The Bedlam In Goliath Review

Release Date: Jan 29, 2008
Label: Universal
Genres: Post-Hardcore, Punk Metal, Progressive Metal, Neo-Psychedelia, Thrash
Number Of Tracks: 12
The Bedlam In Goliath is simply loud-loud-loud, virtually every song played at maximum volume and tempo.

Sound:	8.4
Lyrics:	7.8
Impression:	8
Overall rating:	8.1
Users rating:	8.9
Comments:	100

overall: 9.3

Featured review by: UG Team, on february 07, 2008

Sound: Wow. It's been less than 2 years since The Mars Volta, an offshoot of the highly influential but, sadly, forgotten band At the Drive-In. Cedric Bixler-Zavla and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, however, were not too quick to give up on the music scene. Rather, the two El Paso natives gathered a menagerie of misfit musicians to meddle in music. The Mars Volta, which officially contains 9 members, including John Frusciante, of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame, Thomas Pidgen, the winner of the Guitar Center Drum-Off at age 9 and youngest recipient of a Zildjian endorsement in the history of the company at age 10, and Isaiah "Ikey" Owens, a former member of Sublime, Reel Big Fish, and Long Beach Dub Allstars. Of course, this is the official count. The unofficial count would range from 15 to 25, meaning that there is obviously no shortage of manpower and technical prowess for the ensemble. This ragtag group, changing members as much as a football team changes players on the field (and having about the same number of players) produced two critically acclaimed albums in "De-Loused in the Comatorium", an album that played off Rodriguez-Lopez's and Bixler-Zavla's former work with At the Drive-In, and "Frances the Mute", a record that worked more with their latin roots and jazzy effects, along with a lot of ambiance that could've come right off a 1960s psychedelic record; they have also released the less successful "Amputechture", an altogether underwhelming experience when faced with the great music that The Mars Volta has made before.

Now, let's begin. "The Bedlam in Goliath" is a different monster of an album. Combining the fast attacks of "De-Loused" and the jazzy, latin sounds of "Frances the Mute", "Bedlam" is a highly energetic and, altogether, strange album, even for The Mars Volta. The songs range from 9 minutes to 2 minutes in length and are filled with tons of amazing soundscapes and powerful attacks that fans of "De-Loused" will find as a welcome return. As well, "Frances" fans won't be disappointed with the return of the lo-fi, almost steamy sections of songs. Overall, the sound of this album is incredible just because of the incorporation of a myriad of guitar, vocal, saxophone, electronic, and all other noises that are able to remind the listener of past TMV ventures yet keep them excited about the new sound. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: This is going to be a bit complicated to explain. Consider "Frances". It had the smooth, almost sultry sounds and then, on the other end of the spectrum, the distorted vocals that made you wonder who came up with such an idea. Well, get ready for more of both. Especially the latter. The distortion on the vocals is rampant throughout the album, with the first two songs making the singers seem like Alvin and the Chipmunks with sinus problems, while others will have Cedric singing along with what appears to be a recording of a demon. Obviously, this band's interest in technological editing is not gone yet. Of course, the distortion is not a bad thing at all, it just takes some acclimation on the listener's part. Don't worry, though, Cedric does find time to sing normally. Lyrically, the album is up to the The Mars Volta standards, writing songs about their favorite topics, none of which make any sense except to them. But TMV fans will have come to expect that. The rhythm of the lyrics change on this album, though. While many follow the patterns of past albums, with lyrics almost flowing over, some lyrics just seem out of place in the song rhythmically, though these occurrences are rare and, luckily, don't disrupt the song's flow. // 8

Impression: Another milestone in the career of one the most innovative bands out there, "The Bedlam in Goliath" is the Mars Volta at their best, with sharp, powerful attacks riding on carefully calculated waves of musical prowess. In terms of accessibility, good luck. This album is laden with so many effects it's surprising they're able to reproduce the sound live (but they find a way). Some of the most impressive songs, in my opinion, are "Goliath", "Wax Simulacra", and "Metatron", although each song on the album has its place and makes for an excellent listen. Anyone who has enjoyed the first three albums from the Mars Volta will find this one just as exciting. // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: The Baphomets, on april 28, 2008

Sound: The latest album by The Mars Volta was interesting with Thomas Pridgen as their newest member on drums, giving the band a much quicker, louder, and stronger drum line. However, with the drumming so loud and so much going on in each song at the same time it made it difficult to identify the unique styles and sound of the instruments individual and instead turning it into a mash of constant loudness in such songs as Goliath or Cavalettas. I will admit I do enjoy the environmental and ambient image given by Soothsayer with the image in mind of Jerusalem. And off and on appealing melodies in songs like Agadez and Ilyena or Conjugal Burns are a large appeal to this album, but not letting go of their abstract roots which drew many to this band in the first place. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: Like most Mars Volta songs, Cedric Bixler-Zavala's singing accented and cooperated well with instrumentals. The one thing I noticed about the lyrics in this album was that, unlike past albums, not one song featured Spanish in it. A lot of the songs did however include Hebrew and Jewish roots to it, for example: Metatron. I noticed this transition into Judaism on the previous album Amputechture with the song Tetragrammaton and Vicarious Atonement. This album's lyrics may have been easier to write do to the fact that it is thematic because it is mostly a concept album. // 10

Impression: In comparison to other albums, I did enjoy The Bedlam in Goliath, but I would prefer Frances The Mute over it. It is certainly their most aggressive album yet and Thomas Pridgen is a fantastic drummer with many impressive achievements in his younger years. I found the speed of the drumming and the technique very impressive throughout the album and the progression is still their. If this CD was lost it would be an upset and I would probably re-buy it on iTunes. Overall The Mars Volta proved once again to be a valuable part of the prog/rock scene and I hope for more albums epic, diverse, and unique albums from them. // 10

