The Mars Volta Ranked by devan
intrigued by the lore surrounding the band, this list serves as my excuse to finally get familiar with their work.
1.
took what i loved about De-Loused in the Comatorium and pushed it even further. the experimentation with different soundscapes and sonic progressions, as well as tying it back to their latin roots with the stellar array of instrumentation that leads to one of the most cinematic albums of all time; detailing the tragic story of identity, and the simultaneous loss and discovery of it through the events that make up your life.
2.
stunning tribute to/and interpretation of Jeremy Ward's mind, through it's immense overflowing creativity and dedication to the music. the amount of skill being displayed here is magic to behold, whether it's Flea's bass playing, Cedric's vocals, or even Rick Rubin's ability to maintain a lush soundscape while maintaining a focus on the music.
3.
the first listen of this album was definitely a shock coming from Frances the Mute. initially it felt as though it was severely lacking; songs abruptly shift/end into the next at times, some of the longer tracks would fail to keep me engaged throughout their runtime, and a far more subdued sound left me feeling a bit hollow by the end of my listening experience.
however, despite these flaws/inconsistencies, what i did not expect from this album was the replay value! the full embracement of their latin-american culture! the introduction of new miscellaneous instruments that always ooze personality into a track!
while the concept is still a bit lost on me as of writing this, it's clear that equal love and care was put into writing these individual vignettes as there was on their prior work, whether it shows in it's flashiness or it's raw emotion.
however, despite these flaws/inconsistencies, what i did not expect from this album was the replay value! the full embracement of their latin-american culture! the introduction of new miscellaneous instruments that always ooze personality into a track!
while the concept is still a bit lost on me as of writing this, it's clear that equal love and care was put into writing these individual vignettes as there was on their prior work, whether it shows in it's flashiness or it's raw emotion.
6.
just kinda generic in comparison to the former Mars Volta releases. each listen proves to feel the same as the last and i find myself only gravitating toward the instrumentation, as the vocals from Cedric here are often times grating or just lack the charm he once provided.
7.
mind-numbing and tiresome, The Bedlam in Goliath severely lacks in many of the interesting song ideas that were littered across their prior records and instead showcases a band's loss of identity and charm in favor of a muddy, unrelenting mess.
also whoever mixed this album is a menace.
also whoever mixed this album is a menace.
1