Why Coheed and Cambria Abandoned the ‘Amory Wars’ Concept for ‘The Color Before the Sun’

When Coheed and Cambria returned with The Color Before the Sun last year, it marked the band’s first album outside of the Armor Wars universe frontman Claudio Sanchez established over the course of the previous seven albums. Prior to the arrival of the band's latest full-length, Sanchez revealed that becoming a father was his key inspiration for ditching the concept series and speaking to his audience, for the first time, as himself.

“I always have a hard time confessing myself with lyrics,” Sanchez told Rolling Stone. “My really life was just dirty. I created the idea of the Amory Wars as a mask. I was very shy and introverted. It was a way to confess my [feelings] without giving myself to the listeners.”

After learning he was going to become a father, Sanchez says he didn’t need the dystopian sci-fi universe to guide his next album. “I wanted the songs to speak for themselves,” he said. “Now that I’m 37 years old, I don’t need the mask at this point in my life.”

With the said, the Amory Wars aren’t completely null and void. Sanchez is still writing stories in the fictional universe that was also made into a comic book series and graphic novel.