Skip to main content

R.I.P. The Mars Volta (2001-2013)


When At The Drive-In disbanded, I was pretty bummed out. They had just released the thrashing, cathartic Relationship Of Command, and had all the momentum on their side, and then it was over.

Soon after, I heard that Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala had embraked on a new endeavor called The Mars Volta. Hearing one song from their Tremulant EP, I was taken aback, surprised and a little weirded out. By the time they released the overstuffed, unflinching experiment in terror De-Loused In The Comatorium, I had nearly forgotten ATDI existed.
Watching ATDI's reunion set at Coachella last spring, I noticed just how much fun Cedric seemed to be having reconnecting with his old mates, and also how seemingly little Omar wanted to do with it all. Then in fall, when a Mars Volta hiatus was announced so that Omar could focus on new project Bosnian Rainbows, I didn't think too much of it. However, last night, Cedric took to Twitter to leave no doubt:




Throughout the series of tweets, Cedric also reveals that he's almost finished with his new project, which (according to him) sounds nothing like Volta or ATDI; who he's working with on this one is unclear right now. He also makes it pretty clear that Omar's shifting focus to other projects and inability to tour last year's Noctourniquet are the main reasons for the split:


Mud may be slung over the coming days and weeks, and many will mourn this loss, but I'm looking for the positive and remembering what it was like twelve years ago, when I was baffled as to why they'd want to wreck a great thing like At The Drive-In.

Anyway, here are (in my opinion, of course) The Mars Volta's ten greatest moments, in chronological order:

Drunkship Of Lanterns:



My first exposure of TMV's excellent debut album, and the moment where I knew just how transcendent this band was.

Televators:


Mars Volta - Televators from The Saline Project on Vimeo.

A stunningly beautiful video for a stunningly beautiful song, and a temporary break from total chaos from De-Loused In The Comatorium.

Cassandra Gemini:


Frances The Mute is a sprawling behemoth of an album, an impenetrable mass of noise and violence that sees its boundaries and smirks as it oversteps them. Its centerpiece is Cassandra Gemini, sliced into separate tracks on CD to qualify Frances as an album; its eight parts rationed haphazardly. Taken as a whole, Cassandra Gemini is 32 minutes and change of sheer insanity. Glorious, beautiful insanity.

Vicarious Atonement:


Leading off TMV's third album (the underrated Amputechture) is Vicarious Atonement, a gorgeous and off-kilter dirge that breathes and seethes for over seven minutes before abruptly ending. On the album, it smashes into Tetragrammaton, a 16-minute beast that bursts down the door of sanity and proceeds to chase it away.

Aberinkula:


The Mars Volta's fourth album, The Bedlam In Goliath, was arguably their last truly amazing album (and an album with one hell of a story should you choose to dive into it); a concept built around a Ouija board, The Bedlam In Goliath sees TMV at their most frightening, muscular and sinister, which explains why they made such a silly video for opener Aberinkula.

Goliath:


A swaggering, snarling rock monster that skirts the edges of chaos while managing to keep its hands inside the ride most of the time, Goliath is definitely one of the Volta's most satisfying jams, and a strong case for Thomas Pridgen as TMV's best drummer (er, they went through a few).

Teflon:


Taken from the somewhat subdued, yet still adventurous Octahedron, Teflon rides a spooky groove and packs more melody than your average Volta composition. It's a great way to lure unsuspecting non-believers in before hitting them with Cassandra Gemini.

The Whip Hand:


The lead track from what I suppose now is TMV's last album (2012's Noctourniquet) introduces electronic flourishes that took longtime fans by surprise. Another dark alley that most wouldn't venture down, TMV didn't shy away from synth and loops; however, where it usually makes most bands sound lighter and happier, it only makes the Volta scarier (especially when Cedric starts howling about being a landmine).

Zed And Two Naughts:



What would turn out to be The Mars Volta's final album track is also their final coup; it's easy to forget that TMV were signed to major labels all this time. That's a coup in and of itself, but consider that Zed And Two Naughts is included on the in-game soundtrack to MLB 12 The Show. Just try to imagine any ball player doing some BP to this track, and start giggling.

They likely won't ever see induction into anyone's hall of fame, and they'll never be critic's darlings, but to understate the importance of the imaginative spirit that was on full display over the wild course of TMV's six albums is to wish death upon imagination itself. Here's hoping for many more awe-inspiring moments to come.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Year in Rock 2025

  Alright, I've got some explaining to do.   By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but:   a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...
Post a Comment
Read more

Year in Rock 2013 Nominee: Arctic Monkeys

ARCTIC MONKEYS Do I Wanna Know? From: AM Released: September 10 That Year in Rock 2012's Single of the Year R U Mine? ended up on this album is pleasing, and it fits the motif well enough. But R U Mine? isn't what makes Arctic Monkeys' fifth album an Album of the Year contender. Sweaty, sultry and pulsing with sexual energy, AM is the kind of record that's just as effective whether you're chilling out after a long day, staring into a mirror prepping yourself for a late night clubbing session or setting the mood for some escapades in the boudoir.
Post a Comment
Read more

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up!  What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...
Post a Comment
Read more