With the release of their fourth studio album “The Bedlam in Goliath,” The Mars Volta have revisited the sound that made their debut effort so incredible nearly five years ago. I remember being introduced to “De-Loused in the Comatorium” the summer before my junior year of high school.
“Hey, these guys are sweet,” I thought to myself, “It’s like Zeppelin meets Pink Floyd meets The Red Hot Chili Peppers!”
Yea Jack, I’m sure they were an exact fusion of three of the most influential rock bands of all time. All naïve categorizations aside, the portrayal does some selective justice in describing The Mars Volta’s sound on “Bedlam.”
Vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and axe-master/band leader Omar Rodriguez-Lopez waste little time hyping the listener in the intro. The albums first track, “Aberinkula,” is a straight punk punch that incorporates an active set beat with what sounds like dueling space guitars. The group addresses the theme of cultural humanity often on “Bedlam,” as they wonder aloud, “Have you seen the living/tired of their own shells/all the non believers/torso in the well,” but it’s the haunting alto-sax jam at the four-minute mark that spearheads the listener into the bold adventure that is “Bedlam.”
“Aberinkula” transitions into an even harder-hitting “Metatron,” where Zavala’s “maybe I’ll breakdown/maybe I’ll try” query is paced through laser-like synthesizer effects and more wailing guitars. The track plays out in orchestral movements, a common theme on the album. Separate sections of songs are revisited just as soon as they are left, ferociously pushing The Mars Volta spaceship back into the universe in search of another equally abstract music galaxy.
The album reaches its peak on “Goliath,” as gluttonous wa-wa peddling and futuristic key jams give way to a building drum track that eventually explodes at the hands of a grungy Rodriguez-Lopez riff. “Bedlam” is at its best when these Spanish-rhythm arrangements are teamed with the group’s hyper at the drive-in guitar work. The effects-heavy “Cavalettasis a song-writing triumph of sorts, and it’s here where the group matches their Zeppelin ferocity with a Floyd-like disdain for conventional instrumental arrangement. Rodriguez-Lopez, who received the lone credit for musical direction on “Bedlam,” gets the opportunity to showcase his genius in building the track around a familiar Spaghetti Western chord progression. His use of feedback to distort pitch and alter the listeners state of mind bring the song to the brink of chaos, though order is eventually returned through singing saxophone and flute passages.
“The Bedlam in Goliath” is currently my favorite album of 2008. While their album suffers from a resolution that leaves much to be desired, and contains the type of lyrical obscurity that many music fans have associated with the group, the sound that The Mars Volta have harnessed in the studio genuinely excites me. The biggest knock I have against progressive rock is its inability to make songs with warm rhythms that still hit hard. But these prog-rockers would just as much like to shred your face with their SG’s as they would like to captivate you through the use of eclectic flute and alto-sax jams. The combination of the group’s flavorful Latin rhythm arrangements and straight wa-wa pedal ferocity make for a significant sound that stands out in today’s rock music.

Questions or comments for
The Ruckus, contact Jack, at
JCChandl3168@winona.edu