All I would do
If only you knew
All of my trust
Was given to you
Chorus
Oh, please, this is what I can give
What else do you need from me?
I might be sick, broken, torn to pieces
So, whatever this is, this thing that now I've become,
you hate it so much, you keep on running from it
No matter the distance, no matter how,
no matter how far
I buried this hurt,
concealed in this heart
Go lock all your doors,
These cold steps will warm
Chorus
No matter how far
(Flies)
Chorus
No, no matter how far
No, no matter how far
No, no matter how far
No, no matter how, no matter how far
Well, I'm here again. After a record dry-spell (around three months in memory serves) I'm back, I'm apologising and I'm writing again. I'm determined for these to become a weekly thing, as now I've finished my university studies and now have a lot of my time back to myself. I'm truly sorry and thank you all so much for your patience and support.
A distorted guitar plays a gentle melody, reverb echoing hard in the distance. Drums and vocals enter simultaneously, the bassy beats of the drums contrasted against Claudio's higher register. The chorus is melodic and truly beautiful, with ascending and descending guitar phrases being softly repeated under the vocals. The song continues through until Claudio allows the song to end on a repition of the song's titular line.
The song takes it's events from and directly references chapter 5 of the Year of the Black Rainbow novel, "Torn To Peices". This chapter covers two seperate events. The first is a discussion between Leonard Hohenburger and his wife Pearl regarding the shift of dynamics in their relationship after the death of their son, and the second is a parade in Wilhelm Ryan's honor after his conquest of Heaven's Fence. The song, specifically covers the chapter's first events, and deals with the psychological ramblings of Leonard and Pearl through poetry.
The opening line "I welcome this pain, beating down on me" is what gives away the song's poetic referencing to the story. Claudio states in the book:
The "pain" referred to in this line is both the emotional pain that Leonard is going through in regards to Joseph's death as well as the physical pain of Pearl's slap, referenced in the line "beating down on me". The line "Is it your eyes, that choose not to see", refers to the drastic changes that Pearl has undergone as a result of Joseph's death. The book describes several ways in which she has changed, stating she has lost a significant amount of weight, her skin has become a "translucent ashy" pallour, her moods are irregular and most distressing to Leonard, she no longer has a love of all life, apparent when she states that she want Wilhelm Ryan to be killed.
The line "All I would do, if only you knew." reflects Leonard's desire to make his wife better no matter the cost. "All of my trust, was given to you." portrays a lamenting for the death of the couple's relationship as it once was.
The chorus is a desperate plea from Leonard to Pearl. "Oh, this is what I can give, what else do you need from me?" is a reference to the care Leonard gives his wife during her grief, giving her all he can but somehow, as revealed in the discussion in the book, it's not enough. Pearl needs Ryan to die before she can even think about being okay, despite anything Leonard might do for her. "I might be sick, broken torn to peices. So, whatever this, this thing that now, I've become. You hate it so much, you keep on running from it. No matter the distance, no matter how far." is all from Pearl's perspective, stating that although Leonard is trying, she believes he can't stand what she has become, what her grief has turned her into. The last two lines of the chorus "No matter the distance, no matter how far."
The next verse "I buried this hurt, concealed in this heart." refers to Leonard hiding his own grief from his wife to better take care of her. The line "Go lock all your doors, these cold steps will warm." is reflective of the hope Leonard has of his wife recovering with time. In the song, the word "Flies" is a reference to the "Syringa" dragonflies bio-engineered by Pearl Hohenburger earlier in the book. These flies set in motion the devastating events of The Second Stage Turbine Blade.
6. This Shattered Symphony
This Shattered Symphony is one of the stranger songs on the Year of the Black Rainbow album. Although it's title is shared with a chapter from the book, most of the lyrics do not directly translate to to the events discussed within the chapter, but rather portray the events leading to it.
Opening with a dynamic rythm section the song is brought in by the hum a guitar and short, stiff strokes on the lead, which with the combination of the rythm creates an extremely unsettling feeling. The verses are somewhat stripped back, with the focus being on the rythm line and Claudio's dynamic vocals. The pre-chorus adds a certain shift in the nature of the drama of the song, with the chorus powerfully and passionately driving home the only part of the song that actually coincides directly to the chapter. The chorus outro is a dramatic and effective closer to a song of violence and tragedy.
While the song is directly reference in it's corresponding chapter This Shattered Symphony, the actually more often takes the perspectives of Coheed and Cambria rather than Leonard Hohenburger or anyone else in the chapter.
The first verse takes Coheed's perspective as a member of the KBI, though Claudio has shiftted his perspective somewhat and given him a certain omniscience within the song. It's almost as though this is the ghost of Coheed speaking to us after the events of The Second Stage Turbine Blade. What makes me believe that it's Coheed talking here is the last line of the verse "To scar my own skin with this hurt." We know that Coheed's blades leave him with scars, and this line resonates very closely to a quote by Leonard in Chapter 1:
The first two lines seem to back this up as well, as Coheed (within the events of Second Stage Turbine Blade) is the only one who has to "give up" the
Lyrics:
Oh, I'm giving up the one I love
I'll conduct the great disaster
To scar my skin to own this hurt
They offered their hearts
and we tore them apart
They offered their blood
and we left them so parched
I don't know if I can give you anything you want
Chorus
Go on and give me the gun!
Never mind what I've done
They left me no choice,
oh, they left me no choice
Go on and give me the gun!
Let me blow them open
It's out of my reach,
Never mind what they think about me
I don't want to say
that with mercy we decay
Converging closer and faster
Does all I touch turn to dust?
And she confessed her love
Only I shut her up
as I took all her words
and allowed them to rust
I don't know if I'm the man you truly want to love
Chorus
Little have they learned anything about me
Meddling eyes that judge mistakes
What awful things they say
when backs are turned
and no one's looking?
