this is basically just Afterman 3 but I'm really enjoying it, the Pretelethal reprise gave me chills. they were feeling some Dear Hunter type shit when they wrote that

Album Rating: 3.5

Seconding that there's still a ton of dad rock energy on this album but I think it's done much better than their other dad rock slop like Shoulders and Bad Man.

Album Rating: 4.7

Emphasis on the Dad part in Dad Rock. There’s so much paternal energy here lol Vaxis I and II had more dad rock energy to me. This one genuinely sounds like GAIV to my ears

Album Rating: 3.5

I wish I was picking that up more because I think GAI has a much darker sound than this does and this is a lot more '80s pop than GAI save for The Suffering. The only song here that kind of gives me that sinister vibe is Mr. Nobody.



I think you're right that Vaxis I and II are more dad rock in an Octane-core kind of way. There's obviously radio friendly stuff here but in a different way that doesn't feel nearly as cheesy.

Album Rating: 4.7

GAIV is very dark but I also think people tend to underrate just how bubbly and poppy the album is outside of the willing wells and welcome home. One Last Miracle sounds plucked from that mold and I’d argue the title track as that sinister energy too

Album Rating: 3.5

Always and Never, Apollo I, The Lying Lies, and Mother May I are all dark songs to me and while Coheed has had a much bigger '80s sound on their stuff starting with GAI, I think with the Vaxis albums it's more of a glitzy '80s influence.



I'm listening to the title track right now and I feel like I've been saying this since Vaxis I but there are a lot of songs that sound like a more fully-realized execution of what YOTBR was doing. The Father of Make Believe would be right at home on that album alongside Queen of the Dark, True Ugly, and Blood.

Album Rating: 4.7

That’s fair. GAIV’s poppy moments give off a sense of temporary light and warmth because their subject matter is still pretty dark and they are obviously surrounded by by some of the band’s most menacing material.



But I do get a similar vibe here that I don’t think any of their other albums since have provided. There’s definitely some Vaxis energy here that is in line with V1 and V2 but for me it does lean more towards GAIV/IKS vibes

Album Rating: 3.5

"But I do get a similar vibe here that I don’t think any of their other albums since have provided."



I can mostly agree with that. That said, this doesn't feel like a Vol. 2 or 3 of any other record they've put out to me. I know some people have said it's The Afterman Pt. 3 but I'm not really getting that too much out of it. It feels pretty distinct in their output.



I'm also a Mic Todd bassline truther and it kills me wondering what the band would sound like with him still around but I have to give my flowers to Zach because he absolutely kills it on a lot of songs here. His basslines stick out much more here than I can remember in a long time.

Album Rating: 4.7

I’ve read a pretty compelling theory that Vaxis II’s instrumentation was so straightforward because of the band writing from a distance during Covid and Claudio birthing the songs from his library of synthesizers. I think this sorta style had been the band’s style post-Afterman but Vaxis II was definitely an extreme.



This sounds so much more vibrant and like everyone had a hand in it.



Mic Todd’s bass lines are legendary but I don’t think I miss him too much from how good Zac has been as the replacement.



I agree that I think this one is more unique than just Afterman 3, but I don’t blame folks for flipping their shit because of the All Mother appearance and leitmotif

Album Rating: 3.5

For me it's more that Mic had extremely distinct basslines and I think he added a lot to the songwriting. I think he was a bit more creative and proggy in his approach to playing bass. However, Zach is a phenomenal bass player and a super nice dude. In fact, Coheed seems to be exclusively made up of incredible human beings so it makes them easy to love.

Album Rating: 4.7

They are definitely both very distinct.



Zac's time has unfortunately coincided with Claudio ostensibly not leaving as much breathing room the others, which is kinda puzzling since Afterman seemed like such a group project. This feels like a return in that regard.



Love Coheed so much in part because their struggles have been so open and confronted head-on. I don't have much of a parasocial worship with them, but it's been heartening to see the band grow from edgy youngsters to the mature, measured perspective on this.

Album Rating: 4.0

Play the Poet is GOATed with the sauce

yes

Album Rating: 4.0

S:

A: The Flood, Searching for Tomorrow, Father of Make Believe, Play the Poet

B: One Last Miracle, So It Goes, Welcome to Forever, Blind Side Sonny,

C: Goodbye Sunshine, Someone Who Can, Tethered Together, Yesterday's Lost

D: Corner My Confidence, Meri of Mercy



I rly like chorus in The Flood, and it'd be in S tier if that bit that stars at like 4:10 just kept building and didn't fizzle out so early

Blindside is so bad, cannot believe they picked it as the lead single off this lmao

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Blind Side actually grew on me, and it has the added bonus here of leading straight into Play the Poet (which might be the best song on this album?)

I do really like that transition but Play the Poet isn't quite hitting that hard for me yet, I like the hook and the breakdown but the verses are not good. song combo and placement is kinda giving Holly Wood on Afterman vibes lol

Album Rating: 4.7

Blindside was an awesome choice as the lead because it completely lowered my expectations lol



But it grew on me (and more importantly, they fixed the mix on it) and works wayyyyy better in the context of the album

Album Rating: 4.0

Meri and Corner My Confidence are the only songs I’d call downright bad. Blind Side isn’t mindblowing but it’s fun.

Sonny is a bad ripoff of the worst MCR era and Meri is top 5 here, maybe higher. gorgeous song right there