The Color Before the Sun is the first Coheed album to exist outside the dark universe of The Amory Wars—the elaborate sci-fi saga that entwines the band’s first seven albums with comics written by frontman Claudio Sanchez. Even without the narrative concept, The Color Before the Sun is one of the most focused albums of the band’s epic career. Launching to life with the catchy “Island,” Sanchez brings a fresh lyrical perspective to radio-ready rock (“Here to Mars," “You Got Spirit, Kid”), metal theatrics (“Eraser”), and cinematic prog-punk (“Peace To the Mountain”).