IN REVIEW: Antemasque - S/T

As the co-leaders of a couple of the most accomplished and influential groups of the last twenty years (At The Drive-In and The Mars Volta), Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala have built a reputation for lifting their fans to giddy heights of enthusiasm only to bring everything crashing down. At The Drive-In was dissolved at the height of their power, snuffed out before they had a chance to do the kind of history-shaping damage they were undoubtedly capable of. Later, as restless sonic vanguards The Mars Volta, they pulled the plug on a decade of exploration in a manner which seemed to signal the end of Omar and Cedric's partnership.

In this respect, Antemasque coaxes a massive sigh of relief; even for all their individual talents, this is a duo that is at peak efficiency when they're creating together. Here, they seem to have struck an agreement on a singular vision as opposed to striking out in all directions, and its surprisingly focused attack marks the least amount of interference they've ever run on their own sound. This may result in a few turned noses from Mars Volta fans eager to hear a continued evolution; but, while much of The Mars Volta's records sounded like disjointed patchworks (in some cases, they literally were, Omar recording each player's part separately without context of the other instruments), Antemasque sounds every bit the collaborative band effort it is.

As for the sound of the record, it does draw some influence from the punk rock they grew up on, although with the focus shifted from distortion and anarchy to melody and structure. With a keyboard flourish here and a sliver of ambiance there, it's almost as though the record imagines what it might have sounded like if At The Drive-In had formed ten years earlier (and, you know, had Flea on bass).

There's a tendency where this pair is involved to look for hidden meanings and Easter eggs, and there were some who wondered if there was more to it when the album was briefly released digitally in July. Except that this time the twist is that there is no twist; aside from a couple of slightly melancholic detours on the album's back half (Drown All Your Witches and Providence, which provide some welcome reprieve but are no less thrilling), Antemasque is as straight up as Omar and Cedric have ever played it. Omar doesn't stray too far from his role as provider of jangly riffage and intricate melodies, while Cedric is especially surprising, delivering his least cryptic lyrics ever.

In delivering such a focused effort, Antemasque start out as strong as one could possibly hope for, and this record can easily be used to vindicate your affinity of Omar and Cedric's work to any friends or colleagues who never understood what you saw in them. There will be plenty of opportunity to wander into new territory later (if they choose to keep this group around), but this record foregoes all intrigue and bee lines for the sweet spot. It's rock and roll in the purest form these two have ever created, and it is incredibly sweet.

November 10, 2014 • Nadie Sounds

Highlights 4AM • In the Lurch • People Forget