Chorus
In this shattered symphony x2
Give me the gun! x2
one he loves, meaning Cambria. However the second line provides some confusion on the issue. It makes a reference to a "Great disaster", which could mean one of three things in the context of this chapter. It could refer to Pearl's suicicde, Ryan's rise to power on HEaven's Fence and the Destruction of Heaven's Fence. Respectively, this line could implicate either Leonard, Wilhelm Ryan or Coheed as the point of view within the song, however concerning the evidence granted by the first and last lines in this verse, I'm more inclinde to believe it's Coheed.
However, the verse could also be from Leonard's perspective, with "giving up the one I love" meaning giving up the values that his late wife "who according to Chapter 5 "No one was as loving of life", and now Leonard is about to give his up to avenge his her. Within this train of thought, the"great disaster" referenced in this verse is definately the destruction of Heaven's Fence in The Second Stage Turbine Blade, with Leonard beliving himself the "conductor" of the event through his forced constuction of the Monstar virus. The final line, coming from Hohenburger, would be representative of his suicide-by-proxy at the hands of Deftinwolf.
The first four lines of the pre-chorus are a reference to Leonard hiding the Mostar within Coheed and Cambria. He literally hid it inside their bloodstreams in a cunning big to simultaneously fulfill the demands of Wilhelm Ryan and keep the IRO-bots safe from harm. The last line is a reference to Leonard's shame at having created the Monstar, and thus causing his wife's last thoughts of him to be stained in disappointment, while the grief of the death of Joseph has been a constant strain on their realtionship till the end, with Leonard powerless to help.
The answers to the chorus are actually revealed in the previous chapter In the Flame of Error, which covers the event of Pearl Hohenburger's suicide. It reflects the internal struggles of Leonard as he battles his wife for the gun she was sent back to him with to kill him. "Gon on and give me the gun, Never mind what I've done, They left me no choice." is Leonard imploring his wife to let go of the gun, to look past his creation of the Monstar, to recognise that he was given no other option by Ryan and Deftinwolf. The second part of the chorus reflects his desire for revenge against Deftinwolf and Ryan, even though he knows it is ultimately futile and will end up dying.
The next verse reflects Hohenburger's regret at seemingly having no way out other than to take a life. "I don't want to say, That in mercy we decay" shows his hesitation to kill Deftinwolf because of his wife's memory. "Converging closer and faster" refers to his imminent death and reunion with his dead wife and son. "Does all I touch turn to dust?" reflects the doubts that Leonard has over his life. His son died because he allowed him to go to a peace demonstration, his wife killed herself because he created the Monstar, he's lost Coheed and Cambria because of how he chose to give the Monstar to Ryan, and now he's about to lose his own life.
The next verse starts "And she confessed her love", with the "her" in this sentance being Cambria the first female character who made an admission of love. The next two lines seem to be coming from Leonard's perspective, as he says "Only I shut her up, As I took all her words, And allowed them to rust". This sentance seems to be a reference to when Cambria tells him to trust in his love for Pearl to help him make the correct decision about what to do concerning the Monstar, words which he later used against Coheed and Cambria by implanting the virus within them. "I don't know if I'm the man you truly want to love." can be a word of doubt from both Coheed and Leonard. Coheed, doubting his worth of Cambria's love, and Leonard doubting he was ever the man that Pearl believed him to be.
The bridge reflects Leonard's acceptance of death. Deftinwolf makes the remark that he isn't going to turn Leonard into a "martyr", but the bridge reflects that Leonard doesn't care about any of that. He says "Little have they learned anything about me", meanninning the people of Heaven's Fence being ignorant of what is actually happening around them. he reflects on his legacy, the Monstar, and hints at his reputation as a terrorist in The Second Stage Turbine Blade "Meddling eyes that judge mistakes, What awful things they say, When backs are turned, And no one's looking?" all refer to this false reputation.
The "shattered symphony" referenced in the song is how Leonard sees the events leading up to this moment. Ugly, yet precise, and calculated, like an orchestra playing a symphony.
7.World of Lines.
Lyrics:
This is the hidden truth,
The world between the lines
Where there is no understanding us
These lines have marked divisions,
The weaker seek to malign
With this looming precious ending
There's no more room for reprimanding.
Oh, when the words are lightly thrown
In a world that's caught in a writer's web,
Humiliation reigns.
Chorus
Just leave us alone,
If it's not worth the letting go,
It's trouble, woah, woah
Just leave us alone,
If it's not worth the letting go,
It's trouble, woah, woah
Communications breaking up,
The static cutting the lines
This lying liar's had his turn
You've managed nothing more
Than a pathetic attempt at attack,
But this heart is everlasting,
Pushing forward, never crashing.
Chorus
State your case and go hide,
Leave us to your worst I will never give in,
To the hurt of your lies
Cause there is no hope For all your jokes.
And your plaguing insecurity
Now I'll play your enemy,
The only word you can find for me.
Chorus
Just leave us alone, (In this world of lines)
If it's not worth the letting go, (the strong will decide)
It's trouble, woah, woah
Just leave us alone, (In this world of lines)
If it's not worth the letting go, (the strong will decide)
It's trouble, woah, woah
I'd like to first off, apologize to my readers for the delay this post has taken. I'm determined to finish this website before I see Coheed and Cambria live next month, so my production will increase dramatically this month. This song took me hours of research and three scribbly pages of notes, and then I finally had the realisation that this song, in fact, pairs with a song of Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Volume 1: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness to write a letter to the Children of the Fence, addressing what it's like to be a writer for a world as big as Heaven's Fence.
The song starts off agressively. Well, it's actually agressive the whole way through. The guitars blast their way into our eardrums, the drums are bashed rather than played. It's a brutal melody with Claudio's voice pained and angry, without any room to move or escape.
