Year Of The Black Rainbow

"Only time will let you know if you're worth anything," sings Coheed and Cambria founder Claudio Sanchez on The Broken, the first impression for most listeners of Year Of The Black Rainbow, the band's brand new studio album. Like every stingingly sincere line from the 12 tracks that make up the album, they collectively assemble to tell their portion of the prequel to the Amory Wars saga - as chronicled on the band's previous four albums - of which Year Of The Black Rainbow is both the final - and prequel. Produced by Atticus Ross (Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction) and Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Tool), the true achievement for Coheed and Cambria this time out is the completion of a conceptual work more than 10 years in the making.