Coheed And Cambria Wage Amory Wars

Coheed And Cambria lead singer Claudio Sanchez hasn't been paying much attention to new music these days.

"Oh wait, someone gave me the new 3 album, so I take that back," he says, stopping himself. Sanchez is elaborating on the assessment of rock today as recently presented on the band's MySpace page.

"The rock world has sadly been walking in circles, trying to reshape itself, lost on a ship at sea, trying to find the next something to believe in," he said. So, what exactly is missing in rock today?

"Originality," Sanchez states plainly. "Everything worthwhile in rock today is regurgitated."I guess we do it too, to some extent, bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. In terms of originality, the band on the right is fighting the band on the left, me versus you, trying to get territorial."

The standard Rush comparisons aside, a lack of originality isn't a crime for which Coheed And Cambria are often accused. Since their birth in 2001, the band have produced three concept albums under the Amory Wars saga. Released out of order, the next chapter is set for emergence on Oct. 23. The dauntingly titled Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World For Tomorrow, marks the second half of chapter four in the series, leaving only chapter one for release.

"The whole story arch is planned, from as far back as when we were recording the second [chapter], album by album," says Sanchez. "The rest is pretty planned."

Coheed And Cambria have seen their share of turbulence this past year, making the release of the new album all the more admirable. Last November, both bassist Michael Todd and drummer Josh Eppard left the band, to be briefly replaced by Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters) and then permanently by Chris Pennie (formerly of Dillinger Escape Plan). In the midst of lineup changes, the band had to pull out of their U.K. Download Festival slot and cancel the Barcelona and Essen legs of their European tour. On a more personal note, Sanchez was also coping with the death of his aunt.

"The writing process was certainly affected by it," he says. "Her relationship with the band was close.

"This sort of imploded on the second tour, and we met up with her for counseling. She definitely helped give us perspective, and thus we moved on."

If that wasn't enough, Sanchez was also penning a comic book series to supplement the albums. The Amory Wars reveals the story behind Good Apollo and is illustrated entirely by Sanchez, who started drawing in grade four.

"I was an artist and very attracted to comic art," he says. "I got older and became a fan of the writers. Marvel, Preacher, Watchmen, Arkham Asylum, for example."

Rumours of a possible feature film aren't completely unfounded.

"Right now, it's just the comics, but we'll explore that avenue after the story is done," says Sanchez.

Coheed And Cambria will play Toronto's Kool Haus on Oct. 29.