To properly write about this song I actually had to focus on a line in the second stanza first, "This lying liar's had his turn". Fans of Coheed and Cambria will know that on their fourth studio album Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Volume 1: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness, there is a song called The Lying Lies and Dirty Secrets of Miss Erica Court. Without giving too much away regarding my analyses of this album, I will say that behind the mask of the story, this song is a metaphor for the pressure of having expectations on you in an artistic career. It's difficult to make money from art, and it's even more difficult to satisfy everyone within a loyal group of fans. The issue adressed lightly in the GAV1, is more openly expressed in YOTBR, and the mask of the story is indeed very light, but manifests in the form of an expression of sympathising with the main villain of The Amory Wars saga, Wilhelm Ryan.
In the first stanza, the line that says "This is the hidden truth, The world between the lines, Where there is no understanding us." there
is no easy understanding of what is meant by "the world between the lines." At first I thought it may be a direct reference to Heaven's Fence, as the energy from the Keywork manifests as strings of blue light that connect the worlds. However Heaven's Fence is not a "world", it is a galaxy of worlds. Looking on the internet I discovered that there was a popular theory that the song was about Claudio's reaction to negative press regarding Coheed and Cambria's work. However this theory didn't gel with me either, as all albums prior to YOTBR received excellent critical acclaim, with mixed or negative reviews being few. This lead me to believe that "the world between the lines" in fact represented the concept, not so much Heaven's Fence or a specific planet, but the world between the lyrics and lines of fiction that Claudio writes, the real world that he had kept secret from us until The Colour Before The Sun. Through this lens, Claudio introduces the song as a confession, or that it will reveal something personal in a more obvious way rather than through the story. The "hidden truth" is Claudio's "confession", the "world between the lines" is Claudio's real life, and "where there is no understanding us" refers to the difficulties in interpreting the music that fans of Coheed and Cambria regularly have due to the complicated nature of their music. "These lines have marked divisions" refers to this separation of artist and fan through the use of the concept, with "lines" in the song referring to the story. "The weaker seek to malign" references the negative reception of the story, as well as Wilhelm Ryan's view of the people of Heaven's Fence. Through the lens of the story, this song reflects Wilhelm Ryan's desire to rule Heaven's Fence at all costs. "With this looming precious ending, There's no more room for reprimanding" is the first reference to The Lying Lies and Dirty Secrets of Miss Eric Court. The "looming precious ending" can be seen to connect to "the unwritten end" mentioned in the latter - which in the context of reality reflects Claudio's frustration with people criticising the fact that The Amory Wars is still unfinished. In the context of the story, it represents Wilhelm Ryan's anticipation and design of the Monstar virus, which is given to Leonard Hohenberger for completion in the song's corresponding chapter in the YOTBR novel.
The hook between the first verse and the chorus "Oh when the words are lightly thrown, In a world caught in a writer's web, Humiliation reigns" is a reflection of the criticism that Claudio must endure as an artist. The "words" being "lightly thrown" is cheap criticism of Claudio's artistry, including his works of fiction and his music, the "writer's web". Understandably, this is humiliating, as reflected in "Humilition reigns." Alternatively, through the lens of The Amory Wars, the hook reflects a sense of fatalism from Wilhelm Ryan's point of view. The "words" the Claudio "lightly throws" affect the "world caught in a writer's web", which will lead to Wilhelm Ryan's defeat - causing humiliation.
The chorus says "Just leave us alone." reflecting Claudio's frustration at his critics and Ryan's frustration at Claudio. The only logical explanation I can come up with for "If it's not worth the letting go, it's trouble" would be Claudio's attachment to the story, which juxtaposes to Ryan's megalomaniacal desire to rule Heaven's Fence. Their attachment to their goals means that they will face resistence and criticism, but it's a challenge they have to face.
The second verse states "Communications breaking up, the static cutting the lines" which is a reflection of Claudio becoming disillusioned with the story when it is something that separates him from his fans, breaking the communication and blurring the Children of the Fence's understanding of The Amory Wars and Coheed and Cambria's music. "This lying liar's had his turn" is a reference to similar themes explored in the song The Lying Lies and Dirty Secrets of Miss Erica Court, that is, the frustration of dealing with harsh or un-justified criticism as an artist. The last four lines "You've managed nothing more, Than a pathetic attempt at attack. But this heart is everlasting, Pushign forward, never crashing." is a testament to the wills of Claudio and Wilhelm Ryan to see their efforts through to fulfillment. For Claudio. this could mean finishing the story, whereas for Ryan it means ruling Heaven's Fence and becoming a God.
The bridge reflects this last statement. Saying "State your case and go hide, Leave us to your worst" is a message from Coheed and Cambria to their critics, berating their cowardice in being overly-critical of their work. "I will never give in, To the hurt of your lies, Cause there is no hope, For all your jokes, And plaugeing insecurity." states that Coheed and Cambria are always proud of what they do, regardless of what critics may say, while for Wilhelm Ryan it is a declaration of his belief that he will become God, regardless of any resistence against him. "Now I'll play your enemy, The only word you find for me" reflects Coheed and Cambria's acceptance of the position of their critics while from Ryan it represents the thought that even though what he does is bad, he believes he will do a better job at being ruler of Heaven's Fence than God. While people can only describe him as an "enemy", he offers the perspective that he may, in fact, be their saviour.
8. Made out of Nothing (All That I Am)
Lyrics:
Never mind all the lines, I'm coming
and there is no better part of me you'll see
The darkest light, the blind I'll be
I accept that you chose to forget
The horrid thing you made of me, my dear
It is alright, it is so
The laughing feels so good
But the world misunderstood all I said,
There was no joke in what I meant
Chorus
Someone please come shelter me from
All that I am and never again
will I believe the same old story
Someone please come shelter me from
all that I am and never again
will I believe the same old story
I've given up on all I loved,
for an honest moment of clarity
Well I need to feel alright,
please let me breathe
In a life I made out of nothing
to cleanse this useless identity
Chorus
I failed you, I fail
There's no understanding in miracles when the worst,
it always comes true
Ha-ha, I am the nothing you have saved
Chorus
It eats us like cancer, we're hoping for something
Maybe an answer with all that you've done for me
I'll give you nothing
It eats us like cancer, we're hoping for something
Maybe an answer with all that you've done for me
Made out of nothing
Made out of nothing x8
Although this song contains a corresponding chapter within the YOTBR novel, the song contains no direct link to it, and rather the title of the song appears to be in a more retrospective way, as in “These are the events that lead to the chapter.” The song actually resonates more with the chapter preceding it Pearl of the Stars, which covers one day of Pearl's captivity by Wilhelm Ryan.
