SOUND BITES

  A statement such as "first album in a decade" implies a prolonged dormancy for a band or, at the very least, a separation of principal members amended after an extended silence; in the case of The Mars Volta, however, nothing is ever so simple. Originally formed in the aftermath of At the Drive-In's dissolution (just as they broke through with their 2000 all-time banger album Relationship of Command , no less), that band's dominant creative duo formed The Mars Volta as a means by which to explore their expanding creative desires and escape from any and all limitations whether real or implied by the expectations of fans. What Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala accomplished during their initial decade-long run as The Mars Volta cannot be understated; those first six albums, starting with De-Loused in the Comatorium in 2003 and ending with 2012's Noctourniquet , allowed the pair to explore a wide variety of moods, styles and genres, more often than not ...

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.

THE MARS VOLTA Aegis From: Noctourniquet Released: March 27 By now, when there's a new Mars Volta record coming out, you know to expect the unexpected. With Noctourniquet , the Volta steps further away from their free-flowing freakjazzrock days, incorporating a more modern sheen and putting some of their electronic influences a little closer to the forefront. It's most evident on the album's lead track The Whip Hand , a dizzyingly alien left hook that knocked even some of the more seasoned fans on our asses. Aegis is a better representation of the album; it's not as difficult and self-serving as their early work, nor is it a reflection of the Billboard charts. It's deceptively accessible, the audio equivalent of a PG-13 thriller. It's not overtly aggressive or offensive, but there are most definitely some ghosts and/or evil spirits offscreen.

It's sort of ironic that the world was introduced to the Mars Volta's new single The Malkin Jewel in the wee hours this morning via a broadcast from Australian radio giant Triple J.  That's because the lead single from Noctourniquet , the band's sixth studio album, is decidedly not so radio friendly.  Sure, it's got some groove and a meaty hook, but it's also got a Floydian acid-trip breakdown, a creepy Cedric Bixler-Zalava vocal delivery, and enough reverb and ghostly noises to give Die Antwoord the heebie jeebies.  So yeah, slide it in right between Lana del Rey and LMFAO on the ol' top 40. Of course, us Volta fans wouldn't have it any other way.  And, honestly, it's nice to hear an uncompromised vision come out as the album's harbinger.  The group's last album was introduced via Since We've Been Wrong , a straight up ballad.  Not that there's anything wrong with that. Since its big shot radio debut, The Malkin Jewel (which I...