I've never quite "got" this band, although I concede they are absurdly talented and are really good musicians. Fantastic review...I actually plan on making myself listen to this album front-to-back soon.

Originally Posted by kjs7

this band has tons of talent but all their records suck
good writing for the reviiew though

Oh! Be careful what you say, little one.

Originally Posted by Hagysaurus Rex

I've never quite "got" this band, although I concede they are absurdly talented and are really good musicians. Fantastic review...I actually plan on making myself listen to this album front-to-back soon.

Definitely understand that it's not a 1-listen album for most people (as in you'll adore it after one try), and it's probably not something that anyone would like to listen to on shuffle, either. That aside, it's a very solid listen.

Originally Posted by Tony Pascarella

For me, Aberinkula drags on a bit too long (although I love the chorus),

A Mars Volta song that drags on for too long? That's a new one.

Saying that Cedric's vocals are bland is easily one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard.

I love Mars Volta but I have to admit that this didn't quite do it for me. Somehow, I thought this one was the first TMV record to feel way too draggy. Maybe it's because I felt that "Cavalettas" would've been so much better at a slender length as well as "Metatron." It's odder because I know a lot of the fans felt Amputechture was similarly draggy, but this felt moreso like it plodded too long. The musicianship is still great but the songs themselves aren't as great.

I think that Bixler-Zavala and guitarist-producer Omar Rodriguez-Lopez work furiously to achieve prog-rock transgression: compressing dissected time signatures and stammering riffs into seizures that sound like three Mars Voltas going off at once, splashed with the non-sequitur gore of Bixler-Zavala's singing in tongues. But still, this album is really worth to listen. In fact, I think it's even betetr than "Amputechture".

looking forward to this record, i have it purchased in my car but still haven't opened it. What's my deal?!

Originally Posted by Bruce_LeBeau

I think that Bixler-Zavala and guitarist-producer Omar Rodriguez-Lopez work furiously to achieve prog-rock transgression: compressing dissected time signatures and stammering riffs into seizures that sound like three Mars Voltas going off at once, splashed with the non-sequitur gore of Bixler-Zavala's singing in tongues. But still, this album is really worth to listen. In fact, I think it's even betetr than "Amputechture".

brilliant. where the fuck is java?

Mars Volta is craazy.

this is a great band, but without Jon Theodore, they lose all groove. This album is okay. It's passable. Most of the song have moment where you want to skip them whereas on any other TMV recording, doing so would be blasphemy. They have definitely gotten worse.
Thomas Pridgen killed The Mars Volta. Not single-handedly, but he had a load to do with it