The Mars Volta was formed after the breakup of the band At the Drive-In and remains to me, one of the most difficult to classify bands of all time. De-Loused in the Comatorium is probably best classified as some type of progressive rock with some jazz and latin influences. This concept album deals with a man battling his evil self while lying in a coma and is based on a real life artist and friend of the band. I’m going to be honest, the strangeness of Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s vocals and the barely coherent lyrics have made it almost impossible for me to ever get into the concept behind the album. I have no idea what any of the songs are about. Similar to System of a Down (actually a fitting comparison in a lot off ways) I can sing along to most of the lyrics on the album while understanding virtually none of them. There is an insanity about the music on this album that you seriously cannot find anywhere else. It also has an up and down momentum that keeps you constantly guessing whether the next note will be intensely violent and fast, or groovely passive and slow. It sounds like the instruments are often at war with one another trying to out-noise every one else. This album will sing you to sleep before slapping you back awake consistently for an hour. Even more so than System of a Down, the album can sound like nothing more than chaos and people banging on things and yelling for the first listen. However, with each subsequent listen, little sections start to stand out. A guitar part will take away your breath for 30 seconds and you WILL become addicted to these moments eventually falling for the entire album. The album also contains huge sections of ambience amid the chaos. For a long time I wondered why this was until I realized: They need to play this live! The lulls provide a bit of rest for the band and for your ears. Speaking of which, Cedric’s voice is definitely one that takes getting used to and can initially feel like a dying parrot imitating Matt Bellamy yelling. Once you warm up to his voice though, it really is some beautifully violent vocal work. In fact, I love his vocals so much on this release, it permanently lowered my love for all their more recent releases when he alters his vocal style. The album was coproduced by Rick Ruben and Cedric had this to say about working with him:
“He’s got this thing about representing the common man’s ears—I’d rather jab the common man’s ears. If we don’t, we’ll never get to a place where future music exists.”
In this sense I think the album perfectly succeeds at both jabbing the common mans ears and creating a completely unique form of “Future Music” that I believe has yet to be duplicated even by the band themselves.
Fun fact #1: Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers plays bass on 9 out of 10 of the tracks on the album
Fun fact #2: When I first met my fiancé, it was a mutual love for this album that was considered a first step towards a possible relationship! So get to know your Mars Volta. It will get you a wife.
What does it make me feel like?
Like I’m bashing my head against the wall and (maybe its just the head trauma) but I’m strangely loving it
What to Listen for Track by Track
– 1:14 of Son Et Lumiere when the sharp of rhythm guitars start stabbing you in preparation for the first real track
– That shocking first second of Interciatic ESP that completely JOLTS you awake! Everything is on top of its game here. Cedric’s vocals are chilling. The lighting drums rolls make you wanna headbang harder than ever and the guitar and keyboard parts are mesmerizing. I must also mention the carnival part at 3:18. A masterpiece of a song!
– When Cedric just starts YELLING over the first verse of Roulette Dares, and the song completely slows down for some chill sections before bringing it back to 11! The chorus is also one of my favorites on the album.
– Drunkship of Lanterns…. This song probably most clearly represents the content of the album as it constantly speeds up and slows down with some addictive danceable drums and Cedric going back and forth between cooing and belting insanely over the most intense bass parts on the album. Specifically 2:31 is my favorite moment on the entire album as the song’s energy bursts forth at 100% assaulting your ears with its hypnotizing melody.
– The first minute of Eriatarka may trick you into thinking the band has finally decided to tone it down but its aggressive chorus and insane drumming will quickly convince you otherwise. The song continues with this back and forth constantly keeping you on your toes.
– This leads directly into the behemoth almost 13 minute Cicatriz ESP. The song definitely has a more traditional structure for the first minute and a half with a more verse chorus structure and instruments that are more toned down (for them). Then all the sudden, everything drops out, and things once again step towards insanity. This album will make your ears bleed on first listen as you just cannot anticipate when the album will go from quiet to loud. The song has the albums most ambient moments but makes sure to end in chaos once again.
– The distortion of Cedric’s vocals are my favorite part of This Apparatus Must be Unearthed with my favorite vocal moments happening at the 3:49 mark.
– Things FINALLY slow down for real on the hypnotizing Televators with beautiful results
– Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt is a fittingly chaotic ending to the album devolving into a long experimental electric jazz fusion guitar performance. The last minute and half EXPLODES back for some of my favorite moments on the album before literally ending a cliff hanger! Those last 30 seconds are INTENSE!
Example Track
doctorizmusicremedies 