overall: 9.7

Reviewed by: TJM2482, on february 07, 2008

Sound: The Bedlam In Goliath is The Mars Volta's follow up to 2006's 'Amputechture'. Hyped by it's fans, and criticized by skeptics as another TMV album coming too, is finally here. This album takes out a lot of the excess random ambient noise from past records, giving you a more meaty, full record. This album is apparently based off of the experiences the band had with an object similar to a Ouija board. And yes, you would be correct by that description, it is a trippy record. It has the franticness and salsa-influenced sounds you've come to expect, but instead of it being a few "busy" songs, every song is consistently active. If you were sick of all the ambient wankery in past albums, you'll probably be in for a joy with this album. This isn't an album for the close-minded, it's aggressive, progressive, trippy, all you would come to expect from The Mars Volta. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: I like Cedric's vocals, I've grown on them since I first heard "The Widow" back a few years ago on TV. He has a good voice for the music, it really matches the frantic guitar parts and up tempo drumming. The vocals, much like past TMV efforts, don't make much sense when taken on literally. It's catchy, much less "annoying" as some past songs, if you want to call it that. It's a lot like Deloused at the Comatorium in a sense, except without the slower, more calm songs like Televaors. If you liked his vocals before, you'll like him just as much if not more on this record. If you're critical of his vocals, you'll probably still dislike him, but this album really shortens up the list of complaints you could possibly have. His vocals in a word are "funky", the sound itself is pretty similar to Amputechture, which was probably one of my only likes about the album. This album brings the sweetness of Cedric, but this time over a better soundscape, and overall a better album. // 10

Impression: I've only given it a couple listens, so the "OMG new Mars Volta" shock is still setting in. I've tried to adjust my review accordingly. It's a step forward after the misstep of Amputechture (even though many loyal TMV fans liked it). The album feels like one long journey of a song, considering it's a concept album. Because of this, it's hard to really pick a favorite song. They're all mostly catchy, dynamic, all that progressive good stuff you saw from them years ago. I love the up tempo salsa drumming, great guitar work, and the more polished vocals of Ceddy. My dislike is also one of my likes, the fact that it feels like one huge song. While this is great for a concept album, it makes it harder to pick out any real album-defining songs, and it also takes of some of the dynamics they have had in the first few albums, going from fast songs to slow. If I lost it, I'd probably be pissed considering I just got it, but I'd re-buy it not only because I'm a TMV fan, but because it's a great modern progressive rock album, that brings that TMV sound that is really missing from every other mainstream band today, as well as in recent years. // 9

overall: 8.7

Reviewed by: brad.kenny, on february 08, 2008

Sound: The Mars Volta have been around for a long time if you are looking at bands today. I've been wanting to get this album for about, since the last one came out. The music is so different then everyone else it immediately was out-of-this-world style. The sound on this particular album was especially different because of the introduction of the new drummer, Thomas Pridgen. You can clearly hear the drums are more intense from the start with the song, Aberinkula. The story behind this album was one of my favourite with the spirit that this album was based off of. It was one of intrest and disturbia, (Go play the Mars Volta online game). But since there were only a few songs on this album that I purely enjoyed I will only give this a 7-8, more or less a 8. // 8

Lyrics and Singing: This is a Mars Volta album, so you are going ot expect the lyrics that are always, "odd"? But what, Cedric has done here is put together a great piece of work, one of my favourite songs which is judged on the lyrical work is the song, Ilyena. I also enjoyed the video very much, especially with Omar playing his part. Cedric tried to keep the tempo of his lyrics with the tempo of the music which in today's world of no sense of music is a brilliant prefromance of it's own. If you like The Mars Volta and try to get as much little info as I do, you would learn the Cedric has the vocal ability to the highest note masculinly possible, and although he didn't do it here, his vocals should be put in the top ten. // 9

Impression: The Mars Volta can only be compared to one other band. That is The MArs Volta itself, trying to compare The Mars Volta to any other band is just useless. Possible the most impressive song on this album is the average length 7:15 song, Goliath. What I love is the energy it emmits and the fact that it is one of the already classic Mars Volta songs like, Eriatarka, and The Widow. The only thing I do hate is that it goes to a solo pretty early. I would possible go into a mental breakdown if this was stolen. // 9

overall: 10

Reviewed by: laquerhead, on july 12, 2008

Sound: Wow the sounds on this album are explosive. Great music to listen to anytime for me or anyone who likes fast paced music. It drops right into fast hard hitting music from the beginning of the CD to the end. But not all the songs are completly fast paced, some have acoustic intro and lower end-of-the-scale speed on them. It also has a very latin feel to it in some songs and mixes other genres and styles in others. The Mars Volta really hit it off with this CD. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are impressive too. If you've listened to the other Albums by The Mars Volta you'll know that the lyrics are composed of very confusing and complex words sometimes mixed with Spanish phrases. I'd say that Omar has a very complex vocabulary. The vocal range of Omar's voice is amazing. His style is very complicated and strange without the effects! // 10

Impression: This album is amazing, so amazing that I would very well buy another one to replace it. I love the fact that this album has so many variating styles, effects, and sounds. If you like music with crazy changing sounds and styles then this is the album for you; or if you just flat out like The Mars Volta then you would already know what I'm talking about and already have this CD! Impressive tracks: Goliath, Aberinkula, Metatron, Wax Simulacra, and Agadez. These are the hooking tracks on the album (to me anyway). They all have hooks all throughout the songs and will drag you into the song. These songs have tons of emotion and feeling in them. For lack of a better word this album is great. // 10

overall: 4

Reviewed by: SeVeN 2 eLeVeN, on february 07, 2008

Sound: The mars volta I think, is one of the greatest bands alive today. But I feel this new album is deffinatly not there best. The band is so much better then this. I'll start by saying this, every song on the album sounds the same. Some people may butcher me and disagree, but everysong has a similar beat, and structure. Mars volta is known for there non-standard song structure, but most of the songs follow a verse-chorus-verse-chorus-instrumental-chorus structure (and very drawn out too). Cedrics singing is deffinatly not at his full potential. He is more talking then he is singing in this album. There are no epic vocal moments like in Frances the mute. Even the band I don't feel is at there full potential. There are no guitar riffs or standout, or amazing bass solos or great sax solos. The ones that are there just feel like they were thrown in there. Some may ask about the new drummer. He is a very very very very very good drummer, but I feel like, in all the songs, he is just blasting away the drum set really fast. I don't like the way the album is mixed either. It just sounds like, layer apon layer apon layer. // 4

