Claudio Sanchez

Claudio Sanchez
Sanchez at the New York Comic Con in Manhattan, October 9, 2010
Background information
Birth name	Claudio Paul Sanchez
Born	(1978-03-12) March 12, 1978 Suffern, New York, United States
Genres	Alternative rock, progressive rock, new prog, electronica, heavy metal, post-hardcore
Occupation(s)	Musician, writer
Instrument(s)	Guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, harmonica, vocals
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Columbia / Sony BMG
Website	coheedandcambria.com

Claudio Paul Sanchez (born March 12, 1978, in Suffern, New York, United States) is an American writer and musician best known for being the lead singer and guitarist for the alternative/progressive rock group Coheed and Cambria. He is the creator of the comic book series The Amory Wars and Kill Audio, co-written with wife Chondra Echert. Sanchez co-authored the novel Year of the Black Rainbow with Peter David.

Biography

Claudio Sanchez primarily provides lead vocals and rhythm guitar in Coheed and Cambria, however he has also used theramin, sythesisers and harmonica in his side projects. Early in his career, Sanchez first performed with several different bands, all of whom lasted a short period of time .

After breaking up with the band "Beautiful Loser", Sanchez went on a trip to Paris, where he began writing a story, initially referred to as "The Bag.On.Line Adventures of Coheed and Cambria", named after a building near his girlfriend's house. Two characters named Coheed and Cambria Kilgannon live in a fictional foreign galaxy known as Heaven's Fence. In the original concept, Sanchez wrote a story about his girlfriend and himself traveling to a new, foreign place, but as the concept expanded the characters started to resemble his parents.

Sanchez was the lead singer and guitarist for Shabutie, which formed in Nyack, New York, in 1995. Shabutie released several EPs and wrote several songs which would eventually be released on The Second Stage Turbine Blade. The band broke after Nate Kelley walked out on a performance, but was later reformed with Josh Eppard replacing Nate Kelly on drums. This new band was dubbed Coheed and Cambria, named after the characters Sanchez had written about in Paris. Coheed and Cambria achieved success on the East Coast after releasing and touring The Second Stage Turbine blade, and gained mainstream success with the release of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3, thanks to the single "A Favor House Atlantic".

Sanchez began producing comic books in 2005, and started with "The Bag.On.Line Adventures". The Bag.On.Line Adventures only lasted through two issues due to problems with the artist, deadlines and financial issues. Sanchez's next project was the graphic novel Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness, the graphic novel was released alongside the Album of the same name, however Sanchez has stated that the novel was incomplete due to finances.

Sanchez tried again in 2008 with the series The Amory Wars, which chronicles events album by album. The Second Stage Turbine Blade was covered in a 10-comic set. With the release of the album Year of the Black Rainbow, Sanchez co-wrote with Peter David,The Amory Wars: Year of the Black Rainbow which chronicled the events of the album. Sanchez then released comics for In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 under the Amory Wars name, at the end of issue #12 it is confirmed that Good Apollo 1 will be remade into comic book form.

Sanchez has a side project called The Prize Fighter Inferno, a concept band based on the character Jesse, a boxer known as the Prize Fighter Inferno. The band tells the story of The Blood Machine, a vicious contraption that murders its victims and takes their souls. Most recently Sanchez released a two-song 7" vinyl entitled "The Beaver Records EP," which was associated with Kill Audio and The Prize Fighter Inferno.

Sanchez is currently working on a sixth album with the rest of Coheed and Cambria.

Gear

Electric Guitars

• - Gibson EDS-1275 Doubleneck SG in Alpine White with EMG-81/85 in 6-string, EMG-85/60 in 12-string
• - Gibson '76 Explorer Reissue in Classic White with EMG-81/85 pick-ups, a Graph-Tech nut and Black Schaller tuners (With a Puerto Rican flag sticker behind the tailpiece)
• - Gibson '76 Explorer Reissue in Classic White, kept stock (The Running Free video)
• - Gibson '76 Explorer Reissue in Ebony with EMG-81/85 pick-ups
• - Gibson '76 Explorer Reissue in Cherry Red, kept stock
• - Gibson '82 Explorer E2 in Natural Walnut/Maple 5 Piece Contoured Body/Neck with EMG-81/85 pick-ups, a Graph-Tech nut, and Gold Schallers with Black tuners
• - Gibson SG Special in Faded Worn-Cherry
• - Gibson Les Paul Studio in Alpine White
• - Gibson '67 Flying V Reissue in Classic White, kept stock
• - Gibson SG Special in Classic White with chrome hardware (With a Puerto Rican flag sticker behind the tailpiece. Early SSTB era
• - Minarik Medusa Custom in Cherry Red, kept stock
• - Minarik Medusa Custom in Alpine White)

Acoustics

• - Taylor T5 Custom Acoustic/Electric in Spruce Top w/ Cherry Sunburst
• - Taylor 814-CE Acoustic/Electric in Honey Sunburst with Natural back and sides
• - Taylor 814-CE Acoustic/Electric in Honey Sunburst with Natural back and sides

Amps

• - Bogner Uberschall 100W Head w/ Standard Grill
• - Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier 150W Solo amplifier Head
• - '74 GRO100 Orange Head (Black Covering)
• - Mesa/Boogie Rect-o-verb 50W Combo Amp (studio usage)
• - VOX AC30CC2X Combo Amp (vox ac30)
• - Fender '65 Twin Reverb Combo Amplifier
• - Orange OR50 head (seen in 2009)

Cabinets

• - Mesa/Boogie Rectifier Oversized 4x12's guitar cabinet
• - Bogner Uberschall 4x12's guitar cabinet
• - Marshall 1960A 4x12 guitar cabinet
• - Orange 4x12 Cabinet

Effects

• - Boss LS-2 Line Selector (to select between the Bogner and Vox/Fender)
• - Boss NS-2
• - Boss RC-20XL (used live for a bit, now used for songwriting)
• - Boss RT-20 (used for practice/songwriting)
• - Boss SD-1
• - VooDoo Lab Sparkle Drive Overdrive/Boost
• - Morley Bad Horsie 2 Wah (as described in 2008 interview)
• - Dunlop 535Q CryBaby Wah and/or Dunlop Dime wah
• - DigiTech Whammy Pedal
• - Line 6 DL-4 Digital Delay
• - Line 6 FM-4 Filter Modeler
• - Ernie Ball VP Junior Passive Volume Pedal
• - Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner pedal
• - Electro Harmonix Holy Grail
• - Theremin
• - Voodoo Lab Ground Control
• - Fractal Audio Axe-FX Ultra
• - MXR M-118 analog delay
• - The Great Destroyer by Dwarfcraft
• - Interstellar OD by Death by Audio