For twenty years, Coheed and Cambria have been building worlds, crafting intricate sci-fi storylines, and soundtracking them with some of the most ambitious rock music of their era. With Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind, frontman Claudio Sanchez takes that storytelling even deeper—this time, through the lens of fatherhood and the evolution of identity.
“When I look back at the original Amory Wars stories, I see myself as this adolescent trying to understand my place in the world,” Sanchez tells me. “Now, I see myself as a father, and that’s where we are in this story.”
That familial connection is quite literal—his own son appears on the album’s opening track. “Vaxis is about the same age as my son, and it just made sense to have him deliver that line. Today’s actually his eighth birthday, so it’s even more special.”
While Coheed’s music has always been intertwined with fantasy, its emotional core remains personal. “When I started this 20 years ago, it was because I wasn’t comfortable writing confessional songs. So I created this world as a way to express myself. But even with all the sci-fi elements, this story is still a reflection of what I’m going through in real life.”
That intersection between fantasy and reality plays out in the character of Vaxis, a child who experiences infinite outcomes at once—something both incredible and debilitating. “At the start, he’s almost catatonic,” Sanchez explains. “His parents, who are outlaws on the run, try to medicate him, thinking something’s wrong. But as the story unfolds, they realize he’s not broken—he’s something more.”
That kind of layered storytelling feels right at home in today’s entertainment landscape. With multiverses dominating Marvel movies and TV shows like Everything Everywhere All at Once, Coheed’s brand of narrative-driven rock feels more relevant than ever. “Yeah, I see that happening,” Sanchez laughs. “But I wouldn’t say they caught up to me. I was inspired by Kurt Vonnegut, who wrote himself into his stories as Kilgore Trout. That idea of the real world merging with the fictional has always fascinated me.”
And when it comes to music, Sanchez pushed boundaries again on Vaxis II. “Lockdown made me rethink things. I wanted to break down whatever walls I’d put up creatively. So songs like Bad Man or A Disappearing Act pull from different inspirations. They might’ve ended up in The Prize Fighter Inferno, but I thought, why not Coheed? We’ve never been about limitations.”
As for what’s next? Vaxis is planned as a five-part saga, and Sanchez has the roadmap—he just doesn’t want to spoil it. “I know where it needs to end. But the music will shape how we get there. That’s what makes it exciting.”
With twenty years behind them and an expansive future ahead, Coheed and Cambria remain one of rock’s most ambitious and unpredictable forces.
Watch the interview above and then check out the videos below.
