Coheed & Cambria drop surprise new single The Joke

Coheed And Cambria
(Image credit: Press)

US prog rock quartet Coheed and Cambria have released a surprise new standalone single, The Joke. You can watch the video for it below, which features The Amory Wars character Al The Killer.

The Joke was recorded during sessions for the band's 2022 album Vaxis - Act II: A Window Of The Waking Mind while the single's B-side Deranged was previously released in 2011 as part of the Batman: Arkham City soundtrack and focuses on the co-dependent relationship between Batman and The Joker. The song has been remixed and remastered for its return to DSPs after being away for a few years.

"The meaning behind The Joke is basically 'if you need a punching bag, I’ll be that guy'," reveals Coheed leader Claudio Sanchez.

The Joke will be available as two coloured 7" vinyl options; swamp green & blood mix (limited to 2500) and coke bottle clear with blood splatter (limited to 1000). Both are available from the Coheed & Cambria webstore

In other Coheed news, the first issue of the final chapter of Sanchez’s revered sci-fi comic series The Amory Wars is in stores today via Boom! Studios.

Coheed head out on a joint-headline US tour with Primus this summer, and will perform their 2005 album, Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness in full at When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas in October. Full dates below. 

Primus/Coheed & Cambria 2024 tour dates

Jul 12: Redding Civic Auditorium, CA*
Jul 13: Bend Hayden Homes Amphitheater, OR*
Jul 15: Idaho Falls Mountain America Center, ID*
Jul 18: Redmond Marymoor Park, WA*
Jul 19: Troutdale Edgefield, OR*
Jul 20: Spokane Pavilion, WA*
Jul 22: Bonner Kettlehouse Amphitheater, MT*
Jul 24: Sioux Falls Denny Sanford Premier Center, SD*
Jul 26: Waite Park The Ledge Amphitheater, MN^
Jul 27: Cedar Rapids McGrath Amphitheatre, IA^
Jul 28: La Vuita The Astro, NE^
Jul 30: Cincinnati The Andrew J Brady Music Center, OH^
Aug 01: Indianapolis Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park, IN^
Aug 02: Madison Breese Stevens Field, WI^
Aug 03: Saint Louis Music Park, MO^
Aug 05: Cuyahoga Falls Blossom Music Center, OH^
Aug 06: Columbus KEMBA Live!, OK^
Aug 08: Pittsburgh Stage AE, PA~
Aug 09: Buffalo Outer Harbor, NY~
Aug 10: Big Flats Michelob Ultra Summer Stage at Tag's, NY~
Aug 12: Saratoga Springs Broadview Stage at SPAC, NY~
Aug 13: Portland State Theatre Summer Concert Series at Thompson's Point, ME~ Aug 14: Washington The Anthem, DC~
Aug 16: Richmond Virginia Credit Union LIVE!, VA~
Aug 17: Charlotte Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre, NC ~

* with Guerilla Toss
^ with Too Many Zooz
~ with Fishbone

Coheed And Cambria

(Image credit: Evil Ink / Virgin Music)
Jerry Ewing

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.