Coheed And Cambria have released “Shoulders,” the progressive-rock band’s first proper studio release in nearly three years.
Along with the track comes a sci-fi-filled visualizer, featuring images of mechanical hands, android soldiers and other cybernetically enhanced manifestations.
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“Shoulders” features rapid-fire guitar licks reminiscent of No World For Tomorrow. More than that, the track delivers the characteristically unpredictable energy the band have always been known for.
For over two decades, Coheed And Cambria have forged their own path and remained true to themselves in the face of shifting musical trends. “Shoulders” is the perfect song to highlight the equally unpredictable trajectory of the progressive-rock band. Speaking of the track, lead vocalist and guitarist Claudio Sanchez says it’s OK to not fit in.
“In art, in your career, in relationships,” the vocalist begins, “No matter how much you give of yourself or try, you have to accept that not everything in life can be a perfect fit.”
With lyrics such as “Maybe we weren’t made for each other/And I’m just the one you can keep around,” the song feels lyrically reminiscent of the introspective 2015 album The Color Before The Sun. But the visualizer’s heavy sci-fi themes—along with the biogenic horror imagery present on the single’s cover art—suggest a return to the conceptual narrative world of The Amory Wars.
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While the band took a brief pause from the project in 2015, they made a return to the afterlife world of Heaven’s Fence on their 2018 full-length, Vaxis Part I: The Unheavenly Creatures.
The band announced “Shoulders” via their Twitter. Fans immediately began speculating about its relation to the world the group have been passionately building over the course of many releases. Further implicating a conceptual return is the band’s presale code for their upcoming tour, which the band set as “Vaxis2.”
Will it be the announcement of Vaxis II or will it be a cool tiktok video, only time will tell.
— Cladsha (@Cladsha) July 20, 2021
Well the pre sale code for the lil tour they’re doing was Vaxis2 so I figured something was coming but I didn’t think it would be now lol but here we are
— vaguely hostile ™ (@OfBloodandRank) July 20, 2021
The new track is just the latest announcement in a long line of upcoming Coheed And Cambria projects. In addition to the single, the band have also announced a summer amphitheater tour with the Used. Beginning Aug. 27 in Los Angeles, the live shows will also feature special guests Meet Me @ The Altar and carolesdaughter. You can get tickets for the upcoming tour on the band’s website.
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The S.S. Neverender, the band’s cruise ship, gets underway a month after the tour. Along with Coheed And Cambria, seafarers can expect to see performances by acts such as Andrew W. K., Tigers Jaw and Taking Back Sunday as the ship travels through the Bahamas.
Founding member and guitarist Travis Stever said in a tweet that the cruise is a great networking experience for Coheed fans.
“We’re always trying to find ways to improve the fan experience,” Stever says. “Our fans like to travel. They like to meet other fans. We’re like a big family. So the idea of a cruise seemed like a way to allow a bunch of us to just go on vacation together.”
“We’re always trying to find ways to improve the fan experience. Our fans like to travel, they like to meet other fans, we’re like a big family. So the idea of a cruise seemed like a way to allow a bunch of us to just go on vacation together.” – Travis Stever #coheedcruise pic.twitter.com/Xr72zX4RfE
— Coheed and Cambria (@Coheed) November 19, 2019
Tickets are going fast for the October cruise, but you can book a cabin here. You can also find other tour dates and the lyrics to “Shoulders” below.
What do you think of Coheed And Cambria’s new single “Shoulders”? Give the track a listen and let us know in the comments!
Coheed And Cambria tour dates:
Coheed And Cambria tour dates:
08/27 – Los Angeles, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre*
08/28 – Phoenix, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre*
08/30 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex – Outdoors*
08/31 – Denver, CO @ Levitt Pavilion Denver*
09/02 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory*
09/04 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater*
09/05 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion*
09/07 – Wichita, KS @ WAVE – Outdoors*
09/08 – St. Louis, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park*
09/11 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live! – Outdoors*
09/12 – Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica*
09/14 – Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center*
09/15 – Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park*
09/18 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium – Outdoors*
09/19 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center*
09/21 – Baltimore, MD @ MECU Pavilion^
09/22 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater^
09/24 – Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place^
* with Meet Me @ The Altar
^ with carolesdaughter
“Shoulders” lyrics:
Listen now that I’ve got your attention
Got to let you know
I hate to see you go, now that you’re gone we can enjoy the show
When you find them laughing at you there’s no worse thing
Hey, my wicked eyes do see that I’m the one
With the world on my shoulders
You’re going out of your way
Just to keep me down
Maybe we weren’t made for each other and I’m just the one you can keep around
Maybe all things have their misconceptions, that’s the life you chose
Everyone is laughing at you, out to get you
But change is the exception time to brave your life outside the shadow
When they keep laughing at you dare you got to say
Hey, my wicked eyes do see that I’m the one
With the world on my shoulders
You’re going out of your way
Just to keep me down
Maybe we weren’t made for each other and I’m just the one you can keep around
You’re going out of your way
Just to keep me down
Maybe we weren’t made for each other and I’m just the one you can keep around
You’re going out of your way
Yeah, you’re kicking me down
Maybe we weren’t made for each other but there’s way worse things to keep around