The Mars Volta: De-Loused in the Comatorium
This first album from The Mars Volta has truly outdone itself. To be quite fair, their unique style and energy is almost indefinable, but I'll give it a go.
The band includes former 'At the Drive In' members Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez although in The Mars Volta's own eccentric style they form a successful combination of music genres rarely developed into such an incredible sound including prog, electronics, psychedelia and also suggestions of their At the Drive In roots. Combine this with some fantastic vocals which can vary completely in style throughout the CD and continue to be mind blowing, and you have De-loused in the Comatorium.
The haunting melody of the opening song 'Son et lumiere' gives you a glimpse of what's to come. Throughout the whole album the well written lyrics are done justice by clear and well performed vocals. Track 7, 'Cicatriz esp', at an incredible 12.29 minutes, was also better than I had anticipated. It is often easy to get bored with such lengthy tracks but with the original focus on vocals building up into chorus climaxes so subtly you barely notice, it's impossible to get bored. The noticeably captivating insert in the middle of the song appears to change each time you listen to it before launching back into the powerful verse. This song is 12 and a half minutes of incredibly performed musical variation and style, and definitely one of my favourites on the album.
I should imagine you will either really love or really hate this album. If you're not a fan of the eccentric and sometimes seemingly unstructured sound, chances are you wont be too keen. Also as each track blends into the last, you may find it long winded. Even if you're not a fan of their defined techniques and the experimental methods the outcome is to a high standard and I found it difficult to see openings for improvement. Personally I thought this was one of the best albums I've heard in a long time and I would definitely recommend you sit down with an open mind and give it a try.
Find related articles: omar rodriguez lopez, cedric bixler, cicatriz esp, musical variation, de loused in the comatorium.
