The Mars Volta - The Mars Volta

Album Review

Sep 19

The Mars Volta

Many people will meet this record with disappointment; others will find its value and beauty as the duo does not merely seek to appease their day one fans.

For superfans of the erratic and mercurial prog rock acid trip that is The Mars Volta, there is much to be said about their newly released self-titled record.

Nearly a decade post-break-up, Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López have returned with a fresh collection of work that captures a new climate for the prolific duo. Scientology, loss, egos, and countless side projects came between the two, but in a truly fascinating turn, The Mars Volta serves listeners a pop-influenced prog rock album that is sure to polarize.

Known for leaning into their eccentricities, whether intriguing or entirely peculiar, The Mars Volta's extensive catalog of work is impressive and unique. Their sound stands out; Bixler-Zavala's falsetto rattling off haunting diatribes and Rodríguez-López's avant-garde guitar playing calls to Yes, King Crimson, Aphex Twin, and Black Flag as influences.

The Mars Volta stands out as something of its own making. But if you expect this album to fit tidily in a box alongside their previous works, you will be met with a certain discomfort.

*Photo Cred:* Emily Monforte for The New York Times

Cedric Bixler-Zavala, who gained a reputation for taking up space on stage like a feral creature (I write this with fondness), elusive and vague, has traded his overt bedlam for a vulnerable and forthcoming reflection on personal traumas of the last several years.

A bold move for someone previously so cryptic, drenched in allegory and metaphor. Rodríguez-López's songwriting leans into catchy hooks and more accessible structures than we've ever heard from him. In fact, the longest song on this album is a mere four minutes compared to their usual compositions, which easily hit double digits.

Approaching this album is a lot like many's initiation into The Mars Volta. Complex, frustrating, moving, deep, beautiful. At first glance, the album appeals to the sound one expects to hear. The opening tracks, “Blacklight Shine” and “Graveyard Love”, are nostalgic and exciting, building up anticipation for what could follow.

By the time we get to "Shore Story," a lush and synth-forward track, an unusual smoothness fills the sonic space.

The first few listens prompt irritation.

Unlike The Mars Volta I came to know and love as a high school student long ago, the pop influence is apparent and uncomfortable. Yet somehow, I have found myself returning to it over and over.

The following few tracks are catchy and strange, though they never entirely open up into what one might hope they would. The deconstructed, discordant and chaotic Volta one yearns for seems to have dissolved. Tamer, milder.

Vigil, a full-blown pop song, makes it hard to believe that TMV could have written a ballad-like, predictable track, though Cedric's vocals are the anchor to all of their past works. “Cerulea,” another full-blown pop song, adopts a sudden dark mood that builds into a catchy vocal line. “Palm Full of Crux” has moments reminiscent of “Since We've Been Wrong.” The nostalgia is heavy, pungent. The song is followed by arguably the most out-of-place track on the album, “No Case Gain.”

"Tourmaline" follows a very clumsy transition from worst song to one of the best, with an emotive and captivating flow reminiscent of The Mars Volta many have come to know and love. Cedric's vocals are silky and gorgeous, honest and moving in a haunting and reflective way.

The meat of this album feels like a watered-down version of what we know of TMV. Void from blatantly existential, dark, peculiar tracks, instead of several songs that provoke and taunt, never quite venturing into the experimental landscape fans may crave.

With multiple listens, the concepts seem to land, but it's hard to say if the tracks are plainly beautiful or if they are just catchy. As a die-hard fan, I would be lying if I said this album had not catalyzed gross discomfort and simultaneous deep adoration.

True art hinges on the ability to make those who consume it reflect deeply, regardless of expectation. The Mars Volta transcends expectations; whether that is good or bad is irrelevant in this case. It is moving and unusual. Impactful, irritating, gorgeous.

Many people will meet this record with disappointment; others will find its value and beauty as the duo does not merely seek to appease their day one fans. Or perhaps it is the nostalgia and desire to inhabit a new landscape crafted by the duo.

Most, however, will listen and find themselves returning to the album, perhaps slowly falling in love with the tracks, unexpectedly.

Slowly dissecting and developing a new understanding.

Making connections from the album's contents to the stories it illuminates.

The Mars Volta are committed to the exploration of sound as they drench themselves in whatever it is they commit to creating, as true artists should surrender to.

With deep respect to the duo for creating a sound that explores new territory - they had to know the inherent risks. Despite a few awkward moments and tracks that felt out of place, this collection is a fascinating and fresh creation worth the listen and consideration. A new era awaits for The Mars Volta, and it is one worth examining.