Continuing along the same musical vein as World of Lines, Made out of Nothing (All That I Am) contains strong guitars, but without the aggression. It definitely takes on more a ballad-esque tone than that of it's predecessor. Claudio's voice in calmer, more contemplative in this song, and as the song goes on, it takes on a somewhat anthem like quality.
The song takes place primarily from Pearl's perspective as she hangs from a glass coffin suspended by several chains over a dark pit, a prisoner of Ryan in order to force Leonard Hohenberger's hand in completing the Monstar virus for its use in The Second Stage Turbine Blade. In the coffin Pearl says “Never mind the lines, I'm coming.” with “the lines” here connecting to World of Lines as well as being representative of the chains that keep Pearl bound in the coffin. When she says “I'm coming”, it is reflective of the faith in her husband and the KBI that they will rescue her. “The darkest light, the blind I'll be” is a reflection of Pearl's deteriorating mental state within the confines of the coffin. Her normal self washes away as she slowly begins to betray everything she cared about in normal life as a result of the psychological torture of the coffin, leaving her regular light darkened, and her vision of the future blinded by her immediate suffering. The last three lines, “I accept that you chose to forget, The horrid thing you made of me my dear, It is alright, it is so.” denotes Pearl starting to give in to Ryan's taunts and twisted philosophies, stating that it is the fault of Leonard and Joseph that she is suffering as Ryan's prisoner.
The hook states “The laughing feels so good, But the world misunderstood all I said, There was no joke in what I meant.” which reflects Pearl's failing optimism and mental deterioration. At the beginning of the chapter, she starts off determined to not allow Ryan to break her spirit or crush her faith in her husband and the KBI – reflected in “The laughing feels so good” as she feels that in defying him she is winning some small victory over Ryan. “But the world misunderstood all I said” reflects Pearl's succumbing to Ryan's words, which juxtaposes with his rising popularity among the civilians of Heaven's Fence. “There was no joke in what I meant” brings home the weight of Pearl admitting to herself that she would rather her son or husband were in the coffin instead of her, that in that moment she was perfectly serious about what she was saying.
The chorus “Someone please come, shelter me from, all that I am and never again will I, believe the same old story.” is Pearl's cry for help, not from the coffin but from what she's turning into. The fact that she would be willing to betray the people she loves most to stop her own suffering causes her to beg for someone to shelter her from all that she is while she is Ryan's prisoner. She says “never again will I, believe the same old story.” as a reflection of her desire to come back from Ryan's torment, to stop being what he is turning her into, believing his stories.
The next verse reflects the moment that she breaks and admits to herself that she would prefer Joseph or Leonard be in the coffin, anyone just not her:
“I've given up on all I love, For an honest moment of clarity, I need to feel alright please let me breathe” reflects Pearl's utter desperation for her suffering to end, even at the cost of her loved ones. “In a life I made out of nothing, To cleanse this useless identity.” signifies Pearl knowing how precious her life is, as she made it “out of nothing”, but despite knowing the suffering in the coffin is so great it causes her to believe it doesn't matter. She wants that life back, in order to stop feeling the way Ryan is forcing her to feel and think, to “cleanse this useless identity.” which, is a reference to the second chapter of the YOTBR novel, where Ryan has a conversation with fellow mage Covent Marth, in regards to his plans for Heaven's Fence. This reference is placed within the song as an anchor point, as if to say “these are the events which lead to this event.”
The bridge “I failed you... I fail, There's no understanding in miracles, When the worst, it always comes true, I am the nothing you have saved.” is Pearl regretting having broken at Ryan's hands. She believes she has “failed” her family, and her point of view on life has become decidedly fatalist “There's no understanding in miracles, when the worst, it always comes true.” The final line “I am the nothing you have saved” represents Pearl's frustration with the failure of the KBI – though they have started a war against Ryan, ultimately they've saved nothing, and Pearl sees herself as that nothingness, the futility of war.
The outro says “It eats us like cancer, we're hoping for something, Maybe an answer with all that you've done for me. I'll give you nothing”. I believe that the outro serves as a parallel action between the KBI and Pearl. In the song's corresponding chapter within the novel, the KBI argue furiously amongst themselves in regards with what to about about Pearl's kidnapping. The “It” refers to Pearl's capture, which eats away at the group in their bickering, as they “hope for something” that will enable them to save Pearl, an “answer”. The “all that you've done for me”, I believe is a reference to the KBI, who were ultimately built by Leonard in an effort to restore some kind of hope to his wife after the death of her son. “I'll give you nothing.” is a reference to Pearl's earlier defiance of Ryan, which has now washed away due to her psychological break down.
“Made out of nothing” refers to the life that Pearl and Leonard had built together, a life which is now destroyed forever.
9. Pearl of the Stars
Lyrics:
Each night I wish to God he'd let her rest
This hurts me more than any man could bear
She's my angel from the west
There will never be a one to take her place
Chorus
When you go, I will know
Follow you to the stars
And when the world burns apart
There'll be a place for your car
I'd give you everything
If only I'd have known you'd take it
But you don't 'cause you're you
That's why I'll always love you
My Pearl of the stars
The pill she takes, the pain of which she drowns
Our baby sleeps next door, she's new in town
I'll tell her how wonderful you were
I'll remember everything you were to me
Chorus
Chorus out.
Been a while since we've had a tear-jerker hasn't it? Coheed and Cambria have an incredible gift for delivering hardcore emotional content. With songs like 2's My Favourite 1, Wake Up and many, many more, Children of the Fence are never short of a reason to cry. Pearl of the Stars, shares it's name with a corresponding chapter in the Year of the Black Rainbow novel, it actually follows the thoughts after a major event in the novel.
