De-Loused In The Comatorium

Performer: The Mars Volta
Artist: John Frusciante; Flea
Engineer: Dave Schiffman
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: The Mars Volta: Cedric Bixler (vocals); Omar Rodriguez (guitar); Jon Theodore, Jeremy Michael Ward, Flea, Ikey Isaih Owens. Additional personnel: John Frusciante (guitar); Justin Meldel Johnson (bass); Lenny Castro (percussion). Producers: Rick Rubin, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. Recorded at the Mansion, Los Angeles, California. Formed by Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez from the ashes of their previous band At the Drive-In, the Mars Volta takes a dizzying journey to hell and back on this colorfully titled album, traveling inside the mind of a man who attempted suicide but went into a week-long coma before ultimately choosing death. As one might expect the ride is intense and at times disturbing. Galloping bass by Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) provides the rocky foundation for exploratory psychedelic guitar experimentation and keyboard soundscapes that paint an aural picture of madness. The centerpiece of DE-LOUSED IN THE COMATORIUM is the 12-minute plus "Cicatriz Esp." Its long, ambient middle section lulls you into a nervous calm before breaking out into a Santana-esque jam. Take care, though; trying to interpret the lyrics, or song titles ("Eriatarka") for that matter, in a literal sense will undoubtedly place you in the same deep psychic void as the subject. In an era where cookie-cutter bands pretending to be angry at life are the norm, the Mars Volta is a shining example of originality and talent.

Spin (7/03, p.105) - "...The songs on DE-LOUSED IN THE COMATORIUM are built from dense blocks of punk, psychedelia, and blues rock....This is a record that creates tension from the cryptic and release from the inexplicable..." - Grade: A Entertainment Weekly (07/18/03, p.73) - "...The songs explode with creativity, fusing jazz riffs, tribal rhythms, hardcore bursts of noise, and addictive rock hooks into one of the most compelling discs of the year..." - Rating: A- Q (01/01/04, p.83) - Ranked #3 in Q's "The 50 Best Albums of 2003" - "An astonishing album [that features] prog rock wig-outs, squalling jazz and fiddly guitar solos..." Uncut (8/03, p.98) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...This eager embracing of rock's outward-bound potential makes The Mars Volta paradoxically more punk than anyone else around..." Magnet (9/03, p.106) - "...There's no mistaking who made this record..." CMJ (6/9/03, p.6) - "...Siphons its inspiration from a variety of moods and styles, including chaos and order, indie rock, dub, free Jazz, prog-rock and psychedelia..." Mojo (Publisher) (01/01/04, p.57) - Ranked #27 in Mojo's "The Best of 2003" Mojo (Publisher) (8/03, p.99) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Their songs are like tectonic plates of rhythm and melody that jolt between simmering dub-storm, acoustic solace, and psychotic electric overkill..."

Though Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler Zavala did time in popular Emo band At The Drive-In, their subsequent project, the Mars Volta, is a horse of an entirely different color. Instead of punk, the pair takes their influences largely from 1970s prog rock and fusion. Extended, suite-like compositions and dizzying instrumental virtuosity are the order of the day, rather than adolescent angst and primitive pounding. Mars Volta's debut album, 2003's DE-LOUSED IN THE COMATORIUM announced the band's presence with a bang, setting a standard for post-emo ambitions in the mid-2000s.

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