Eppard and Todd left the band

In early November 2006, Josh Eppard and Michael Todd left the band for personal reasons, forcing Matt Williams and the band’s drum technician, Michael Petrak, to fill out temporarily the band’s rhythm section for a handful of shows. In April 2007, bassist Michael Todd rejoined Coheed and Cambria, and the band entered the Los Angeles -based studio with new producer Nick Raskulinecz . The following June Chris Pennie , formerly of the Dillinger Escape Plan , joined Coheed and Cambria as its drummer, but due to contractual restrictions with his previous record label, Pennie did not appear on the band’s fourth release. Instead, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins recorded the drums, making use of several ideas Pennie had previously written in correspondence with Sanchez.