2008 Woodie Awards
Volta's Strange Brew Works
The Mars Volta bring eclectic odds and ends together for varied yet cohesive work.
Danielle Carrillo
Issue date: 9/13/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Corpses. Maggots. Asylums. Death. Love. Atonement. With "Amputechture," The Mars Volta returns with an ambitious album that encompasses the band's fondness for things creepy and musically intricate.
With their newest work, The Mars Volta continue to produce experimental, prog rock that is
accessible and radio-friendly while remaining
very innovative. The elongated, elaborate guitar solos and mysterious lyrics are an extension of 2000's critically acclaimed "Frances the Mute." "Amputechture," however, is a series of different stories in a common vein, while "Frances the Mute" was a single narrative story (or concept album.)
Bandleader, composer, and gutarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez also produced Amputechture. An exemplary guitarist in his own right, Rodriguez-Lopez opted to have Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante record almost all of the guitar parts. Rodriguez-Lopez had musicians record their parts separately, and put it all together later.
Rodriguez-Lopez said that the isolation of the musicians was an attempt to capture improvisation in the studio, according to an MTV online interview from July 25.
The result is 73 minutes of beautifully chaotic bliss. "Vicarious Atonement" opens the album in a dark, voluptuous eruption of guitars and bass.
Anticipation ensues until lyricist and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala declares "don't you pretend that I'm not alive, my bones never ache unless she's nearby." The piano and saxophone add an element of classic and haunting jazz.
Forty seconds into the song "Asilos Magdalena," it becomes a Spanish style acoustic guitar ballad, deviating from the distorted guitars on the rest of the album. The song is sung entirely in Spanish, about deception and heartbreak.
Bixler-Zavala effortlessly combines languages and effectively chooses which words or lyrics should be sung in Spanish. His vocals are unaffected by the switch and seem natural.
The final song, "El Ciervo Vulneado," brings everything to a close effectively. The song circles back to the introductory idea of atonement, except that instead of seeking reparation for a wrong, Bixler-Zavala says, "blessed be the wrong I've done."
Despite the separate recording sessions and
schizophrenic structure, the album is cohesive. One song leads to another, be it through style or story. The band's live performances are interesting, considering that the band is
performing together, and Rodriguez-Lopez is on guitar. The Mars Volta is currently opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the Stadium Arcadium Tour.
They will headline their own tour soon, which will hopefully continue in the experimental
footsteps of this album. The Mars Volta has always sought improvisation, but sometimes the extended, repetitive transitions seem to come off as self-gratification on "Frances the Mute." By
holding back on "Amputechture," the band has created an album that is fun and easy to listen to.
With their newest work, The Mars Volta continue to produce experimental, prog rock that is
accessible and radio-friendly while remaining
very innovative. The elongated, elaborate guitar solos and mysterious lyrics are an extension of 2000's critically acclaimed "Frances the Mute." "Amputechture," however, is a series of different stories in a common vein, while "Frances the Mute" was a single narrative story (or concept album.)
Bandleader, composer, and gutarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez also produced Amputechture. An exemplary guitarist in his own right, Rodriguez-Lopez opted to have Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante record almost all of the guitar parts. Rodriguez-Lopez had musicians record their parts separately, and put it all together later.
Rodriguez-Lopez said that the isolation of the musicians was an attempt to capture improvisation in the studio, according to an MTV online interview from July 25.
The result is 73 minutes of beautifully chaotic bliss. "Vicarious Atonement" opens the album in a dark, voluptuous eruption of guitars and bass.
Anticipation ensues until lyricist and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala declares "don't you pretend that I'm not alive, my bones never ache unless she's nearby." The piano and saxophone add an element of classic and haunting jazz.
Forty seconds into the song "Asilos Magdalena," it becomes a Spanish style acoustic guitar ballad, deviating from the distorted guitars on the rest of the album. The song is sung entirely in Spanish, about deception and heartbreak.
Bixler-Zavala effortlessly combines languages and effectively chooses which words or lyrics should be sung in Spanish. His vocals are unaffected by the switch and seem natural.
The final song, "El Ciervo Vulneado," brings everything to a close effectively. The song circles back to the introductory idea of atonement, except that instead of seeking reparation for a wrong, Bixler-Zavala says, "blessed be the wrong I've done."
Despite the separate recording sessions and
schizophrenic structure, the album is cohesive. One song leads to another, be it through style or story. The band's live performances are interesting, considering that the band is
performing together, and Rodriguez-Lopez is on guitar. The Mars Volta is currently opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the Stadium Arcadium Tour.
They will headline their own tour soon, which will hopefully continue in the experimental
footsteps of this album. The Mars Volta has always sought improvisation, but sometimes the extended, repetitive transitions seem to come off as self-gratification on "Frances the Mute." By
holding back on "Amputechture," the band has created an album that is fun and easy to listen to.
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