Lyrics and Singing: Of coarse the lyrics are very abstract, typical mars volta. It actually seems like the song tittles are more abstract then the lyrics. But for those who don't know, the albums story is about, a quija board, called "soothsayer" that Omar gave to cedric as a gift from Israel. The band begins to mess around with the Quija baord but it seems like it brings them bad luck. Omars basement gets flooded, there engineer goes crazy, yada yada yada. That's pretty much what the album is about. You know what though, this may sound harsh, but I don't really care about the lyrics now. Cedric does not present the lyrics good. as Stated before, his singing is just not what it should be. // 4

Impression: Please don't get me wrong, the mars volta is one of my favorite bands, I have evey album by them and know all about them. But this album is jsut a dissapointment. Which is ironic because this was probaly the most advertised album of them all (I've never even seen a commercial for amputechture). All and all, this album is just dull, and unexciting. // 4

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: salamander121, on august 13, 2008

Sound: Ah yes, the progressive, psychedelic, funk, rock group return again with what must be there best album so far. The Mars Volta, always seen by there two front-men the whiney vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and the eccentric lead guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López, have brought us nothing but the best of mind-blowingly good music. This time, with "The Bedlam In Goliath", inspired by Cedric's Ouija board, and the mysterious 'Soothsayer', you practically tell it's going to be complete chaos or complete chaos. Also an extra attachment was new drummer Thomas Pridgen, who I have to say when seen live, is amazing and really is another great asset to the band. But anyway, first looks at their newest album, it seems could be the best I have seen all year. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: Cedric, in my own view, has a very individual sounding voice. Especially good at hitting those really high notes that I don't any other band I know could. So he really provides some special to the band. As for the lyrics, the key thing about Mars Volta is that they are very hard to decipher, sometimes I'm not even sure they're making any sense whatsoever. But this can also be used to an advantage as whether it's a song about love or hate or flying pigs, he can sing it in anyway he wants and it still wouldn't sound like it's wrong. With crazy music comes crazy vocals, as fans know from the previous albums. // 8

Impression: You can't really compare this to many other albums as it has so many genres, some of which I can't even hear in the music but then again, I'm still learning many music concepts every day and I might pick them up sometime. The most impressive songs have to be 'Aberinkula' simply because it's a great intro to the album and the other would be 'Goliath' because it rips through the main song, getting to a slow part, builds up and blows you down. However, there are some things I have to dislike about this album and with some of the other Mars Volta records would be the amount of 'noodling' in some songs. basically, the parts where Omar just plays odd riffs over and over, tweaking them. It can sometimes sound like he's jamming and not working properly as a musician, but he has formed his own quintet full of the stuff if you do enjoy it. To finish up, if you were a fan of the previous work, then you will not be disappointed by their latest works. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on march 10, 2008

Sound: Very energetic, powerful rock music. This album is what the last one should have been. This album is good as the band is able to once again make music that sounds different from their previous stuff, yet sounds like the Volta. The new drummer is really great and they obviously focused on making the drums sound very powerful as they are loud and fast throughout the whole album. This is more a good thing, but sometimes can be overwhelming. Personally I love crazy drums, so I really enjoy it, but it does get crazy. One thing they have improved on is having the "strange-sound" interludes, but not letting them last too long, as the transitions are very good on this album compared to the the previous ones. But lets be honest, The Mars Volta is for a certain kind of music lover, one who likes is sick of boring mainsteam sounds and someone with an adventurous open mind, and sophisitcated musical palette. This album will feed this kind of person sufficiently. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: Typical Cedric-type lyrics, mysterious yet pointing toward a certain feeling or notion. There are actually some catchy parts, such as one Goliath "never heard a man speak like this man before." this is a very cool and powerful part of the song, which may be the best on the album. I suppose the lyrics are focused on spiritual/religious ideas as flows from the Jerusalem-inspired concept and is shown through the religious content of the artwork. The overall feel is one of troublesome occurances and deep, powerful, transcending revelations. Not Cedric at his best (frances the mute was cedric at his best) but nonetheless he matches the band perfectly. // 9

Impression: It would have been a much better thing for TMV to have combined the best from this album with the best from last album, that way they would have continued their string of fantastic albums instead of misstepping on Amputechture and putting out a "better" album with Bedlam. But I am pleased with this album because it really does grab you and take you through some pretty incredible musical episodes. There are not any bands that compare, and no other band with satisfy those musical cravings you had after you heard Deloused and Frances. I love that they decided to go balls out and rock hard. But I hate that it's still not as good as Deloused and Frances. It's as if those first two albums were meant to happen, and now they have to try too hard to create their music. This album is great, but even more than the first two, it's music that is more appreciated by someone listing to it my themselves then playing it for other uninitiatd listeners. // 9

overall: 4.7

Reviewed by: GoToSleep, on december 03, 2008

Sound: This is their worst album to date. I think you will either get it or not, love it or hate it, for the most part. It's all over the place. It rocks in some places and the guitar is good as always, but even that doesn't compare with previous releases. The production isn't as good either. I think they tried too hard on this one, it just leaves you empty wanting something else. There is traces of their past albums, but no new sound really, nothing that grabs you like past albums. // 5

Lyrics and Singing: Crazy lyrics as usual. Nothing new here. I don't have a problem with the lyrics, but I do have a major problem with Cedric's singing. I don't understand why they put all of those effects on his voice. It ruins his voice and he now sings even higher than before and I cringed listening to him throughout the whole cd. It started with Amputechture, and while it worked with that and could be overlooked, it just doesn't work here. He now sounds like a robotic chipmunk. Very disappointing because I love his normal singing voice. // 4

Impression: Like I said, it is their absolute worst release yet. While I love their unusual ideas with concepts and lyrics, the music fails this time around. The only worthy tracks on here are Soothsayer, although very pompous and overproduced, like much of the album, and Conjugal Burns. Don't buy it. // 5

overall: 6.3

Reviewed by: jefffelker40, on june 10, 2008

Sound: The sound of this album is not as aggressive as the band would like you to think, the concept of this album is hard to get into the band used an evil ouija board to summon an evil spirit or something like that, it kind of loses me there, because I have a hard time caring about people that purposefully put themselves in the way of danger to get attention, I can't see how the album theme is different. Ignoring all that, this is a good album, the guitar work is innovative and how couldn't it be with john helping the guys out. // 7

