The Mars Volta "Deloused in the Comatorium" (2003)
Post-hardcore band At the Drive-in were coming close to commercial
success when they broke up. From the ashes of AtD-i, two bands
continued on, Sparta and Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala's Mars Volta.
Mars Volta brought in aspects of Rodríguez-López Puerto-Rican heritage,
the duo's love of afro-beat and their desire to spread out musically.
There are busy grooves, long instrumental passages, big powerful vocal
parts and even hints of math-metal. "Drunkship of Lanterns" features all of these elements with Bixler-Zavala's voice bursting forth with passionate wails.
I missed the initial hype around At the Drive-in and came to this band via the odd video for single "Televators"
which, with its slow sinister melodicism, interesting lead parts and
great vocal harmonies reeled me in straight away. While I'm not a
devout fan of the band I've always enjoyed the parts of their work I've
listened to.
The album was produced by Rick Rubin which probably explains how they
came to have Flea playing bass on nearly every track and John Frusciante
sitting in on one song. Frusciante and Rodríguez-López would continue to collaborate in the ensuing years.
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