Top 40ish Coheed and Cambria Songs
Being that they are my favorite band of all time I’ve decided to pay homage to them by composing a list of my top forty songs. Songs were chosen based on their musicality, emotional engagement, and importance to the Amory Wars story. If you're new to Coheed this is definitely a list you should check out.
Note: None of Coheed’s preludes were chosen due to the fact that they all kick ass and I see them as extensions of the song that follows. |
| 1 |  | Coheed and Cambria
From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
The Willing Well I-IV: Musical perfection. It contains the right amount of theatrical prog while maintaining elements of pop sensibility. The perfect Coheed song and a phenomenal musical representation of the Writer’s final steps into madness and his confrontation with his characters. |
| 2 |  | Coheed and Cambria
No World for Tomorrow
The End Complete I-V: Although, for me, “Radio Bye Bye” is a bit of a dud the rest is classic Coheed and really does a nice job of wrapping up the Amory Wars story. Part Three alone is Coheed’s best song to date. The reprise of “The Final Cut” in “The End” is a nice nod and does a fantastic job of creating a concept that feels unified. |
| 3 |  | Coheed and Cambria
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3 : One of the greatest album openers of all time. It does a stupendous job of painting the picture of a desolate, “Silent” Earth and the desperate battle that is to follow. This song has so much energy and passion and it does a great job of pacing itself until the reprise of the main theme at the end. |
| 4 |  | Coheed and Cambria
The Afterman: Ascension
Keywork Entity I: Domino The Destitute: An excellent example of how Coheed’s concept bridges the gap between Claudio’s life and the story. Based off Mic Todd’s descent into drugs, not only does this song pull on the heart strings but it punishes with heavy instrumentation and a grandiose conclusion. |
| 5 |  | Coheed and Cambria
The Second Stage Turbine Blade
Delirium Trigger: Coheed’s “creepiest” song to date, it does a superb job of setting the scene for Coheed and Cambria’s confrontation with General Crom. Some of Claudio’s most obscure lyrics can be found in this song which does an excellent job of bringing to life a dying character’s perspective. |
| 6 | | Coheed and Cambria
No World for Tomorrow
Mother Superior: My favorite ballad of Coheed’s. It’s an excellent “breather” song and sets up the listener up for the final push through Coheed’s “last” Amory Wars story. For an avid listener in the music and the story it’s a really emotional piece and it’s rewarding to see the protagonist pull himself up by the bootstraps to finish the war he didn’t start. |
| 7 | | Coheed and Cambria
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
The Light and the Glass: Although many times ballads feel bloated or like filler Coheed and Cambria (up until recently) have always crafted ones that complement the flow of the story and album. The Light and the Glass is epic, emotional, and wraps up IKSSE:3 on the perfect dark and depressing note. Pretty much a ramped up version of “God Send Conspirator”. |
| 8 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Second Stage Turbine Blade
God Send Conspirator: One thing Coheed does consistently well is write album closers and openers. I love how positive sounding this song starts before gradually slipping down into this really aggressive sing-a-long segment. For a debut album this is a killer conclusion and the outro leaves the listener feeling haunted and hungry for another spin. |
| 9 | | Coheed and Cambria
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
The Crowing: Beautiful lyrics and jolting time changes make this song such an epic listen. Everything works so damn well in this song it’s hard to pin down exactly what makes this such a special moment. You really get the sense of Claudio the character’s starting to figure out his purpose and role in within the war. This is what it sounds like when a band is firing on all cylinders and completely in sync and together they weave the perfect anthem for hope, vengeance, despair, and acceptance. |
| 10 |  | Coheed and Cambria
The Afterman: Descension
Keywork Entity V: Sentry the Defiant: One of the better songs to come out of The Afterman. Its high energy and intensity make it a killer album opener and a great way to start a concert. Combined with Pretelethal, these two songs are a one-two punch that really encapsulate the emotions of a man fighting for his life. |
| 11 | | Coheed and Cambria
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
The Camper Velourium I-III: Another great series of movements. It’s definitely a fun listen and, when back to back, really does a great job of taking a character and slowly distorting our perception of them. What starts off as a poppy love song slowly descends into obsession and madness as Al the Killer’s true nature is unveiled. |
| 12 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Second Stage Turbine Blade
Everything Evil: From the heartbeat bass drum pattern beginning with scrambling guitar licks underneath to the monstrous ending this song oozes with the post-punk influences of SSTB. “Dear Claudio, I wish goddammit we’ll make it if you still believe” is probably one of Coheed’s most memorable lines and makes for an incredible live moment. |
| 13 | | Coheed and Cambria
From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
The Suffering: Being the first Coheed song I ever heard this song holds a special place in my heart. Not only is it incredibly catchy but it serves as the tipping point between what little sanity the Writer had left and his full decline into madness. |
| 14 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Afterman: Descension
