Mars Volta, The: The Bedlam in Goliath

Progressive rock's breakthrough darlings The Mars Volta are back with another melting pot of chaotic and varied sounds & styles on their latest The Bedlam in Goliath. Perhaps one of the things that makes this band so appealing to so many people is their ability to mix prog, funk, jazz, punk, and rock styles within the framework of each song, creating what is often times a nearly impenetrable wall of sound that is dissonant yet melodic at the same time. After the successful Amputechture, which continued to gain new fans for the band yet divided many longtime listeners, the band seems to want to up the ante here, as The Bedlam in Goliath is a bold step forward into even more varied and adventurous territories. The opening 1-2 punch of "Aberinkula" and " Metatron" provide roughly 14-minutes of guitar chaos, cluttered keyboards, and squonking sax work, with the vocals of Cedric Bixler-Zavala providing the bravado and theatrics. There always seems to be a heavy funk vibe with this band, and it's ever present on these two cuts. Wah-wah guitar licks from Red Hot Chili Pepper mainstay John Frusciante and plenty of crazy drum fills from new skinsman Thomas Pridgen permeate "Ilyena", while "Goliath" is just a seething, boiling cauldron of nasty Zappa-ish styled arrangements and Cedric's scorching high-pitched vocal attack. I hate to keep bringing up the heavy funk element, but you gotta love the Bootsy Collins influenced fuzz bass licks that boom throughout the mix on the epic "Cavalettas", and coupled with screaming wah-wah solos will have you instantly scratching your Parliament/Funkadelic itch.

The band goes for a 70's prog stance on "Agadez", complete with ominous Mellotron and Yes-styled guitar work, and go for a Red era King Crimson vibe on the creepy "Askepios", littered with bombastic Wetton influenced bass lines and some scrorching Fripp-ish guitar shards. The last two tracks are pretty intriguing-"Soothsayer" kicks off with some Middle Eastern tinged violin before Frusciante comes into with an effects laden guitar solo, eventually giving way to some mysterious vocals from Cedric. At over 9 minutes, this one takes you on many twists and turns, and also features another blistering and supercharged Frusciante solo at around the five minute mark. The closer "Conjugal Burns" sees plenty of Mellotron and synth sounds creating some spooky atmosphere, Cedric's vocals matter of factly instigating some Yes-meets-Crimson guitar noodling and intricate drum patterns, making for a very proggy ending to this rather noisy, unsettling, raucous, yet fascinating release.

Chances are if your've never been a fan of The Mars Volta, The Bedlam in Goliath won't necessarily convert you. Their latest will certainly take a few listens for all the musical mayhem and nuances to sink in and make sense, and as always the lyrical content is pretty dense as well. Still, there's no band out there today that caters to both the progressive rock and alternative crowds quite like these guys do, and they've been doing it for years now. Highly recommended stuff here, give it a chance and be prepared to be wowed.

Track Listing
1. Aberinkula 5:45
2. Metatron 8:12
3. Ilyena 5:36
4. Wax Simulacra 2:39
5. Goliath 7:16
6. Tourniquet Man 2:38
7. Cavalettas 9:32
8. Agadez 6:44
9. Askepios 5:11
10. Ouroborous 6:36
11. Soothsayer 9:08
12. Conjugal Burns 6:36

Added: November 28th 2009
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: The Mars Volta Website
Hits: 2962
Language: english

[ Printer Friendly Page ]
[ Send to a Friend ]