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are good. I am a fan of the lyrics, just not of the concept, I don't see them being aggressive, not really, fast paced, along with the music, and exciting and upbeat most of the time. It doesn't drag you down like Francis the mute. On the other hand it's a really hard listen, not something you could easily listen to all the way through. // 7

Impression: It compares with other Mars volta songs I think, ouroborous is my favorite, most of the songs seem old and dated and I don't know why, it will grow on you, but it will take a really long time, it lacks emotionally some how as well, I have really mixed feelings about this album, in a way it feels rushed, like they felt they just had to make something to have something made. // 5

overall: 7.7

Reviewed by: jibran, on october 24, 2008

Sound: Like a psychedelic boar, the salvador Dali's of music, The Mars Volta return the scene with their fourth major effort 'The Bedlam in Goliath' and prove that you cannot always do the same thing over and over and over and over again. The Octet which mutated out of the ashes of post-hardcore ovelords 'At the drive-in', are known for their funkadelic fusion of progressive hardcore and Jazz and proved themsleves quite the rock act. But this time around, they seem to lack the punch which their previous records featured.

The album explodes from the violent 'Aberinkula', which is quite the opener which should impress even the haters with the dynamics featured within. 'Aberinkula' is a template which most of the songs are based on of the album and should provide the listener a good idea of what they are in for. Guitarist/Arranger/Frank Zappa-man Omar A. Rodriguez Lopez as always shines on this record, his loopy and acidic leads are quite exciting but feel somewhat recycled after the 356th jazz breakdown. Bass player and Racer X alumini, Juan Alderete is truly the anchor the band; who keeps most songs on form even if the guitars and keyboards stray from tangent.

The musical prowess on this record is awe-inpiring. But a question does come up: 'technical for the sake of technical? ', maybe so but at least they do not go the levels of other bands; for God's sake, they're not 'Behold... the arctopus'. On the note of technical skills, the newly recruited drummer Thomas Pridgen is quite notable. The young man is an organic drum-machine, but as always there is a catch; he is nothing creatively on former drummer Jon Theodore who of now is jamming with Zach Dela Rocha. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: Vocalist and lyricist Cedric Bixler Zavala, claims upon his soul that this album is cursed; TBIG is apparently the product of a malicious Ouja board which had not only almost broke up the band, but also ruined the album. The lyrics are highly metaphorical almost at at the level of being nonsenical. Truly, if you intend to decipher this album, good luck. You have lost yourself many years. There is some disgusting yet beautiful imagery on this record which should not be ignored. Bixler-Zavala has traded in his soaring old style of vocals for an exasperated high snarl, the old Robert Plant emulations are still present, but not as much as the masses would want as the snarls get on the nerves. // 7

Impression: Sigh. If the Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala still consider themselves 'highly progressive', they have became figures of walking irony. The album does not expand on anthing new, it is not as bombastic or exciting as the first two records, ad surprisingly it seems like the technical skill has lowered from their last effort. While Rodriguez-Lopez's solo work constantly gains momentum, his main project is slowly growing musical fungus. While we wait for TMV's new album in hope of rediscovered brilliance, this one reviewer is going to listen to some Mastodon... // 7

Comments

[f1sk]

punk metal? progressive metal?
I don't think so.....
anyway, I agree the album just had more substance, and I by that I just mean more songs, and less white noise. loud? im not sure if I would say that but I guess I see why people say that, there seemed to be less variety on this album (compared to amp) but I guess youll have that when all 12 tracks are actual songs
there were definitely less instances where all the instruments quieted down for a guitar solo.

[boxcarblink94]

the picture of chris walla is interesting

[Ez0ph]

AWSOME CD

[invisiblekid123]

thrash? hahahahaha

anyway, i love mars volta and i'm looking forward to listening to this album

[Lex Davids]

SRSLY guys, second review is it REALLY too much to ask to check over your submission for syntax/spelling mistakes? I don't normally care but its annoying in reviews, especially ones concerning such an important album.

[hiddeninromance]

Lex Davids wrote:

SRSLY guys, second review is it REALLY too much to ask to check over your submission for syntax/spelling mistakes? I don't normally care but its annoying in reviews, especially ones concerning such an important album.

YES! Thank you, I feel the same.
The first review's opening line just stops...
"Wow. It's been less than 2 years since The Mars Volta, an offshoot of the highly influential but, sadly, forgotten band At the Drive-In."
The sentence just stops?!?

[bountykilla]

Yeah I agree with Lex on that one; you shouldn't be reviewing an album if you don't have a proper grasp of the English language. It really detracts from the credibility and value of your opinion.

This album is amazing. It's a bit more noisy, but the musicianship is way up.

[Confetti]

f1sk wrote:

punk metal? progressive metal?
I don't think so.....
anyway, I agree the album just had more substance, and I by that I just mean more songs, and less white noise. loud? im not sure if I would say that but I guess I see why people say that, there seemed to be less variety on this album (compared to amp) but I guess youll have that when all 12 tracks are actual songs
there were definitely less instances where all the instruments quieted down for a guitar solo.

What are you jabbering about? Volta is straight out heavy prog.

The album is in between Comatorium and Frances.
It better then Frances The Mute but still is not as good as Comatorium. The style itself is in between these two also.

The punk metal tag is so off place here -_-

[Raaaaar]

they are getting ridiculously pretentious and up their own asses and dont have the songs anymore to back that up

[rush4life]

That last review is horrible. "

Cedric does not present the lyrics good.

He is a very very very very very good drummer, but I feel like, in all the songs, he is just blasting away the drum set really fast.

5 very's? Really?

Not to mention the inability to spell "definitely", or the other various spelling errors on simple words.

[dragon77]

Cedric does not present the lyrics good.

I wasn't sure if you were saying you didn't like the lyrics, or just the way Cedric sings them on this album. In my opinion this was lyrically the strongest album for TMV. Cedric really used his vocal effects nicely on here. And the lyrics themselves are much more literal (compared to Cedrics other stuff).

[nrich]

Raaaaar wrote:

they are getting ridiculously pretentious and up their own asses and dont have the songs anymore to back that up

At least they have the balls to be something different instead of flock with the rest of today's pussy pop rock bands.