Gravity’s Union: Containing the one of the most emotional moments from The Afterman, this song is an excellent nod back to IKSSE:3 and SSTB. “We wave welcome aboard” is such a chilling moment and it’s an incredible way to portray Silas and Meri’s final moments together. |
| 15 | | Coheed and Cambria
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
2113: This song is fucking weird but it’s such a masterpiece. Often forgotten about (at least that’s how I feel) this song plays like some strange nightmare. I think it’s definitely one of their strangest songs but it’s way too good to pass up and deserves a high spot within their catalogue. |
| 16 | | Coheed and Cambria
No World for Tomorrow
No World For Tomorrow: A kick ass opener that sets the stage for the epic conclusion of the Amory wars. “Bye bye world, only our hopes to hold on,” is such a hair-raising phrase and the song does a great job of placing two meanings on that line: one at the beginning which seems to serve as a rallying point for Claudio and the IRO-bots, and one at the end to show how despair has replaced hope. |
| 17 | | Coheed and Cambria
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Three Evils (Embodied in Love and Shadow): For some reason this song has always struck a chord within me. Beyond the concept it reached out to me during a tough point in my life. Plus, it just fuckin’ rocks. |
| 18 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Second Stage Turbine Blade
33: Despite the fact that Claudio has stated this song has always confused him I love the hell out of it. I love the idea of this dude having an existential moment while being run down by this demon. |
| 19 | | Coheed and Cambria
No World for Tomorrow
Running Free: Coheed has always beautifully handled the deaths of their characters. From “We’re going home pretty soon” to “You’re running free, as if you never owed them anything”, they always seem to make seem glorious. “The Running Free”, paired with ”Mother Superior” is such a nice juxtaposition and it brilliantly portrays the two ways we react to death. |
| 20 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Second Stage Turbine Blade
Time Consumer: Classic Coheed. Bleak and raw, it’s a slow burner of an intro but it does the trick. |
| 21 |  | Coheed and Cambria
Year of the Black Rainbow
The Chamberlain: Oddly enough (or not oddly, depending on how you feel about YOTBR) My favorite song from the album actually didn’t make it onto the disc. Definitely reminiscent of Sabbath or (heavier) Deep Purple, this song kicks the crap out of the most of the songs on the actual disc and gives us a little insight into the mind of a young Wilhem Ryan. |
| 22 |  | Coheed and Cambria
The Color Before The Sun
Peace to the Mountain: Yeah, “Atlas” and “Island” are good, but this song stole the show. Definitely worthy being noted with the rest of their catalogue, “Peace to the Mountain” is infectious and heart-felt. I hope it doesn’t go this way, but if Coheed were to end and this were to be the last on their last album I would be ok with that. This song is like sitting on the beach and watching the world fall apart. It’s reflective, emotional, and uplifting. |
| 23 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Afterman: Ascension
Keywork Entity IV: Evagria the Faithful: Such a funky and yet heart-wrenching song. Although the Keywork Entity songs are great, this and the other two mentioned are by far the strongest both on an emotional and a musical level. |
| 24 | | Coheed and Cambria
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
A Favor house: “Good eye sniper!” is one of Coheed’s most recognizable lines and, whenever someone tells me they’ve heard of Coheed but don’t know what song I usually give them that quote or play this song. One of their best singles. |
| 25 | | Coheed and Cambria
From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
Wake Up: This song is the calm before the storm of madness that is “The Suffering”. A lovely little love song that does a nice job of showing the two sides of love “Kill anyone for you/this story is for you”. |
| 26 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Afterman: Ascension
The Afterman: Another brilliant love song, it soothes the listener after “Domino the Destitute” pummels them with anger and heaviness. It’s a simple song but it goes to show that Coheed is still capable of writing masterful songs even when dialing it back. |
| 27 | | Coheed and Cambria
Year of the Black Rainbow
The Black Rainbow: While YOTBR has a lot of hit or miss songs, especially towards the second half, one thing I thought the album did really well was wrap itself up. The whole thing is very dark and ominous and this track looms over the ending like its namesake, building in noise until a release which segues nicely into SSTB. While technically the beginning, it really does feel like the end my god is a haunting one. |
| 28 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Afterman: Descension
Random Reality Shifts: Coheed always seems to release gems of demos and while I can understand why they might have trouble sometimes finding a place to fit it in the album I really wish a studio/full band version of this song would see the light of day. Many speculate that this song would have replaced “2 is my favorite 1” on Descension and, while I love the hell out of “2” I think this song would have made for a killer ending. Coheed always does slow burners for their conclusions so it would have been fascinating to see them step outside the box. |
| 29 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Second Stage Turbine Blade
