The Mars Volta

egon spengler

they are so incredible, definately breaking the rules of rock and bringing it to new places. I cant wait for the third album, the first one was great and the second one is even better. Anyone else think they kick ass?

Ro: maaan!

First album was indeed excellent. Unlike anything else I had heard. Never got on board with the second one though. Would like to see them live again...

Crucifix

I really like the "Deloused" album...but I still think they're a little over-rated.

dalk

Really liked the first album... couldn't bear the second.

Their "over-indulgence detector" had been terminated with extreme prejudice. If they carry on in the same vane, their third album will be a couple of days long and have 12 hour solos...

Beastieboy

'de-Loused...' is great and so is 'Francis....' but i think 'Francis...' is so much darker. The bestsong on 'Francis...' isn'y even on the disk, did you notice that there lyrics for an extra song called 'Francis the mute' behind the CD in the case this didn't fit on the disk (i've heard) so it was put on the 'Widow' single, it's a cracker. You should check out 'Tremulant EP' as well 'Eunuch Provocatour' is one of their best songs.

magicspatula

has anyone heard scabdates? i heard just a little bit. sounds good.

Goodshape

On paper the band looks great, not mad about the sound though to be perfectly honest. First album was quite good if a little over-indulgent, as someone above said, second album I couldn't get into really.

Also saw them live and wasn't at all impressed. I think the venue and crowd (niether of which were up to much) contributed to that, which is a pity.

It's a pity altogether actually as I had high hopes from reading the press and thought At The Drive-in were very good (Relationship of Command is a top-notch album).

I'll look forward to their next album anyway, but for now I could take them or leave them.

legologic

Of the little I heard I really quite liked them. Hav'nt heard all that much tho'. I wouldn't go so far as to say ground-breaking, I thought they were similar to "the Band" in ways. Then again i've only heard half an album.

Aporia

Just recentley got into them after hearing "Inertiatic ESP" - what a song. Cedric has an amazing voice! A remixed Frances the Mute is in the works

DadaKopf

Got their 'Tremulent EP' years ago and got into it but never liked anything on the albums. Saw them live probably for 5 minutes last year and didn't think too much.

mickymg2003

There alright but i got bored of them after a while.

ronano

I adore the first album and listened to it develop through live jams/demos,i saw them live at witness(average) and london astoria(brillant best gig ever) on the first album touring. The second album i didn't overly like and again went to see them in the astoria and stood there bored outta my school

I hope i enjoy their next album

bounty_hunter

Ro: maaan! wrote:

First album was indeed excellent. Unlike anything else I had heard. Never got on board with the second one though. Would like to see them live again...

Ditto. Except for the live bit, I've unfortunately never seen them.

john_henry

first album is class. frances the mute is a bit preposterous though, especially in the liner notes where it says music written and directed by Omar A. Rodriguez Lopez. Scabdates is fairly good too, although its really just stuff off the first album and the tremulant ep.

egon spengler

wow, i would have thought more people would prefer the second album...i thought the guitar solos were cool and enjoyed the complexity of the music and the sense of ambition and freedom. Its like hey lets just write a symphony and so what if people dont get it. I like that kind of liberalism in the music, the lack of consideration for whats "cool" or the done thing. Also love the use of atonal saxophone, odd time sigs, and the jazziness of it all.

john_henry

i agree with you on that. i think it all comes together best on l'via l'viaquez. highlight of the album imo.

dalk

egon spengler wrote:

i thought the guitar solos were cool and enjoyed the complexity of the music and the sense of ambition and freedom.

As i mentioned earlier, I think they over stepped the mark.

Some random (mis)quotes:

Its not about the amount of notes you play, its about playing the right notes.

Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should.

Brevity is the soul of wit.

Gyre

Hey there!

I always like to hear that people are discovering proper music out there with the music industry so cramped and corrupted with useless tripe. It’s sickening to say the least. The Mars Volta are another one of those bands that you can turn to after 15 minutes build-up of rage watching the most mainstream of music channels such as MTV etc.
It’s not that I’m anti-mainstream (It can be a release at times) but I feel true original artists are becoming increasingly threatened by a world taken over by what can be described as “success”, i.e. what makes money – thus ignoring the actual art!

The more I understand music, the more I can’t understand people’s common taste. The majority of people simply “go with the flow” with regards to everything, not just music. I’m talking books, films, TV programmes, and food - even options in everyday life – what makes us progress through a day. It is cultural disintegration.

But anyway, I’ve read down a few threads on this topic and people are saying that they couldn’t get into the 2nd album. I understand exactly what they mean. For example, Mars Volta tend to trample on for endless time periods, usually without any real quantity of audible music. This, you could categorise as “pointless” but like The Dilinger Escape Plan (to whom The Mars Volta have supported), they simply don’t give a sh*t, this is them and it’s remarkable! In fact, at one stage, T.D.E.P threw sh*t at the crowd…their fans! Having the tendency to completely fu*k up the crowd with nauseating time signatures and polyrhythms, they say that they are delighted to watch fans TRY to move to an 11/8! Of course Mrs Volta are far from the extreme of sh*t-throwing but I’m just making the point – they are themselves.

People who care about music and who desire to say something of relevance and/or significance create music that means something to them. With this core, they can lure people from around the world who have the same or similar perspectives, thus creating a fan base. The Mars Volta do this successfully but sometimes they can leap off the ball and over-stress something that is clearly expressed already. Maybe that’s an art…?!
But by comparison, we have the likes of artists approaching the music industry by way of X- Factor/ You’re a Star/ Popstars whereby the bloody show is the only fame they’ll ever achieve. It’s more like a homerun for Irish Television rather than the artists themselves. But however these people bring out themselves, not music.