[SpanishMoss]

Well, yes, the spelling and grammer could be improved..... alot! But 'Lex Davids', you can't really bitch when you can't be bothered to type in seriously properly.
Anyway, havnt heard the album yet, but TMV rocks!

[the.spine.surfs]

I liked it.

[Barkyr]

I don't think TMV can be restricted to one genre
They seem to incorporate practically every genre into their music.
They also use a wide variety of techniques, making them, in my opinion at least, one of the most distively sounding and original bands out there.

[pfa]

some good tracks but 1 or 2 fillers for me.

I actually find illyena(sp?) really hard to listen to with the vocal effects but overall i agree the album is better than frances but not quite commatorium.

can't wait to see them in manc

[Barkyr]

Also, I did not quite agree with the top review implying that Amputechture wasn't too great.
When I first heard it I was utterly blown away, similarly with all of their albums, to say any of them are anything less than perfect is a true sin.
The new album is mind-blowingly brilliant and I'm very upset that I couldn't get hold of any tickets to see them in March

[MiNDROAMSFREE]

Is it impossible these days to see a review of an album without the "If I lost this album, I'd probably buy it again/forget it existed/form a small fanatical yet self-sufficient and morally-grounded commune based around the idolatrous worship of the now empty jewel case" on the end?

*ahem*

Other than that, good reviews, great album, awesome band - nice one

[chieftanec]

last review really really really really really sucks. LEaRn HoW to RiGhTTttt

[StratMaster101]

THRASH!!???

[JDest]

Yeah I feel the last review is very inaccurate. Sounds just like a fan who was expecting another de-loused in the comatorium, more of the same.

Anyway, I love the new album, although I have to say I still like de-loused more, Ouroboros is my new favorite song.

[ReiDSaN]

The first review has a lot of history, doesn't it? I don't care about what bands the guy's been in, I want to know what he's doing on this album.

[rush4life]

I prefer reviews like the first one over the last one.

[adslam3]

yeah that last review was crap..he gave it a 4?!? anyways, this album is definitely good and any TMV fan shouldn't be disappointed. and, in response the first review, amputechture rocked

[bassbeat77]

At the Drive-In is hardly forgotten. That's all I have to say.

[SL!!!]

bountykilla wrote:

Yeah I agree with Lex on that one; you shouldn't be reviewing an album if you don't have a proper grasp of the English language. It really detracts from the credibility and value of your opinion.

Truth. These reviews are getting annoying. Also the guy misspelled names of some of the people in the band. Tisk.

[flea878]

I honestly don't think the reviews matter at all, spelling and grammar mistakes or not. This was such an anticipated album for most TMV fans that these reviews were never gonna swing it, at least not for me.
Can't wait to hear the record, im gonna buy it tomorrow me thinks.

[SL!!!]

"they are getting ridiculously pretentious and up their own asses and dont have the songs anymore to back that up"

Seriously? The "pretentious" argument is the biggest bunch of bull i've ever heard. So are you saying all jazz musicians who improve are pretentious? There's nothing wrong with showing off your skill or trying to make music complex for the sake of achieving a different feel or sound. That's why they're experimental, that's why they do what they do. So maybe you like simpler melodies and songs, big deal, don't bitch about a band because you don't "get it" or have an appreciation for music theory or people showcasing their skills. CRIPES.

[Inertiatic]

I haven't heard the album yet, but what is the deal with all these threads turning into giant bitchfests?

[Nick-182]

SeVeN 2 eLeVeN

[chieftanec]

"they are getting ridiculously pretentious and up their own asses and dont have the songs anymore to back that up"

Have you seen them in their most recent interview? They are the nicest guys around. Omar said f*** on air and was upset about it the rest of the show. Also have you seen the videos they put out of themselves just fooling around.

[Nick-182]

wtf happened to my comment :S

[enmusicerartgy]

Punk Metal.. a good example of a punk metal band would be Suicidal Tendencies, not Mars Volta.. no dice.

Neo-Psychedelia... howabout Dead Meadow.. MAYBE some Wolfmother even if you want to get on the commercial end of the spectrum... but NOT Mars Volta. Neo psychedelia suggests that its current music with a classic psychedelic edge.. soo... no dice.

Thrash.. hardly.. try Municipal Waste maybe? Hell even the first Metallica album.. not this one... no dice.

Post-Hardcore... maybe the other half of At the Drive In, Sparta would fall into this category. However Mars Volta is far too "out there" to be post hardcore.. no dice.

Its progressive/abstract metal. I'm so sick of people making assumptions based on a groups influences. Just because one group had influences from a certain genre doesn't make them part of that.. the fact that My Chemical Romance plays simple power chord progressions doesn't make them a ****ing punk band..

Maybe I'm just an *******.

[enmusicerartgy]

bassbeat77 wrote:

At the Drive-In is hardly forgotten. That's all I have to say.

hahaha true, I just bought In/Casino/Out last night :P

[jplay5]

best songs are ilyena, goliath, and aberinkula

[papersun87]

My initials are TMV.

[Dumpster510]

10/10

[HILIKUS!]

the Mars volta is rock.
Let's stop trying to put everything we hear into all these minute divisions of genre. I don't think I would have ever listened to TMV if someone told me it was post hardcore punk metal. Just call it music.

[FunkyRenegade]

@SeVeN 2 eLeVeN

Did you really listen to the album?
It's a long way from dull. It's probably one of the most musically interesting albums I've heard in a long time, there's just so much to hear and take in. As for every song sounding like the last, I think they've got it spot on managing to create an album of ~73 minutes and keep up such a relentless assault of musical genius for the duration. The vocals are as if Cedric is talking? What are you listening to? There are incredible highs and lows throughout the whole album. Finally, there is no way you can say the drumming is just "blasting away on the drum set really fast" the drumming is nothing short of incredible at times, and for the rest of the time it's beautifully intricate beats that fit the style and each song perfectly.
In conclusion, you either did not listen to this album, or are deaf, your call.

[Phorgot]

some terrific shiz right there

[jerkoffjack]

great musicianship, great players, awesome ideas, creative as hell, but way too much at once. i'm still playing this on my stereo though.

