Vaxis - Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures
by Coheed and Cambria
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 24
  3. Negative: 4 out of 24
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  1. TAsInTsunami
    Oct 5, 2018
    10
    It's almost like the band released a "Greatest Hits" album, where each song is built on the foundation of a classic Coheed and Cambria track. Yet, nostalgia never sounded so fresh. While there are highs and lows, the lows are among some of the more powerful weapons in the band's arsenal. For me, it's the strongest album they've made, and it's not close. 5/7 Perfect score.
  2. Skydog
    Oct 5, 2018
    8
    Excellent album with a couple filler tracks.
    I'd considering the Prologue unnecessary. Black Sunday was mundane overall (has a decent outro within it).
    My most loved tracks are: The Dark Sentencer Toys True Ugly Love Protocol The Gutter The Pavillion Old Flames Lucky Stars (very cool track!) S/N: How is Classic Rock Magazine's review a review? That made no sense at all....    Excellent album with a couple filler tracks.
    I'd considering the Prologue unnecessary. Black Sunday was mundane overall (has a decent outro within it).

    My most loved tracks are:
    The Dark Sentencer
    Toys
    True Ugly
    Love Protocol
    The Gutter
    The Pavillion
    Old Flames
    Lucky Stars (very cool track!)

    S/N: How is Classic Rock Magazine's review a review? That made no sense at all.... they need to fire their writers and reviewers if that's all they could come up with.    … Expand
  3. Moizt
    Oct 6, 2018
    10
    A spectacular return to form! Couple songs could have been cut but a great album
  4. ddrussianinja
    Oct 5, 2018
    8
    If, in your mind, "Year of the Black Rainbow" felt too over-produced and forgettable, if "The Afterman" felt too scattershot, or if "The Color Before the Sun" felt too terrestrial, "Vaxis - Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures" should feel like a return to form for Coheed and Cambria.

    Long-time fans will find a lot of familiar smells, story-wise. Once again, we have a story that seems    If, in your mind, "Year of the Black Rainbow" felt too over-produced and forgettable, if "The Afterman" felt too scattershot, or if "The Color Before the Sun" felt too terrestrial, "Vaxis - Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures" should feel like a return to form for Coheed and Cambria.

    Long-time fans will find a lot of familiar smells, story-wise. Once again, we have a story that seems focused on the progeny of two doomed lovers, and once again the first album is more focused on the tale of the lovers than on the progeny himself (but with four more albums, I'm guessing we'll have plenty of time to get to know the titular Vaxis later on). However, unlike "Second Stage Turbine Blade", which attempted to weave a sprawling and still very much unrefined mythology, "Unheavenly Creatures" focuses more squarely on the relationships of the characters and the story (which I have yet to read the novelization of) seems focused on a straightforward space station prison break. That said, the change in perspective is interesting. Claudio is no longer the lost child trying to find himself. He is now a new father tasked with building a future for his child. In that way, not only does the "Vaxis" storyline seem to have a lot of fresh personal experience for Claudio to mine from, it makes "The Color Before the Sun" even more of a turning point in their discography and makes it feel like less of a diversion. One could even see it as the spark that inspired this new pentalogy.

    As for the music itself, it's definitely some of their most ambitious work in years, but with great ambition comes great risk. Most of the risks pay off in spades. A lot of these songs are some of the best work they've ever done. However, I feel like the cost of all this productive experimentation is that the album feels a little bloated. Not every song feels like it's pulling its weight and earning its spot in the 1.3-hour run-time, and so the pacing of the album takes a pretty rough hit. That said, this doesn't come off as laziness. Not by a long shot. If anything, this comes off as almost too much unbridled ambition, and really, unbridled ambition has always been Coheed's defining feature. Maybe not every song was ready for prime time, but even the arguable failures are more interesting than most other bands' successes This album doesn't feel like it comes from a band that's tired or repeating itself. This is a band that refuses to rest on its laurels and continues to push itself in strange new directions.

    I might not suggest this album as a jumping-on point for new listeners, but if you've already acquired a taste for Coheed, this album will almost certainly satisfy your craving and then some.    … Expand
  5. imthenoob
    Mar 8, 2020
    5
    Unheavenly Creatures has kind of fallen out of grace for me as time went on. What started off as hard and heavy and then quickly fades into repetitiveness. It became very boring to listen to as it felt that every track sounded almost exactly the same. While yes, There were a few stand out tracks. It doesn't necessarily make up for the fact that the majority of the album is rather uninteresting.
  6. FireBear
    Oct 23, 2018
    10
    An absolute masterpiece. The singles were great tracks that were indicative that Coheed hasn't just returned to form but just crushed it out of the park, but some of the best tracks weren't singles. It felt like all everything they have done up until Vaxis was just leading up to this masterpiece. Toys might be my favorite Coheed track of all time. Just a banger. If this is the directionAn absolute masterpiece. The singles were great tracks that were indicative that Coheed hasn't just returned to form but just crushed it out of the park, but some of the best tracks weren't singles. It felt like all everything they have done up until Vaxis was just leading up to this masterpiece. Toys might be my favorite Coheed track of all time. Just a banger. If this is the direction Coheed is going I already can't wait for the rest of Vaxis. The whole album is worth a listen but here are my highlights:

    Toys
    Love Protocol
    Pavilion
    It Walks Among Us
    Gutter
    Old Flames
    Unheavenly Creatures
    Lucky Starts.    … Expand
  7. MikeSSDD
    Apr 25, 2021
    10
    Music good. Music make the brain juice that feels good. Good album. Buy it. Like it. Love it.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Sputnikmusic
    Oct 9, 2018
    80
    It feels like eighteen years of history, story and fanbase community are coming together like, uh, some sort of keywork.
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  2. Sputnikmusic
    Oct 9, 2018
    80
    While its current state still qualifies it for a highly regarded honorable mention and a high degree of critical and commercial anticipation for what's to come on Vaxis Acts II through IV.
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  3. AllMusic
    Oct 4, 2018
    80
    This return to the Amory Wars concept is welcome. Even the few seemingly out of place moments are deliberate diversions to reward longtime fans. That said, in an era of renewed appreciation for prog metal in general, this offering should draw legions of new listeners.
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