Coheed and Cambria drop prog-meets-pop-punk single, Rise, Naianasha (Cut the Cord)

After dropping their first music in almost three years – the righteously heavy Shoulders – back in July, prog-rock four-piece Coheed and Cambria have followed up with their second single of 2021, Rise, Naianasha (Cut The Cord).

The track, the band say, “explores the reach of love and loyalty and the reality that sometimes you need to be more than a shoulder to lean on – you need to become the destroyer”.

Kicking off with a heavily syncopated, major-sounding electric guitar riff, the track's chorus sees Claudio Sanchez and co revisit the ultra-catchy melodic songwriting style heard in Shoulders, although this time to an almost pop-punk progression, with plenty of progressive leads along the way. Check out its accompanying futuristic animated video below.

Vocalist Claudio Sanchez explained the band's approach in an interview with Consequence of Sound earlier this year: “A lot of times, with bands who've been around and built a strong fanbase like we have, I think there might be a tendency, intentionally or unintentionally, to try to give the fans what they want and not take too many risks.

“But after making music for so long and entering a pandemic, we didn't want limitations to the creative process. The [next] record is going to be what I hope people perceive this band to be in 2021/2022... It's a Coheed and Cambria record, but it's looking forward, not backwards.”

While the album Sanchez speaks of has not yet been given an official title or release date, by the cover art of both Shoulders and Rise, Naianasha..., it's almost certain it'll be the next installment in the band's Amory Wars concept album series.

The cover of the band's latest album – 2018's Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures – features the same two characters seen on the cover of Rise, Naianasha..., so we'd bet the forthcoming LP will be Vaxis – Act II.