[fro_guy]

beware of the demons in the album!!! lol

[con job]

I'd never listened to the Mars Volta before, and was just given this CD. I'm not too into them at the moment, but I have a feeling it's gonna grow on me. The intro to Abernikula is amazing, and pretty much all of Goliath is an excellent song

[NorCalLos]

I'm listening to this album at work right now. I just bought it at lunch time. I wish so badly I could crank it right now. Just for the record (pardon the pun), there's absolutely nothing "metal" about it. Seriously, who cares what genre anything is? I was hoping we could get away from throwing everything into a pile like that. It seems like as soon as you can come up with a name for something, it automatically becomes obsolete (Grunge, Alternative, Nu-Metal, Emo, Indie).

Anyway, back to TMV, they were amazing on New Year's Eve in San Francisco.

[Hakamoto]

I'm not diggin' the new drummer at all. He sounds like an amateur trying to fill in gaps with rolls and solo runs. The distortion on the vocals is less than impressive and the bass lines are, well, weak. The dynamics in De-Loused and Amp were their best and it seems that they got a little too creative with this one. All in all Amputechture was a much better album.

[WhereArtEsteban]

I don't know how I feel about it yet. Frances the Mute is my favorite by them. Something about it just, kind of like Amputechture, doesn't have the same replayability as Frances and De-loused have.

[stumaster18]

rush4life wrote:

That last review is horrible. "

Cedric does not present the lyrics good.


He is a very very very very very good drummer, but I feel like, in all the songs, he is just blasting away the drum set really fast.


5 very's? Really?

Not to mention the inability to spell "definitely", or the other various spelling errors on simple words.

english probably isn't his first language...The Mars Volta is a very cultural band...cut him some slack

[WhereArtEsteban]

BTW ^^^I'm only half way through it so far.

[CaTeArS]

I love this album! they always come up with amazing storylines and sounds. Not my favorite of theirs, but on my list of all time favorite albums

[Infamou$17]

I liked it better than Amputechture, since this album only had 1 song I really hated and Amputechture had several. However, there isn't enough creativity(good creativity) brought to the table. Amputechture had incredible soloing on guitar, bass, sax, even f*cking bongo solos were better than some of the stuff here. Thomas Pridgen is a faster drummer than Jon Theodore, but he clearly lacks Theodore's experimental style, choosing to play really really fast instead. Cedric sounds great for the most part, but there is too much vocal processing. This is the album where Omar gets to show off his riffing skills, and he really brings down the house on "Goliath" and my favorite, "Agadez". Most of the other songs are decent enough to be tolerable. Some stand out at times. "Tourniquet Man" is the worst song that anything spawned from ATDI has ever put out, I'd rather they put a Fergie song on the album instead and mixed parts of it to blend in with the rest.

Tied with Amputechture, not as good as Frances now that I think about it, pales in comparison to De-Loused.

[Steve The Plank]

Amazing album. TMV's best effort since DLITC imo.

[SchitzoJoe]

Fucking incredible, it's my favorite album at the moment. Haven't listened to anything except this and Otep for the past week.

[GoWithTheFlow]

this album is probably the best album ive bought recently. im just going to ignore the second two reviews.

[Mcfraggins]

I myself love it when the musicians show off, makes me wonder "now how did they do that???" Great album though!

SL!!! wrote:

"they are getting ridiculously pretentious and up their own asses and dont have the songs anymore to back that up"

Seriously? The "pretentious" argument is the biggest bunch of bull i've ever heard. So are you saying all jazz musicians who improve are pretentious? There's nothing wrong with showing off your skill or trying to make music complex for the sake of achieving a different feel or sound. That's why they're experimental, that's why they do what they do. So maybe you like simpler melodies and songs, big deal, don't bitch about a band because you don't "get it" or have an appreciation for music theory or people showcasing their skills. CRIPES.

[benenov]

must say I really dig the drums

[GoWithTheFlow]

sorry for the double post but in the first review it says that he puts effects on the voices to make them higher. but the guy is just singing falsetto.

[GoWithTheFlow]

TRIPLE POST!
whoever wrote "virtually every song played at maximum volume" at the top has an inner ear infection theres at least two out of the twelve that have quiet in them.

[fapipo]

this cd is amazing! all i can really say is the mars volta have struck ****in gold with this one.

[The Spoon]

i really like this cd...still have to get thru half of it tho

[SideshowRaven24]

Hakamoto wrote:

I'm not diggin' the new drummer at all. He sounds like an amateur trying to fill in gaps with rolls and solo runs. The distortion on the vocals is less than impressive and the bass lines are, well, weak. The dynamics in De-Loused and Amp were their best and it seems that they got a little too creative with this one. All in all Amputechture was a much better album.

I think Thomas is one of the best drummers ever, in my opinion. A little showoffy at points, but what drummer wouldnt want to show of like that? And the bass is sick in my opinion, stands out a lot more. I see where you're coming from, though.

[guitarmanzac]

volta owns. tBiG owns. i dont get why there are people saying that soling on any instrument is showing off. its all about the dynamics and juxtaposition. i think the best song on tBiG is either ouroboros, conjugal burns or metatron. there all so good!

[guitarmanzac]

oh, and thomas is more groove oriented. whereas jon is more hmmm shall we say.. dynamic

[rush4life]

stumaster18 wrote:

rush4life wrote:

That last review is horrible. "


Cedric does not present the lyrics good.


He is a very very very very very good drummer, but I feel like, in all the songs, he is just blasting away the drum set really fast.


5 very's? Really?

Not to mention the inability to spell "definitely", or the other various spelling errors on simple words.

english probably isn't his first language...The Mars Volta is a very cultural band...cut him some slack

Right....except his profile says he's from NYC, United States. I just picked on the multiple writing errors because I wanted to look past his obvious shallow review since it's his "opinion".

Not to mention the fact he clearly doesn't understand the concept of melody, since he thinks Cedric is "talking". I don't really hear many people talk like that too often.

[RC_Hammer]

The last review was terrible. I thought this album was amazing in its own respect.

I always liked TMVs guitar driven tracks a lot. This album really didn't have a guitar driven song that stood out to me.

