Review Summary: The Mars Volta lead you on a musical journey that is unforgettable.
The Mars Volta are one half of the ATDI split, and they pursue a much more expansive, progressive, jazz-influenced style than
Sparta, the other half. Its key two members are wild-haired singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - both of which are something of musical mad professors.
Here, we see their musical insanity allowed to run riot, with an album that abstractedly documents the death of their friend Julio Venegas.
Opener, "Son Et Lumiere" is less of a song, and more of an atmosphere generator, with strange, echoing synths instilling a sense of anticipation, and the stabs of guitar at the end leave you wondering what will happen next.
What does happen is that you find yourself catapulted into the raging "Inertiatic ESP", one which recalls early ATDI with its furious guitars, but Cedric's vocals have changed - he sings in a high but passionate style, and he is pitch-perfect. Omar's guitar work is excellent, as is album bassist Flea's frantic fret-burning - this song really grabs you by the throat.
However, even "Inertiatic ESP" does not compare to the epic, slamming prog masterpiece that is "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of). It swings from pounding, Zep-like riffery in the chorus to eerie verses, with an organ providing a perfect backdrop to Cedric haunting vocals. The song unfolds over seven minutes, and is completely unpredictable - leave any pre-conceived notions at the door here, because you will be blown away.
"Tira Me A Las Aranas" follows "Son Et Lumiere"'s idea of generating atmosphere, and it's a good way to let you get your breath back after "Roulette Dares", at any rate.
"Drunkship of Lanterns" shows the Volta's Latin influences shining through, with maracas and jumpy rhythms laced with Omar's smatters of guitar making for a very funky and interesting song.
"Eriatarka" is a slower-paced song in parts, but is no less intense for it - Cedric's vocals are bursting with emotion, and when the wild, energetic chorus starts, it gels with the verses. A fine song.
But, despite "Eriatarka" being great, "Cicatriz ESP", with a guest guitar spot from John Fruiscante, is, in a word, astonishing. It is like "Roulette Dares", only longer, more grand, and completely ingenious. Keeping you on your toes for the whole of its twelve minutes, its galloping rhythms in the first half give way to a long, ambient section, with bubbling synths and th esound of dripping water, and I would totally understand if you decided to skip onto the next song at this point.
DON'T.
After this section, the guitars gradually begin to come back in, until, in a moment of brilliance that is one of the high points of the record, you hear three simultaneous guitar solos, each intertwining with one another without being confusing, and it is stunning. "Cicatriz ESP" is amazing.
"This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed" is more conventional, and is a good old prog romp, with the classic Volta guitar thump and Cedric's vocal acrobatics. A great song.
"Televators" is the stranger side of the album, being gently-paced throughout, but it is by no means limpid or weak - indeed, a slower song is just the thing after the relentless pace that had been set beforehand, and the gentle percussion is soothing.
Then, you should take a deep breath before diving headfirst into "Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt", another song which is simply excellent. Clocking just shy of nine minutes, it is another progressive, nitro-fuelled rocker, with the whole band tighter than ever, combining to produce a song that isn't perfect, but by God is it getting there. There is another synth break, but, again, DO NOT skip the song, because it leads to another amazing moment of musical brilliance. Another real standout.
"Ambuletz" is the final track (on the UK edition) and it is eerie and evocative - the soundtrack to a trip down a dark, menacing desert road.
In short, "De-Loused In The Comatorium" is, in my opinion, the best Volta album to date, and if not, it is certainly one of the best records out there at present.
