The Mars Volta- Octahedron
Look, here’s the deal: If you don’t know what you’re getting into with a new Mars Volta record at this point, after seven years and five albums (plus one EP and a live thing or two), then my advice is to go directly to full-length numero uno, 2003’s De-Loused in the Comatorium. Sample its rhythmic-centric, post-emo art-rock, and decide if you need to continue through the band’s catalog. It only gets less user-friendly from there.
Because (speaking to the first-time listeners) “rhythm-centric” here doesn’t mean anything remotely funky. It means the frantic, percussion-heavy, multiple-tempo-shifts-per-song brand of complexity inaugurated by batshit 70s-era theatrical hard rock. Also, the band’s allegiance to jazz-fusion titans, ones not averse to fuzz and a low-end, means things get far…looser from album number two onward.
Please read the full review at Pitchfork: The Mars Volta: Octahedron.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 at 8:29 am and is filed under 2009, Album of the Day, News, Roadburn Recommended . 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.
Pitchfork have never liked The Mars Volta. Every record hare criticized quite harshly by the wannabees of indie cred. They have right in one thing though – this ain’t their best album. Their no.1 album as of today is Bedlam – a mighty mix of Miles Davis cool, King Crimson instrumentation and Frank Zappa madness..
I’m going to see them at Arvika and looking forward to it!
TMV ROX!! ;D
Pitchfork rates The Mars Volta’s Octahedron: 6: Look, here’s the deal: If you don’t know what .. http://www.roadburn.com/2009/06/pitchfor...
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@roadburnfest pitchfork heeft iets tegen TMV; check al die andere recensies maar…en dan objectief blijven…
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Actually i didn’t trip on the earlier stuff, but once Bedlam was released, i even bought it. And every time i listen to it there’s more
@roadburnfest en er staat zelfs een brute fout in: “As for Rodriguez-López’ lyrics” iedereen weet dat cedrix de teksten schrijft, jammer
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I did like the first EP and before that At The Drive-In’s Relationship of command (still of one of my favourites). But saw them live a couple of times after that and got bored with the prog/Santana stuff. But last year – at a jazz festival of all places – they rocked again. Put a 2 hour show in 45 minutes. That was brilliant.
@Dyonschlebos gelukkig heeft iemand dat in de comments al opgemerkt dus dat trekt het weer recht: andere speel ik door aan de schrijfster
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@roadburnfest typo, het is Cedric..en ik zie nu pas de comments onderaan;-)
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