Favorite song=Cavalettas

[deathbyriley]

The last review was shit
This cd more than satisfied my thirst for another TMV album

[f1sk]

Confetti wrote:
The album is in between Comatorium and Frances.
It better then Frances The Mute but still is not as good as Comatorium. The style itself is in between these two also.

The punk metal tag is so off place here -_-

you basically just crapped on what i said then re-said it yourself
obviously its progressive but progressive METAL?!?! hell no
no shit the punk metal tag is off place.....

[WishfulShredder]

Confetti wrote:

What are you jabbering about? Volta is straight out heavy prog.

The album is in between Comatorium and Frances.
It better then Frances The Mute but still is not as good as Comatorium. The style itself is in between these two also.

The punk metal tag is so off place here -_-

I actually disagree on your description of Bedlam being
In between Frances the mute and Deloused in the comatorium. to me Bedlam seems A LOT (musically, not conceptually) like Frances the mute, minus the large instrumental breaks. Which I find personally, is a good thing, because the musical structure of both of those LP's works great with a concept album.

[element4433]

There was never anybody in Sublime named "Isaiah "Ikey" Owens"

[StratMaster101]

I WANT TO LICK THE MARS VOLTA ALL OVER IN THE TINGLY PLACES!!! They are SOOO good! This album is a step forward for them IMO. Not even a semi-expiremental band can keep putting out albums with thirty minutes of ambience in them, not saying that that's a bad thing, just that you can't keep putting out the same album over and over and over again. Good job Volta.

[justaprologue]

This is by far their worst album, Cedric's voice sounds terrible and the mixing is shit. Fanboy cock-jockeys need to get off their collective penises. I'd rather listen to Amputechture than this pile of meh.

[BobTheBlob]

justaprologue wrote:

This is by far their worst album, Cedric's voice sounds terrible and the mixing is shit. Fanboy cock-jockeys need to get off their collective penises. I'd rather listen to Amputechture than this pile of meh.

I agree with all of this, except I thought Amputechture was pretty good, and you forgot to mention the drummer orgasming throughout the entire thing.

[floydzeppelin]

ya this album could be a lot better. theres just way too much going on, mars volta needs to go back to the way they were for deloused. it just sounds like noise to me.

[floydzeppelin]

SL!!! wrote:

"they are getting ridiculously pretentious and up their own asses and dont have the songs anymore to back that up"

Seriously? The "pretentious" argument is the biggest bunch of bull i've ever heard. So are you saying all jazz musicians who improve are pretentious? There's nothing wrong with showing off your skill or trying to make music complex for the sake of achieving a different feel or sound. That's why they're experimental, that's why they do what they do. So maybe you like simpler melodies and songs, big deal, don't bitch about a band because you don't "get it" or have an appreciation for music theory or people showcasing their skills. CRIPES.

are you kidding me!??!?!?! you call this jazz? i dont know what your talking about. this sounds like cedric and omar and the rest ofthem had sex with their instruments and recorded what it sounded like.

[floydzeppelin]

element4433 wrote:

There was never anybody in Sublime named "Isaiah "Ikey" Owens"

also for this he recorded some stuff with sublime but he wasnt in the band for more than like 2 or 3 songs. he was in long beach dub allstars that had bud and eric from the band in it.

[Hash4you]

geez, u guys are all writers i suppose? its a reivew, and to the guy who said "Especially for such an important album as this" chill out, it's just a record, and all u spelling nerds are WAY too smart for ure own good...chill OUT.

[justchillin21]

Amazing cd. Me n my boys just got done listening to it while having a few beers, pretty tight stuff. TMV never stop impressing me.

[taxt]

Seriously, this album is a total let-down. Their new drummer doesn't even seem to realize there is such a thing as dynamics. Plus, the album as a whole really never slows down and seems way too formulaic. I just really hope that on their next record they come back to their senses and actually think out the music they are writing before they record it.

[sowhat360]

Confetti wrote:

f1sk wrote:

punk metal? progressive metal?
I don't think so.....
anyway, I agree the album just had more substance, and I by that I just mean more songs, and less white noise. loud? im not sure if I would say that but I guess I see why people say that, there seemed to be less variety on this album (compared to amp) but I guess youll have that when all 12 tracks are actual songs
there were definitely less instances where all the instruments quieted down for a guitar solo.

What are you jabbering about? Volta is straight out heavy prog.

The album is in between Comatorium and Frances.
It better then Frances The Mute but still is not as good as Comatorium. The style itself is in between these two also.

The punk metal tag is so off place here -_-

heavy prog??? what the hell is heavy prog??? anyway i think subgenres are getting out of control.....aside from the that, if nothing else these guys definately put their own spin on the ROCK genre (which is good)....it reminds me of the way incubus did it back in the day, new rhythms and new sounds....solid effort

[CapnKickass]

A plague upon your hissing!! O_o
I love that title... only song I've heard by them.

[Anno[fzk]]

floydzeppelin wrote:

SL!!! wrote:

"they are getting ridiculously pretentious and up their own asses and dont have the songs anymore to back that up"

Seriously? The "pretentious" argument is the biggest bunch of bull i've ever heard. So are you saying all jazz musicians who improve are pretentious? There's nothing wrong with showing off your skill or trying to make music complex for the sake of achieving a different feel or sound. That's why they're experimental, that's why they do what they do. So maybe you like simpler melodies and songs, big deal, don't bitch about a band because you don't "get it" or have an appreciation for music theory or people showcasing their skills. CRIPES.


are you kidding me!??!?!?! you call this jazz? i dont know what your talking about. this sounds like cedric and omar and the rest ofthem had sex with their instruments and recorded what it sounded like.

he didn't say that TMV is jazz, just that jazz musicians and the like get bagged for exploring new dimensions. as so. they aren't the most pinoneering group as to get the sex with instruments comment. this isn't avant-noise.
they do, however, kick ass and they have definitely stepped it up with this album. so all the tags and labels are rendered irrelevant due to good music.

[Infamou$17]

adslam3 wrote:

any TMV fan shouldn't be disappointed.

Uh...

*raises hand*
I am. My expectations were let down horribly. I miss the Comatorium/Frances days where Cedric didn't f*ck with his vocals like his life depended on it and Jon Theodore was the drummer, and I really dig the latin and jazz thing they had going on, which was even in Amputechture a little.

