At the top of the twentieth century, At the Drive-In rapidly rose to develop into some of the beloved punk rock bands of the period. Their mix of post-hardcore, emo, and parts of art-rock made them a refreshing voice at a time when pop-punk was beginning to percolate. But the El Paso outlet was short-lived, and the group cut up in 2001. From its ashes, nevertheless, rose The Mars Volta, comprised of drummer Tony Hajjar, guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López, and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, whose best hour stays their debut album, De-Loused In The Comatorium.
Listen to De-Loused within the Comatorium now.
Though ATDI had quite a few causes for his or her cut up, The Mars Volta supplied Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala a brand new inventive avenue to discover a sound greater and bolder than something they’d accomplished earlier than. Quickly, the band knocked out an EP with Alex Newport titled Tremulant, a three-song assortment that turned the precursor to De-Loused In The Comatorium.
An epic, hour-long story within the prog custom
With the muse laid by Tremulant, the band’s extremely anticipated follow-up would shock even additional with its smattering of sounds. Cooked up by Bixler-Zavala and Jeremy Michael Ward, De-Loused within the Comatorium was conceived as an idea report that facilities round a personality known as Cerpin Taxt. Taxt overdoses on a cocktail of morphine and rat poison and enters a week-long coma throughout which he experiences fantastical adventures in his goals. The character was loosely based mostly on Bixler-Zavala’s pal Julio Venegas, who killed himself in 1996.
The outcome was an epic hour-long story within the prog custom. As Taxt battles with the nice and evil impulses of his unconscious, Bixler-Zavala’s howling tenor offers voice to the wild lyrical imagery on show.
Co-produced by guitarist Rodríguez-López alongside legendary producer Rick Rubin, De-Loused In The Comatorium was not like something Rubin had labored on in his profession – and that’s saying one thing, contemplating his wildly eclectic set of credit.
Prog rock has a wealthy custom of grand idea albums. Look no additional than 2112 by Rush or The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis as proof. The Mars Volta introduced their very own aptitude to it, embracing the style and reimagining it as nicely.
Taking issues to a different degree
With this new tackle prog, De-Loused In The Comatorium provoked a divisive response amongst followers and critics. The band’s incorporation of Latin rhythms, jazz fusion, area rock, and experimental music made it a report that wasn’t totally digestible upon first pay attention – it’s a type of uncommon albums that reveals one thing new with every spin.
“Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)” options prolonged instrumentals within the Floydian custom, whereas “Drunkenship Of Lanterns” embraces prog’s cinematic drama due to the pummeling drums of Jon Theodore, and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, who stepped in after The Mars Volta’s unique bassist, Eva Gardner, left. Flea rose to the duty, studying and recording the album’s bass components within the span of three days. Flea wasn’t the one RHCP alum on the album. His bandmate John Frusciante additionally makes an look, with an prolonged guitar solo on the album’s longest observe, “Cicatriz ESP,” a 12-minute musical journey throughout which The Mars Volta proved their mettle.
The method the track swivels, pivots, modifications tempos, and even weaves in prolonged jams proved The Mars Volta’s potential prolonged far past what any At The Drive-In fan would have anticipated. The gradual, but drastic construct had all of the hallmarks of their former outfit, however Rodríguez-López’s willingness to take it to a different degree is what in the end set the course for the place the band was headed. Later on, multi-instrumentalist Justin Meldal-Johnsen crammed in on double bass for “Televators,” including to the group’s spectacular line-up of visitors.
Pushing prog in a distinct path
No matter the place you stand on prog-rock, De-Loused In The Comatorium helped to push the style in a distinct path and convey it to a brand new technology of followers, opening the door for fellow-alt.proggers like The Dear Hunter and Thank You Scientist within the course of.
The Mars Volta was actually a response to At the Drive-In. Looking to interrupt free from the constraints of the hardcore scene, the band exploded on their debut album with all of the pent-up concepts and feelings that wanted an outlet. Ultimately, they might be rewarded for his or her gamble. The group later took residence a Grammy in 2009 for Best Hard Rock Performance for “Wax Simulacra.”
De-Loused within the Comatorium will be purchased right here.