Neverender: Another great classic from SSTB. I think when a band names an entire tour off of a song it means something and, in the case of this song, that honor is justified. While “God Send Conspirator” is the official conclusion of SSTB this song feels very much like a goodbye, in both its lyrics and its instrumentation. There is lament and sorrow, coupled with delicate moments of false hope(“in graver mistakes, dear Mom and Dad…”). It ends on a bitter moment and goddamn does it pull on heartstrings. |
| 30 | | Coheed and Cambria
Year of the Black Rainbow
The Broken: Another thing Coheed got right on YOTBR. The opener is fantastic and does a good job of show casing Atticus Ross’ production. Although a lot of the album feels over-produced this song feels like a fresh take on Coheed’s sound. |
| 31 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Afterman: Ascension
The Homecoming: I wish they had replaced “Subtraction” on Ascension with this song. Subtraction feels like an after-thought or a Prize Fighter Inferno reject and I often find myself skipping “Subtraction” in favor of “The Homecoming”. It’s beautiful and intimate and fits the ending of Ascension way better than a glitch-y electronic piece. |
| 32 | | Coheed and Cambria
From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
Mother May I: “Give them the story, you want them too/ before you leave me.” Probably one of my favorite Coheed lines. It’s not their most epic or even their most complex but within the confines of the story it fits so perfectly and it feels personal. |
| 33 | | Coheed and Cambria
Year of the Black Rainbow
The Lost Sheppard: Another great demo that honestly would have fit perfectly on YOTBR and would have added some flavor to a bland second half of the album. |
| 34 | | Coheed and Cambria
No World for Tomorrow
Feathers: An epic love song that addresses something Coheed fans have wondered about since Claudio (the character) left Newo in SSTB. Although the melody is relatively happy sounding the lyrics hint at darker subject matter and I love the shift in key in the second half of the song. NWFT is such a tour-de-force and this song helps propel it’s momentum towards an incredible ending. |
| 35 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Color Before The Sun
Island: I originally had this and Atlas switched but made a last minute decision to give them this ranking. I know going from 35th to 38th isn’t a huge deal but to me there is a subtle difference which justifies these rankings. I’ll address “Atlas” later but “Island” is a fantastic opener and one of the best tracks on TCBTS. It’s a great track to drive to work to in the mornings and to greet the day with. |
| 36 | | Coheed and Cambria
Year of the Black Rainbow
Guns of Summer: Although Josh Eppard is the only drummer I consider to be a part of Coheed and Cambria, Chris Pennie does a fantastic job on this song. Thanks to his drumming this song gallops along and helps start YOTBR off on an energetic and engaging note. |
| 37 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Color Before The Sun
Atlas: It’s a good song, yes, but some of the lyrics don’t sit well with me. It’s definitely a very honest and heart-felt song and the instrumentation is great. |
| 38 | | Coheed and Cambria
No World for Tomorrow
Gravemakers and Gunslingers: While some people seem to really dislike this song it’s one of my favorite. It completely crushes live and portrays an epic battle between Claudio and an unnamed villain (my bets are on a reincarnated Al the Killer but we’ll see). |
| 39 | | Coheed and Cambria
From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
Ten Speed of God’s Blood: Another classic Coheed song. It throws down pretty hard. A great single and a fun piece when performed live. |
| 40 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Color Before The Sun
The Audience: Although I don’t believe bands should just write songs to please their fans, Coheed and Cambria has always had a very dedicated fan base and, especially on a “personal” album like TCBTS, it seems crucial that they address what their fans have done for the band. This is such a touching tribute to those people and the message alone makes it one of the most important songs on their most recent release. |
| 41 | | Coheed and Cambria
Year of the Black Rainbow
Hush: Seriously Coheed… why did you skip over these rocking tunes? Another demo from YOTBR, it’s got such a creepy vibe and a stalking bass line that I don’t know who made the decision to not put this on the album. If the three demos I’d mentioned from YOTBR had made it on the album I guarantee it would have a higher rating and a way better reputation among fans. |
| 42 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Second Stage Turbine Blade
Iro-bot: Another hidden gem. Played both at the end of “Everything Evil (demo)” (or “Godsend Conspirator depending on the release) and “2113”, this song is essential for anyone getting into Coheed. It’s short but within its run length it is able to communicate a bleak and hopeless tone. “IRO-bot will never die.” |
| 43 | | Coheed and Cambria
The Second Stage Turbine Blade
Elf Tower New Mexico: This one veers more in the direction of “2113” in terms of a weird demo. I don’t think this one would have fit anywhere on SSTB but it’s still a great song and worthy of listening to. The concept seems to flitter between fitting and not fitting but you can tell it’s an emotional piece for Claudio and deserves to be on a list that honors their best work thus far. |
| 44 | | Coheed and Cambria
Year of the Black Rainbow
In the Flame of Error: Another redeeming song from YOTBR’s second half. It’s one of the darker and heavier songs from an album that already feels heavy. After a bunch of stagnant love songs this is a refreshing piece of music that flirts with prog-metal territory. |
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