[Infamou$17]

And to an earlier comment, there is such a thing as making your music too complex. TMV almost did it here. There is a difference between showing off your skill and having people like it, and showing off and having people say "Well they're talented as a madc*nt, but this music sucks"... for example, PsyOpus, Yngwie Malmsteen, Dragonforce, they all try to do nothing but show off how many notes they can play at superhuman speed in every song they ever wrote, and I dunno about you but I think that sh*t sucks. Sounds like they're all just doing their own thing, playing multiple different songs, just showing off. And then there are guys like BTBAM who KNOW how to show off their talent and have their sh*t be complex and yet not inaccessible, by NOT overdoing it.

I can dig it if a band decides to take a different direction, but if you try to cram together too many things at one time all you've got is a jumbled mess, which is exactly why the new TSOAF album was bad(also includes whiny b*tch Craig Owens). People always put down change because they think that if their favorite band changes the sh*t's gonna hit the fan, and usually they will listen to it anyway and probably end up liking it.

Regardless, next time I hear about TMV going into the studio I am gonna be about as skeptic as it gets until I hear it.

[JKuehne]

The review by SeVeN 2 eLeVeN could not have been more wrong. This album was the most energetic and exiting. And anyone who says that this album is not punk and that its not jazz or like their other albums are retarded. TMV favorite music is punk and playing the same thing over and over is boring.

[laquerhead]

SeVeN 2 eLeVeN was completly off...but no one can blame him really thats what posting reveiws is about. And everyone knows that there is going to be a Critic in the crowd somewhere at some point in time. I enjoyed the album completly (i wrote a review and gave it a 10 so yea).

[Mr Pringle]

I'm a bit disappointed in every ones view on this album, I liked it a lot i suppose i don't hate any mars volta album their style is beyond belief, they're still the best band ever and always will be.

[le_cólere_rouge]

Este album es una mierda, man!!!
Cedrix ni canta, solo habla todo el rato
y la musica es sólo ruido.
Tristemente, el peor disco de TMV

[jibran]

I adore TMV, but this album was only above-average for me.

[GoToSleep]

there worst cd yet.

[GoToSleep]

and why does it say Metal?.....

[dudemanwhoathe1]

Honestly, I don't care for this album at all. I've listened through Frances the Mute at least 50 times now, and Amputecture almost as much. Deloused was ok, but its a little too ordinary for me. The problem with this album to me is the overusage of musical ideas. There isn't enough diversity, and thats what TMV usually are- a progressive rock monster that eats all genres in it's way, and I love that.

I definately prefer the more progressive sides of the Mars Volta. That being said, I'm buying every one of their albums from here on out. And all the solo projects. I wish they'd hurry though, 'cause I'm jonesin' for some Volta baaaad, man.

[tommytomtomtom]

dudemanwhoathe1 :
Honestly, I don't care for this album at all. I've listened through Frances the Mute at least 50 times now, and Amputecture almost as much. Deloused was ok, but its a little too ordinary for me. The problem with this album to me is the overusage of musical ideas. There isn't enough diversity, and thats what TMV usually are- a progressive rock monster that eats all genres in it's way, and I love that.

I definately prefer the more progressive sides of the Mars Volta. That being said, I'm buying every one of their albums from here on out. And all the solo projects. I wish they'd hurry though, 'cause I'm jonesin' for some Volta baaaad, man.

ok first off deloused is truly amazing, u just havent listend to it enought, just like any other album by them.
secondly bedlam is amazing, u need to listen to it a lot of times like the other, i was like u at first and thought that this album was shallow and meh, but after listening to it ( a lot!!) i realised how much more deep it is compared to their other albums. u should also look up the story behind the album, that may help u understand it more, and if u havent already, do the same for their other ones

[f1sk]

Confetti wrote:

f1sk wrote:

punk metal? progressive metal?
I don't think so.....
anyway, I agree the album just had more substance, and I by that I just mean more songs, and less white noise. loud? im not sure if I would say that but I guess I see why people say that, there seemed to be less variety on this album (compared to amp) but I guess youll have that when all 12 tracks are actual songs
there were definitely less instances where all the instruments quieted down for a guitar solo.

What are you jabbering about? Volta is straight out heavy prog.

The album is in between Comatorium and Frances.
It better then Frances The Mute but still is not as good as Comatorium. The style itself is in between these two also.

The punk metal tag is so off place here -_-

are you retarted
prog but not prog metal

[le_cólere_rouge]

UGLY ALBUM
REALLY UGLY AND BORED ALBUM
NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT....
THE WORST ALBUM OF TMV

[Paul Carbonella]

Here's how TMV's albums go from best to worst.

-De-Loused in the Comatorium
-Francis The Mute
-Tremulant
-Bedlam In Goliath
-Amputechture

Bedlam is alright. I think that the songs make a bit more sense, technically, then some of their other works but that's almost what I dont like about it. There are parts that are straight up punk. That's cool and all, but it's not what I listen to the Mars Volta for.

[sykguitaryst]

this album sucks. i would even listen to amputechture over this. what gets me is the whinny vocals and theres just too much goin on in the songs. i couldnt write anything like this but then again i wouldnt want to. the songs from the newer album sound way better, heres to hoping thats amazing like everything else they put out.

[Mr Pringle]

I actually think that this is their most polished album, they're all really different but most volta fans just want another deloused and too any one who wants that can just **** off.

[cavalettas]

I dunno why fans are divided over this album, I thought it was genius, some of their best work.

[Morgant]

Each songs takes a few listens but once I found those really cool moments I realized it is an amazing album. Like seriously, I doubt half of the people who yell "ALBUM SUCKS, DELOUSED/FRANCES BEST" and then leave, have actually listened to in it's entirety. It's a damn brandwagon, and it really has tarnished the reputation this album should have.

[ripping.flesh]

I really can´t understand how people call this album stupid.

It´s probably their best! They left behind some noisy stuff that I hated in their early albuns. Dude, there´s no way you don´t like Aberinkula, Metraton, Wax Simulacra, Goliath, Agadez and Ouroborous....

Sorry for bad english....

[p.d.s.91]

Pridgen scares me, he scares the shit out of me, almost to the point of where I want to sell my drums and be some white collar guy