The song opens with a finger-picked intro, spanning several chords allowing for a significantly melancholy tone. Claudio's voice is more subdued in this song, as if the weight of his world is on his shoulders. The chorus breaks through with sorrowful passion, with the song rising between crying lightly and balling the character's eyes out.
This song covers a part which isn't explicitly written in the novel, but is a natural part of loss. After her torture at the hands of Ryan and a bitter confrontation with her husband after her release, Pearl, in her psychosis, climbs a tree and jumps off it to her death, leaving Leonard to find the broken, mangled body. This song is a testament to his grief.
He starts “Each night I wish to God he'd let her rest.” which could be taken as either he prays to God that Pearl is happy in heaven, or that he wishes that Ryan hadn't tortured his wife so, causing her suicide. “This hurts me more than any man could bear.” is an obvious expression of pain to the loss of the woman he loves most in the world. “She's my angel from the west, There will never be one to take her place.” signifies how highly Leonard thinks of his wife. He uses present tense as though she is still alive, alluding to the fact that he simply can't accept that she's dead. “From the west”, I feel could be an allusion to Claudio's wife, Chondra (research), with Pearl being a representation of her within the story. “There will never be one to take her place.” signifies just how special Pearl was to Leonard, and in turn, how special Chondra is to Claudio.
The chorus starts “When you go, I will know.” which, seems a bit of a redundant statement. Anyone would notice the death of their spouse, but I feel the phrase relates more to his recognition of her absence in every-day life. It's not so much that he will “know”, as much as constantly reminded that she isn't there. “Follow you, to the stars” signifies Leonard's desire to be with Pearl anywhere and everywhere, even to the heavens. “And when the world burns apart, there'll be a place for your car.” signifies hope at the end. We know from The Afterman that souls who die go to the Keywork where they reside in a purgatory-like zone called “The Mono”. It is foretold in the prophecy of The Crowing in The Second Stage Turbine Blade, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3 and GAV1, that The Crowing will destroy the Keywork and free the souls trapped within. Knowing this, “When the world burns apart” signifies the fulfilment of this prophecy in the future (backed up by Claudio's phrase at the end of the IKSSE:3 comics “Good Apollo, I'm burning Star IV”), which will free Pearl's soul from the Keywork. The line “There'll be a place for your car” signifies that even in the end of the Keywork, in the end of Heaven's Fence, there will still be a place for Pearl in Leonard's life, the use of a car is simply a metaphor for this.
The chorus continues “I'd give you everything, if only I'd have known you'd take it.”, which is a clear declaration of Leonard's complete and total love for Pearl. “But you don't, 'Cuz you're you. That's why I'll always love you.” is an acknowledgement of Pearl's completed dedication to Leonard while she was alive. She knows she can use him to get anything she wants, but she never would, because she's not the kind of person who takes advantage of the people she loves. Leonard then acknowledges this quality in his wife, as the reason he will love her, even through the end of the world. “My Pearl of the Stars” is simply a term of endearment to the wife he's lost, his great love who now resides in the stars.
The last verse in the song states: “The pill she takes, the pain of which she drowns” which is a reflection of the torture she faced, and her death as a result. The “pill” is a reference to her suicide, serving as a metaphor in that the only cure she could gain from her agony was in death. “Our baby sleeps next door, she's new in town,” symbolises Josephine, a baby that Leonard grew as a cure to the Monstar virus. The final two sentences, “I'll tell her how wonderful you were, I'll remember everything you were to me.” show that Leonard planned to raise Josephine as his own, and tell her about Pearl and everything she meant to him, possibly as a pseudo-mother figure.
10. In the Flame of Error
This song is, once again, related to Pearl's suicide, though unlike Pearl of the Stars, it takes a more immediate stance. Whereas Pearl of the Stars has the tone of missing someone who has been dead for a long time, In the Flame of Error speaks of the immediate rage that Leonard feels due to his loss, as well as the feelings of betrayal that Pearl felt due to Leonard's creation of the Monstar, and the fact that he handed over Coheed and Cambria to Wilhelm Ryan.
The song starts off with pounding buzzes and mechanical hums, it sounds a lot like the shuttle described in the chapter. The guitar's ascending riff with the lead guitar's long, sustained notes creates a feeling of anger and intimidation. Claudio's vocals sound manic, and the song slowly progresses from sounds of mania, to focused anger.
The song's corresponding chapter is the chapter where Leonard is reunited with his wife, only for her to, in a fit of hysteria, knock him out with a walking cane, follow hallucinations that lead her to commit suicide, and the moment where Leonard finds her body.
The song starts “I hate everything I am becoming, This change is torture”. At the beginning of the chapter, Leonard sits on the living room couch, trying to come to terms with everything that has happened:
He despises himself for what he's done in the name of saving his wife, but is feeling inner “torture” because of the conflicting nature of what he's done, against how and why he did it. Simultaneously, it refers to the change his life has taken now that Pearl is no longer in it. “There is never enough to give, only plenty to take” refers to the innate doubts that Leonard has over his exchange with Ryan. “And this I wage.” refers to the promise to Pearl that Leonard makes at the end of the chapter that he will “be the man [you] needed [me] to be”. It could also refer to Leonard waging a personal war against Wilhelm Ryan.
The next verse begins, “When the ground parts from below, Will it feel so?”, which refers to a dream that Leonard has during the beginning of the Chapter, where the floor splits open and swallow him and his wife in the deep chasm it leaves. The dream, and the line in the song, serves as a metaphor for the damage that has been done to the Hohenberger family. “How can I gain from another when the other goes?” signifies Leonard's reflections on his doubts regarding the nature of his deal with Deftinwolf. He
Lyrics:
I hate everything I am becoming.
This change is torture
There is never enough to give only plenty to take,
and this I wage
When the ground parts from below
Will it feel so?
