It's not bad. It's kind of cool that it has a different flavor than what you're used to. It just doesn't floor me the way the first 3 records still do when I put them on. The last thing Omar put out that I LOVED was the El Grupo Nuevo album.
It's not bad. It's kind of cool that it has a different flavor than what you're used to. It just doesn't floor me the way the first 3 records still do when I put them on. The last thing Omar put out that I LOVED was the El Grupo Nuevo album.
Love The Mars Volta, addicted to this record.
I'm not a gigantic fan of them or anything, and I've only semi-recently started listening, but I dig the new record quite a bit. Listened to it in the dark with headphones the other night, and it just kinda 'clicked'. I also recently read that Cedric is a Scientologist, and that this record is somewhat influenced by Scientology. I don't particularly care though, it seems to make for some rad story-writing.
Dont think Cedric's a Scientologist, just borrows a lot from it and lots of other things. He absorbs a lot, his wife is a Scientologist and he just may be one now but I doubt he'd be your conventional Scientologist.
I haven't listened to them much since Amputechture, but I'm digging the new album. It's different, but it has captured my attention in a way the last few albums didn't.
I've only seen them live once -- opening for A Perfect Circle in Chicago in '04 -- but they KICKED ASS, and I bootlegged the show to prove it!
Big ups to gladcarrot for re-upping my master in better quality, btw!
And the sound clears up about 10 minutes in as I move closer to the stage, incidentally...it's a bit muddy till then, sorry. It was an enclosed arena with weird acoustics in certain places and I had to keep my mic low to get past security before finding wading through the masses to find a good spot in the back of the pit, which took about 10 minutes. Pretty nice quality after that, though.
But then the sound goes wacky again right at the end when they blast out one last song all of a sudden while Cedric throws a red hot stagelight into the crowd, still plugged in and beaming out wildly in the crowd's hands, just to help get things moving and close the show on a high note, lol.
Anyway, great show. Wish I hadn't still been such a n00b at the time and had managed to record it better, but it's still quite listenable anyway. Especially if you already know the songs. Speaking of which, they play almost a full hour and it's only three songs,* unless I'm mistaken. Haha...damn.
Enjoy!
*If anyone wants to work up a super-detailed setlist with super-accurate time-stamps that would be great!
Funnily enough, this album HASN'T grabbed me like previous albums. Having said that, I rate Deloused only above Octahedron when it comes to their discography.
It just feels really obvious Cedric is doing the lyrics himself now, it's a little jarring for me.
Huge fan of this band since 2008. I remember reading a review for Bedlam back then, so I put on "Aberinkula" and I immediately jumped. "What the hell is that? Are my speakers broken?" The way this album just BANGS and Cedric puts out a high-pitched note wasn't really the best way for me to be introduced to this band. Or maybe it was, because I kept listening to this album and I found myself enjoying it more and more. I became addicted to their discography since then.
I only listened to Noctourniquet once. It felt... difficult. Then again, that seems to be the case with all Volta albums; it takes a while to really get into them and enjoy them. I was kinda weirded out the first time I heard Octahedron (with headphones, in almost complete darkness), but, after repeated listens, I loved it. I believe this will be the case with the new album. I'm so glad the band hasn't succumbed to pop appeal and continues making weird, complex, but still entertaining music.
I couldn't listen to Bedlam in Goliath. Too much was going on, I didn't understand the songs, there were way too many to digest. I was still figuring out the three first albums and Octahedron came out and it was easier to listen to. Not all good, but I half of it (4 out of 8?) was pretty good.
Oddly enough, just as Noctourniquet is coming out, I'm listening to Bedlam, and it's quite good! I prefer listening to it than Noctourniquet. It's not top notch Mars Volta, but I find it more interesting. Who knows, in three years, I'll prefer Noctourniquet to a new album. Awesome!
My favorite tracks of Noctourniquet : The Malkin Jewel, Zed and Two Naughts, In Absentia and Vedamalady.
a lot of my australian friends are HUGE radiohead fans and they all loved TKoL. i have listened to it four times and it just hasn't gotten better. i like two of the eight songs ok...the rest of it i could do without.
^ I adore TKOL
Especially live.
Anyways, I really dig this new Mars Volta album as well. Psychedelic and awesome.
I put it below Octahedron. Having said that, some songs are exceptionally good and probably better than anything on Octahedron, but overall... nah. I feel like I've listened to it enough to fully realise this now. By no means do I wish this wasn't in their catalogue though, but yeah, just didn't reach the dizzying heights like the others for me.
Long time Mars Volta fan here. I actually love every single one of their albums. This one took me more listens to get into than any of their previous albums but once it grabs you, it's quite powerful.
And I agree, they are one of the best bands in rock right now. And that most of their fans are demanding & far too critical and unfair.
Here's my review of Noctourniquet for your reading pleasure: http://ourvinyl.com/the-mars-voltas-lp-noctourniquet/
An official 15-minute live version of The Malkin Jewel!?? Oh.Just.Wow!!
Yeah, but I was under the impression that Omar would sort of oversee the writing process and for this album he let go completely. There's an interview somewhere about it, possibly Rolling Stone but those jerks want me to pay money to read it.
That video above rocks by the way. Love it.
Omar has been back to his formerly abundant self lately. Today he released his fourth album in 4 months, conplete with absurdly trippy artwork:
http://omarrodriguezlopez.bandcamp.c...topus-kool-aid
Lately hes been on this electronic/industrial kick. As ever, his sound design is top notch. The only guy to rival him in that field I think is Old Man Reznor. I can only dream of whatever collaboration theyd have. Itd be either the best thing ever, or devolve into a pissing contest and never get off the ground. And theyd release it 6 years from now or just suddenly whenever they want.
cat-ers gonna cat-e
Not surprised. It always seemed like something that would have a short shelf-life.
Not surprised and not worried, they will do another project with almost the same musicians and call it a different band, i just hope Cedric's group doesn't have the same fate as Sparta...
Huh. They announced an indefinite hiatus a few months ago, but i gyess were at the point where theyre being blunt. Damn...
In the meantime Omar just released 3 records. The best of which is Woman Gives Birth to Tomato... maybe his best work...
I feel like this is a long time coming in some ways, the bands live perolformances were becoming increasingly spiritless.
And Bosnian Rainbows isnt so great so far..... waiting to hear some studio stuff.
I was glad to see Cedric subtly slam Omar for his extremely boring and luckluster performance during the ATDI reunion shows.
Considering Omar's mother had just died and that was the reason for his lackluster performance, this is actually the one instance that seems like a dick move on Cedric's part to slam him for this. Give him hell for giving up on Mars Volta and focusing on Bosnian Rainbows, sure, but don't give a man a hard time for being depressed because his mother just died.
Should they have rescheduled the dates until he felt better yes. But still...
This saddens me TMV put on one hell of a show and now I will never see them live again