I tried remembering the first time I heard Coheed and Cambria, but it was so long ago that it’s been lost to memories accumulated since. I do remember getting In Keeping Secret of Silent Earth: III for Christmas the year it came out, along with I think Motion City Soundtrack and maybe a Brand New album.

IKS came out in October 2003. Sooo if you wanna do that math quick, that’s a little over 15 years ago.  As someone whose tastes in music are on a constant rotation, I can’t believe I’ve been listening to this one band consistently for FIFTEEN years. I still vividly remember listening to this while falling asleep as a kid. And cleaning my room to it. And hell, even taking a bath with this on in the background, sitting in cold ass water, waiting for the album to conclude.

Perpetually pruney fingers didn’t mean SHIT so long as I got to the end of “The Light and the Glass”

The nostalgia that emanates from songs like “Time Consumer” and “Welcome Home” is so intense for me.  I don’t remember how many times I’ve seen Coheed, though I don’t think it’s been so many times that they all mesh together. Sure, I wish they played longer last night. I always do. But it was awesome to hear songs spanning the entire discography, from the early days of The Second Stage Turbine Blade, to their newest, Vaxis- Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures.  Of course, I’d kill to hear more of their older material, and you can bet damn well that if they start doing some 20th anniversary shenanigans, I’ll be all over that shit.

I’m ecstatic that I get to continue to watch these dudes and their music continue to evolve and their fanbase grow.  In a time when bands rise up and fizzle out quickly after, Coheed and Cambria keep chugging along. And it’s beautiful.

So, please, if you will, pardon me while I take the rest of the day to explore Coheed’s discography, in full, from the beginning. I am usually long overdue for this kind of stuff, but I am most certainly overdue for this particular adventure. Guess while I’m at it, I might as well snag my tickets for Pittsburgh, eh?

ONE AMONG THE FENCE