For original and forward-thinking musicians, trying to unearth a musical career through these shows is simply ridiculous and nonetheless a waste of time. How can anyone of any dignity and true potential stem from something like “You’re a Star” with judges such as Louis Walsh, Linda Martin and of course Brendan O’Connor? The first two are looking for money on legs while Pudding-faced Brendan scours on for the dry ride! As a result of such a shallow sexist fraud like this childish idiot, we almost always end up with skank, wearing nothing but a belt, average vocals and totally dependent on looks. But Brendan O’Connor IS the mainstream and the mainstream is the target.
Can you imagine how he’d react to an act like The Mars Volta?!
“They’re not …ah good looking or something?!” – of course said in that potato voice of his.
The people that come from these shows have “their” music written for them, have “their” voices synthesized to the last, are told how to dance and in place of music, they have fashion as the primary concern. That last part is also very true for a lot of rock/metal bands such as female orientated bands – Nightwish / Evanescence/ Lacuna Coil etc.
Uhhh.

Yes, Mars Volta are changing things and for the better too. But sometimes even their own fans can be a tad tired of songs that last 9 minutes, 6 of which are noise. But as my argument goes, everything is usually done for a reason and real bands do what they want uncaring of any outside influences…right Brendan?!


---
----

---

---

www.neonsundisorder.tk

curtains

I absolutely love TMV, de-loused is my complete favourite record ever. Yeah, frances the mute is a bit self-indulgent but I actually love the whole 30 minute long songs thing it's the over-done synthesisers that I don't like, such as the end of The Widow and the first (oh dear god) 5 mins (!) of Vade Mecum. And whoever siad it was right - the best song from frances the mute wasn't even on the album! The single is imo their best track to date. But I still think the quality fo the songs (when they actually get to play them) compensates for that. Brilliant musicians - really innovative guitar player, great singer, great keyboardist, very distinctive bass player and unbelieveable drummer (come on, how many people do you know nowadays who play in 19/7 time signatures) not mention the 10-or-so other come and go players.

Scab dates is kick ass too, really showcases their more raw, edgier side (gotta love those big guitar riffs) not to mention their ability to turn cicatriz into a (very non-self-indulgent for once) 40 minute jam.

Next record sounds fantastic as well, apparently it's already finished. Don't know what to make of this but rumour has it that John Frusciante is playing as a pretty much full-time second guitarist on it. Make nicely counterbalance Omar's playing.

John

I have to say I don't get The Mars Volta. I don't think they sound very experimental or progressive. To me they sound like a bunch of old prog records being played together. There's no real substance to the music, it's **** for the sake of **** and it's not even good ****, which I can dig, it's **** ****, which I can't dig.

DadaKopf

To me they sound like a bunch of old prog records being played together.

Steady on now. Nowt wrong with prog.

Matching Mole. MMMmmMMMMMMmmmm.

MrJoeSoap

Really loved the first album, listened to it for months on end and just found it again the other day. Haven't listened to Francis the Mute properly yet but maybe some day I will...

PiE

John2 wrote:

There's no real substance to the music, it's **** for the sake of **** and it's not even good ****, which I can dig, it's **** ****, which I can't dig.

Well said sir.

radioman

PiE wrote:

Well said sir.

I concur!

Giblet

I'm sure they have more than NME readers to attribute their success to, they're hardly the artic monkeys now. They are top class, but you just have to be in the mood.

unbelieveable drummer (come on, how many people do you know nowadays who play in 19/7 time signatures)

He'd have to be good to play a time sig that doesn't exist

curtains

well it was a drummer that i heard that from... i'm not saying whether he's right or not but i suggest you listen to the middle section fo take the veil cerpin taxt, one thing's for sure - that ain't 4/4 timing...

munky

I'm still back on At The Drive In

Scratch Acid

John2 wrote:

I have to say I don't get The Mars Volta. I don't think they sound very experimental or progressive. To me they sound like a bunch of old prog records being played together. There's no real substance to the music, it's **** for the sake of **** and it's not even good ****, which I can dig, it's **** ****, which I can't dig.

Normally I wouldn't say anything, but from your reviews on brainwashed and your posts on here you seem to have kinda similar taste to myself and it's a shame to see you're not a fan of this band. I really think if you listen to the two full lengths the whole way through a couple of times you may start to see the appeal of the band.

riddik

munky wrote:

I'm still back on At The Drive In

first EP
dam right. i agree with the general feeling of first EP and album being great and the second album just so so. but that could be due to my laziness, i havent given it the time that a band like this needs for u to realy appreciate their style.
I always go back to at the drive in. they were far superior from the point of view that omar wrote great songs and they played with little or no noise between songs. as that guy said earlier bout the **** **** and **** for the sake of ****, he nailed it in one.
so on the off chance that anybody likes mars volta and for some reason hasnt checked out at the drive in, check them out now. listening to each of the albums in turn really opens ur eyes as to how they progressed toward their current sound, as i feel if atdi hadn split their next album was basicaly goin to be the mars volta album, just with no '****'. but i suppose that was the problem. cedric n omar wanted the ****, paul n jim n watever the other chaps name was didn. so they made that terrible terrible sparta. great ep poor album

Giblet

curtains wrote:

well it was a drummer that i heard that from... i'm not saying whether he's right or not but i suggest you listen to the middle section fo take the veil cerpin taxt, one thing's for sure - that ain't 4/4 timing...

Oh I know it well. It's 6/8, 9/8 with some triplets thrown in for good measue

I'm just saying you can't have x/7 as it has to be 2^n, so 4/4,7/8,15/16 etc etc