The Rock Blogger

The Mars Volta. The Bedlam in Goliath. 2008. 3.5 stars.

Here it is folks, the first blockbuster release of 2008. Easily one of the most divisive hard rock bands of this decade, The Mars Volta have returned with yet another mammoth prog-rock adventure that will continue to challenge and confound. The Mars Volta’s output has always been difficult to review, as their music is so layered, dense and cryptic that it takes several listens to really figure out just what the hell is going on. The guitars squall, the horns wail and the drumming pummels everything into submission. There is no denying that these guys are masterful musicians, harnessing the most complex arrangements and song structures imaginable. Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s vocal acrobatics and stream-of-consciousness lyrics are as astounding as they are baffling.

For fans of The Mars Volta, The Bedlam in Goliath is sure to please. The dynamics that have make the band so unique and uncompromising are still in place and there is still an impenetrable storyline that runs through the whole beautiful mess - something to do with a demonic Ouija board that had vexed the band - I’m sure there are countless Volta message boards that can tell you the rest. While its predictably difficult to understand just what the full storyline is, the sense of menace, madness and astral chaos can be felt across all these sprawling epics.

While the song structures are far from conventional, they do reveal the band’s renewed focus, as their marathons aren’t nearly as long and exhausting as they have been on their previous LPs Amputechure (2006) and Frances the Mute (2005), as the longest-running track here is the 9 and a half minute “Cavalettas”. The album’s standouts are actually the shorter, more focused numbers “Ilyena” and “Wax Simulacra” where the band steps back slightly from their blistering walls of sound to craft beautiful and infectious prog-pop, with emphasis on harmony and Cedric’s fascinating singing. The primary weakness of this otherwise strong record is that they cant seem to keep this welcomed focus, instead the dirges become unmitigated, loose and repetitive in the third act.

Despite this drawback, The Mars Volta still manage to produce some of the most creative and awe-inspiring complex music out there today, revitalizing progressive-rock with worldly and mystical tinges. While Bedlam never reaches the emotional peaks of the band’s awesome 2003 debut Deloused in the Comatorium, fans will still find much to love.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 at 12:19 am and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.