How can I gain from another when the other goes?
This hand, this hurt, my heart
I'll flirt with disaster
Just know now man, the deal is off
Chorus
I'll be no good
This time defines
I'll put my touch around the grip of this knife
These dirty hands just won't come clean
I'm a murderer, the worst these worlds will see
Mercy
Please leave her just a little bit longer
She's all, my world
My love, I apologize
With that you will see the end of days
Just rest assured
'Cause they won't let her go and I remain so
Alone to work out a clever way to get her home
I will do what I must
I'll flirt with disaster
Just know now boy you're out of luck
Chorus
Oh, save me from defeat again
This is war
Murder the one so close
While she trusts, you curse
Die, my darling
If only you know now how lovely you glow in the flame of error
Oh, I ask too much please turn back the clock and take me instead
How have you come to lose,
The only thing, the other 1 to your 2?
I've become the wrong in everyone's sleep
Please burn me a God I'll be no good
Chorus
Oh, save me from defeat again
This is war
Murder the one so close
While she trusts, you curse
Die, my darling
Chorus
Oh, save me from defeat again x2
asks “How can I gain from another (meaning Deftinwolf) when the other (meaning Coheed and Cambria) goes?”. He doubts whether the deal will go as smoothly as he hopes it will. The line “This hand, this hurt, my heart, I'll flirt with disaster,” reflects Leonard's desperation to get his wife back, and the final line “Just know now man, the deal is off.” symbolises the challenge aspect of his promise to Pearl. In his promise he sword to be the man Pearl needed him to be, which, to his mind, involves killing Deftinwolf. The final line in this verse reflects this suicide mission.
The chorus starts off “I'll be no good this time defines, I'll put my touch around the grip of this knife, These dirty hands just won't come clean. I'm a murderer, the worst these worlds will see.” The entire chorus is Leonard blaming himself for the deaths of Joseph, Pearl and for the people of Heaven's Fence. He knows his chances against Deftinwolf are slim at best (I'll be no good this time defines), and embraces his murderous intent (I'll put my touch around the grip of this knife). He sees the blood of his son and wife and (eventually) everyone on Heaven's Fence through the Monstar virus on his hands (These dirty hands just won't come clean) and views himself as “a murderer, the worst these worlds will see.”
I believe the cry of “Mercy” is Leonard calling to his wife as she threatens to kill him around the middle of the chapter. This is backed up by the following line “Please wait for just a little bit longer,” which reflects Leonard begging Pearl to allow him time to explain his plan before she kills him. “She's all, my world, My love, I apologise,” reflects Leonard's apology and promise at the end of the chapter, further enhanced by the following line “With that, you will see the end of days just rest assured”, which carries the same tone as his promise in the chapter. “With that” meaning Pearl's death “you will see the end of days just rest assured” refers to Leonard's determination to get revenge. The desire for vengeance is further driven home by the verse's final lines “'Cause they won't let her go and I remain so, Alone, to work out a clever way to get her home, I will do what I must, I'll flirt with disaster, Just know now, boy you're out of luck.” The “her” in this line refers to Josephine, and the “they” refers to the KBI. The KBI will protect Josephine, so she'll be okay without Leonard should he die in his attempt on Deftinwolf's life. “I remain so alone to work out a clever way to get her home” shifts the voice of the narrative from Leonard to Inferno. Although it's in the same stanza, Inferno was made in Leonard's image, with all of Leonard's characteristics and knowledge – so it's only logical he would possess the same voice within the song. This line references a later chapter within the novel, where Inferno, alone in Leonard's house, finds a recording Leonard left behind for him with instructions to save Coheed and Cambria. In this regard, the “clever way to get her home” means, he will formulate a plan to save Coheed and Cambria and provide Josephine with a home. “I will do what I must, I'll flirt with disaster, Just know now, boy you're out of luck” refers to Inferno's determination to carry out Leonard's last requests.
I believe the line “Save me from defeat again” is Leonard expressing the belief that he will win either way. If he survives, he will have killed Wilhelm Ryan's most valuable military asset. If he dies, he will be reunited with Pearl. He says “Save me from defeat again” in reference to Pearl, as Pearl's death has given him the strength to stand up directly against Deftinwolf. “This is war” signifies Leonard reflecting on the life-and-death nature of his desire for vengeance. “Murder the one so close, While she trusts, you curse” is a dark remembrance of who Pearl used to be. Leonard says earlier in the novel that there is no one “more loving of life”, so this act of vengeance would go against everything she believed in had she been in a normal mental state. With his new desire for vengeance he spiritually “murders” the old Pearl, which is carried on in the statement “while she trusts, you curse.” “Die, my darling” rounds off this goal Leonard has set for himself.
“If only you know how lovely you glow in the flame of error,” is a statement that Claudio says he believes is profound. The “flame of error” could refer to Pearl's suicide, which would make sense as Claudio says he sees the song as Leonard “finding the beauty” in Pearl's death. However, the next line “I ask too much, please turn back the clock and take me instead.” refers to the desire that anyone in love has, to protect the person they love with their life. He wishes he suffered and died instead of Pearl.
The final verse seems to carry Wilhelm Ryan's mocking tone. He says “How have you come to lose
The only thing, the other 1 to your 2?”, which seems reflect Ryan's statement towards the end of the novel:
He believes the power of love is weak, and in this line, he seems to have proven his point as the power of Leonard and Pearl's love wasn't strong enough to stop her killing herself, or for them to revive their relationship. The last two lines also, seemingly can only apply to Ryan. “I've become the wrong in everyone's sleep” seems to be a reference to a moment in In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, where everyone on Heaven's Fence has a dream of Ryan devouring Heaven's Fence. This reference is further backed up by the line “Please burn me a God.”, which seems to refer to Ryan's supposed death in the IKSSE:3 comic. Ultimately, the final stanza serves as a declaration of victory from Ryan to Leonard.
11.When Skeletons Live
Lyrics:
She wheezes out her dying wish.
