Lively and Loud: Coheed and Cambria play Dublin

When Coheed and Cambria’s frontman Claudio Sanchez bellows "raise your hands high!" his audience try to touch the roof. Whoever argues that Sanchez’s distinctive lofty vocals should come down a pitch or two overlooks the mightily expressive qualities in the singer’s voice, which moves from fiery rage to soft, sombre pieces sang with the fervor of a prayer. His explosive opening peal in ‘No World for Tomorrow’ sends the crowd into a veritable frenzy and launches a high energy, full-flavoured rock show at Dublin’s Academy.

With little banter, the quartet from New York precede to rip through several songs with the controlled, meaningful energy of a band who, after seven studio albums, three live albums, and several special-edition releases, seem to know exactly who they are and where they want to go. So who are they? Prog-rockers, pop-punk pioneers, sci-fi story-weavers; whatever you call them, you cannot deny that Coheed’s virtuosity is almost unparalleled in today’s modern rock scene.

The set followed number of songs from the group’s acclaimed 2013 album The Afterman: Descension peppered with classics such as ‘Everything Evil,’ ‘In Keeping Secrets’ and – to the audience’s deafeningly evident delight– the climatic closer ‘Welcome Home.’ Coheed’s varied sound moves from classic rock, with hints of Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy, to the theatrical thrills of the 80’s in ‘Number City.’ They flit from pop to post-hardcore, showcasing skillful touches of funk and electro throughout. And yet the technical ingenuity in songs like songs like the spirited ‘Good Night Fair Lady’ and ‘Gravity’s Union’ remind us that, above all, Coheed are technical perfectionists.

And the whole lot is delivered with those highly emotive vocals emanating from the giant plume of hair that has become Coheed's affectionate hallmark. Sanchez seems immersed in his world, and it becomes clear from the hoarse voices and sweat drenched band T–shirts that the fans are too. For those who don’t know, this world is that of the ‘Amory Wars,’ Sanchez's sci-fi saga around which each of the band’s highly conceptual albums revolve. The story has evolved into a series of comic books and a full-length novel, plus talk of movie collaboration with Mark Wahlber.

This inter-genre, progressive and poetic approach is a precious find for fans desiring a deeper experience. But more general lovers of rock’n’ roll will find nothing exclusionary here. Coheed's daring musical adventures, if taken completely separately from their literary ones, will not leave even the most casual fan disappointed.