Review Summary: A joyously dis-functional and disjointed mass of busy musicians playing somewhere near the same head space but at no point meeting in the middle.
From the outset there has been something "not quite right" about Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. For those who are familiar with the monstrosity that is the body of his work, those who have delved through countless solo albums, Mars Volta albums, and at the drive-in works looking for some point where his ideas will intersect or make sense... continue looking... this isn't it.
What Cryptomnesia isn't:
1. A cohesive album.
2. The Mars Volta
3. One of Omar's solo albums that leaves you wondering whether you should listen again or abandon all hope.
What Cryptomnesia is:
1. Lot's of fun to listen to.
2. A headache waiting to happen if you expect to listen to it all in one sitting.
3. A drummers nightmare/Euphoria depending on what type of drummer you are.
So what happens when you stick two chaotic minds like Rodriguez-Lopez and Zach Hill together in a room? Exactly what you expect. The album sounds a lot like these two met each other for the first time, sat down in a recording studio and recorded a bunch of riffs separately, then pieced them together as best they could and passed it around via email for friends to add to. Or perhaps, like Omar Rodriguez got tired of trying to fit it all together and just said "this is done now".
Highlights
The first song on the album, "Tuberculoids" gives you a preview of what you can expect from the rest of the album but sounds pretty uninspired. None of those big moments you are used to out of Rodriguez-Lopez but with it's slightly off beat drums with "oh my gawd, how did he fit so many notes in there" glory and the "I always give 260% whether this song sucks or not" vocals of Cedric Bixler-Zavala it manages to keep you interested throughout.
"Puny Humans" is a high point for me. It really showcases Cedric's ability to say nothing, make random noises, and make it into a song that keeps you absorbed, the bass is fun too. If Juan Alderete could perform this live minus a metronome and sound deadening headphones I would be thoroughly impressed.
"Paper Cunts", "Elderly pair beaten with hammer", and "Warren Oates": These three songs... which kind of sound like they could be the same song, make the album worthwhile. Blistering drums, amazing guitar work, and astonishing vocals keep you entranced and build up to one big "moment" that shows you how good this group could be if they were able to translate their rambling jamming into an effective album:
"I've got the heels of an overbite
the earth is flat when your day is night
all of a sudden they bleach your skin
dumping from the Vincent Thomas bridge
The case ain't settled, this place ain't fit
has the donor started asking questions yet?"
This is perhaps the thing that impresses me the most about Omar and Cedric, the way they create moments in music by beating you in the head with a hammer and dragging you along a roller coaster ride just to deliver you 15 seconds of music that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Is the album perfect? Far from it. Is there a lot to like here? undoubtedly.
In the end I think it all boils down to one question: Are you willing to listen to 36 minutes of insanity for 3 remarkable musical moments? If the answer is yes you have quite a ride ahead of you, and quite a bit of Advil.