Come closer. One more moment, one more kiss
And I love her, I give her all I can
Her body sinks, her heat released
The curtain swings, this time she leaves
I will remember all she's done for me
But only I forgot that I'm not ready to let her go
As all time moves, you'll be riddled with doubt
You'll mourn to pull through, but love is dangerous
Chorus
When skeletons live inside your closets, thick and thin
you'll fear that no one will hear us sing our songs
The truth is relevant, but not for long
'Cause love is our downfall
I'm sorry this life cuts out everything
and leaves you to scrounge for nothing
Give us the Monstar
There's no chance to try and mend,
whats been broken can't be bent
So the past remains the past until present
The cradle sways this black disguise
This chained coffin breathes our time's demise
All these shackles deceive just how long I've grieved
I made my move with no worry or doubt
Let them live as they do,
my eternal reminder.
Chorus
I'm sorry, but the hurt's not going away
I'll bury all the past,
Everything in it's place,
Give us the Monstar.
Chorus
When skeletons live x3
inside your closets, thick and thin
you'll fear that no one will hear
Ooh, I'm sorry this life cuts out everything
and leaves you to scrounge for nothing
Give us the Monstar x2
At long last we come to the closing acts of Year of the Black Rainbow. Chapter 20 shares the title of the song with When Skeletons Live, but like so many Coheed and Cambria songs, the title is more a reflection of events within the novel leading up to this point. In this instance, When Skeletons Live serves as a tracking of events from the completion of the Monstar virus, to Pearl's death, to the beginning of the battle at House Atlantic.
The song starts off with almost ghost-like synth sounds, before busting out into blasting drums which tie in subtle, yet energetic guitars. Claudio sings the lines quickly and frantically. The chorus bursts through with classic Coheed and Cambria drama. The whole song is dramatic, a reflection of the story it tells.
The entire first stanza is a reflection on Pearl's death. It is practically a physical, step-by-step retelling of the event. “She wheezes out her dying wish” is a metaphoric interpretation of the hallucinations which caused her to commit suicide, hallucinations which allowed her final moments of peace before she died. The rest of the stanza is more or less a physical and mental re-enacting of Leonard's reaction to finding his wife's body. He begs her “Come closer, one more moment, one more kiss” and re-iterates “And I love her” even through the hell they've been through, the change in her character, and even through death he still loves her. As a final act of love he makes his last promise to her as reflected in “I give her all I can”. Next follows a physical description of her death “Her body sinks, her heat released” and metaphoric portrayal of her spirit passing, “The curtain swings, this time she leaves”. In this moment, Leonard reflects on their life together, and desperately clings to that memory as the last remaining fragment of the woman he loves most, “I'll remember all she's done for me, But only I forgot that I'm not ready to let her go.”
I feel that the hook at this point in the song is a personal reflection from Claudio on the nature of loss and grief. “As all time moves, You'll be riddled with doubt, You mourn to pull through” is extremely reflective of the nature of loss and the grief of that loss. As time “moves” people who are suffering grief often doubt everything around them, but eventually through their mourning the person pulls through. The last line of the hook brings us back to the story in this reflection “But love is dangerous” is a reflection of the goal that love has given to Leonard Hohenberger, as well as the power it grants Coheed and Cambria when fighting in the When Skeletons Live chapter.
The chorus begins “When skeletons live, Inside your closets, thick and thin, You'll fear that no one will hear us sing our songs”. This line references the multiple secrets throughout the closing series of events within the novel. The creation of the Monstar, the secret of Pearl's location while she is captive, Leonard's plan in his relinquishing of the Monstar etc. “You'll fear that no one will hear us sing our songs” could mean several things. It could refer to a fear that Leonard has that Coheed and Cambria will fail, that Ryan will have a “skeleton” in his closet that will defeat the KBI and steal their victory. Or, in a more literal sense, it could refer to the story's impact on Coheed and Cambria's music, and that should Ryan prove victorious there would be a tremendous shift in how the band wrote their music. The final lines “The truth is relevant but not for long, 'Cause love is our downfall.” represent the final battle in the last few chapters. The “truth” refers to the fact that Coheed, Cambria and Inferno are outnumbered by Ryan's forces, but it doesn't matter because “love is our downfall”, meaning they will fight for their love of each other despite their total lack of any advantage.
“I'm sorry this life cuts out everything, And leaves you to scrounge for nothing” feels like an apology from Claudio to his characters. He apologises for the hell he puts them through, and acknowledges their suffering, before reverting back to the main point that has caused all this suffering in the phrase “Give us the Monstar”.
The next section is a reference to the first song on the album The Broken. The line says “There's no chance to try and mend, What's been broken can't be bent, So the past remains the past until present.” This part of the song reflects on the state of the other mages. The “what's been broken” refers to the mage order, which can no longer be fixed. The line “the past remains past until present.” refers to the experiments (which up until this point have been rumours on Heaven's Fence) on the other mages, which are confirmed in The Second Stage Turbine Blade and In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3. Backing this up, the setting of IKSSE:3 is in the present day, with Claudio recounting events of the past, revealing this line could be a subtle reference to the IKSSE:3 comic mini-series.
I think the line “The cradle sways this black disguise” signifies the hope of Josephine (who at this point is still just a baby, hence the reference to a “cradle”) as the cure of the Monstar virus, references in the phrase “black disguise”. The Monstar being a virus for doomsday is decidedly dark, or “black, and it was “disguised” within the bodies of Coheed and Cambria. “This chained coffin breathes our time's demise” seems to back up this train of thought, as it is due to Pearl's suffering in a chained coffin that Leonard's hand was forced in completing the Monstar, a virus to cause “our time's demise”. The final line “All these shackles deceive just how long I've grieved” represents the constant struggles that Leonard has been through, and how they've kept him focussed on a single task, allowing him to cope better with the grief of losing his wife.
The final lines are reflexive of the epilogue of the book. “I made my move with no worry or doubt, Let them live as they do” is representative of the way that Inferno implanted artificial memories into the minds of Coheed and Cambria of them being a married couple. The phrase “My eternal reminder” from Inferno's point of view, could be representative of the role Coheed and Cambria will now play in his life. They are no longer comrades, they are a family, but Inferno will always be reminded of their time in combat that they shared together. The last three lines of the song, “I'm sorry, but the hurt's not going away, I'll bury all the past, Everything in it's place.” seem to reinforce this train of thought.
12. The Black Rainbow
The final song of Year of the Black Rainbow is a recount of the events of the Mage war from the perspective of Paranoia, Ambellina and The Prise. Through the lines of the lyrics, The Prise reflect on The Black Rainbow's meaning, and how their decisions played out in the story.
The first part of the song is calming and ghost-like. It opens with a whirring hum and calm guitar progressions. Soft, electric drums pulse in the background. Claudio's voice is ethereal and misty. The second part of the song brings in further use of sound-effects, adding an extra layer to the music and Claudio's voice is brought out of the fog slightly and is more clear. The third section of the song is introduced with bold drums and loud guitars, and Claudio's pained vocals repeating the verse, leading into a dark, chaotic blend of vocals, electronica and guitars. The song ends with a technological sound scape which I can only describe haunting, but that word does not do it justice.
The first line “You were all that we needed, To believe in our doubt” addresses the Black Rainbow from the perspective of the Prise. Due to the riddle of God the Prise have been doubting their position as humanities guardians for some time, and now that the Black Rainbow has appeared, they (particularly Ambellina) take it as a sign that they have failed in their mission. The Black Rainbow was “all that [we] needed” to confirm their suspicions that they had failed, to “believe in [our] doubt”. The Prise reflect on the Mage war in the following line “The hurt we allowed.” with “the hurt”
Lyrics:
You were all that we needed
To believe in our doubt
The hurt we allowed
We had sworn to believe them
And scattered across our memories found
You were all that we needed
To believe in our doubt
The worst I'm afraid
The hurt we allowed
We defined the lines and crossed
Into a great unknown to read all
The words we left out
In all, we all, are truly afraid
In all, we are, of the one thing we can't be
In all, we all, are truly afraid
Wishing one day we could be strong
It's over, it's over
It's all coming apart
While you were sleeping, we were stealing your heart It's over, it's over
It's all coming apart
Now I never let this go, I sang
It's over, it's over
It's all coming apart
While you were sleeping, we were stealing your heart It's over, it's over
It's coming apart
Now I never let this go, I sang
It's over, it's over
(Coming apart, coming apart)
While you were sleeping, we were stealing your heart It's over, it's over
(Coming apart, coming apart)
Now I never let this go, I sang
It's over, it's over Coming apart, I know, I know,
you know, you know It's over, it's over
Coming apart (it's over, it's over)
referring to the Mage war. “We had sworn to believe them, And scattered across our memories found, You were all that we needed” refers to God's riddle. The Prise had sworn to believe the riddle (with “them” referring to the words of God). The arrival of the Black Rainbow (as evidenced in “you were all that we needed”), forced the Prise to look back on their inactivity (scattered across our memories).
The second half of these verse is carries a much more personal tone, with the opening sentence being “The worst I'm afraid”, which causes me to believe that this particular part of the song consists of Paranoia's thoughts. She continues “The hurt we allowed, We defined the lines and crossed, Into a great unknown to read all, The words we left out”. I believe this expresses further regret on the part of the Prise regarding the Mage war. She refers to the Mage war again as “the hurt [we] allowed”, and in the following lines “We defined the lines and crossed, into a great unknown to read all, the words we left out”, she considers the role of the riddle posed by God in the Mage war. “We defined the lines” represents the Prise's limited ability to fully comprehend God's riddle. Their shallow definition caused them to stay their hands during the Mage war, and now they have “crossed into a great unknown to read all the words we left out”, meaning that they believe the Black Rainbow has provided them a slight clue to the meaning of God's Riddle. The “great unknown” is the Black Rainbow, and the “words we left out” is the missing piece of God's Riddle that the Prise believe the phenomenon provides.
The Prise continue to reflect on the assumed meaning of the Black Rainbow. Remember, should the Prise intervene in destructive events that are actually of God's design, then God will destroy all of creation. This part of the song alternates the phrases “In all, we all” and “In all, we are” in relation to the Prise. Omitting the majority these phrases however, reveals the true nature of this stanza. They say “In all, we all, are truly afraid, of the one thing we can't be. In all, we all, are truly afraid, Wishing one day we could be strong” This revision of the stanza reveals that the Prise are collectively afraid of one of two things. First, they are afraid of the power of Wilhelm Ryan (they can't be Mage, they are Prise) but as the Prise are invariably stronger than the Mage, this doesn't ring true. It is far more likely that they are afraid of being the catalyst of the destruction of all life on the Fence. They are afraid that if they take action it will cause God to destroy all he has made, making Heaven's Fence's guardians, their murderers. The second part reveals they are equally afraid of inaction, and wish they could be strong enough to fully understand God's riddle and take up arms on behalf of humanity.
The final part of the song interprets the portion of the story where disaster falls. “It's over, it's over” refers to this part of the story within The Amory Wars. This particular battle is over, but nowhere near for the best. “It's all coming apart” refers to the tentative peace after the final battle. After all Ryan isn't confirmed dead at the end of the book, only disappeared. “While you were sleeping, we were stealing your heart” is a reference to the events of the chapter While You Were Sleeping in the novel, where Leonard hands over Coheed and Cambria with the Monstar virus inside of them. The Prise reflect on this event as a moment where Heaven's Fence heart was stolen, as Ryan was given access to a virus which could destroy Heaven's Fence. I honestly can't think of anything satisfactory for the line “Now I never let this go, I sang”, other than it's Claudio's personal interjection into the Prise's thoughts. He reassures them that he's not finished with the story, only that this is the current part of the story he is writing about. But honestly, I just don't know.
