DE-LOUSED IN THE COMATORIUM

De-loused in the Comatorium is the debut album from The Mars Volta. A band that I have heard a lot about these past few years. I always assumed they were an emo band and therefore never gave them a chance ( I absolutely hate emo) but I must admit that it´s an error from my side as De-loused in the Comatorium is an excellent, innovative and progressive rock album. It has a very modern innovative sound that I like very much. There are actually traces of emo in the music which is mostly due to Cedric Bixler-Zavala´s distinc high pitched vocal style. Cedric is not your average emo rock singer though. The man has got a trick or two up his sleeve that´s for sure. The real mastermind of The Mars Volta is guitarist and main composer Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. He is a very skilled musician and composer with a clear vision of how he thinks his music should sound.

At first I was very impressed with the music on De-loused in the Comatorium but Cedric´s voice put me of a bit. After listening to De-loused in the Comatorium many times I have finally found the charm in Cedric´s voice. There was never a doubt in my mind that he is a brilliant singer but my tolerance for his vocal style took some time.

The music is vers chorus like rock but there is always a twist and sections with lots of strange guitar effects and other odd noises to keep the music exciting. Some of the songs does sound like they could be played on MTV in edited versions and here I would especially mention the extremely memorable Eriatarka. The Mars Volta can really create memorable choruses while still maintaining a progressive edge. Cicatriz ESP is for example 12:29 minutes long and has a long psychadelic/ spaced out middle section.

I would call the musicianship outstanding on De-loused in the Comatorium and especially the guitar playing and choice of notes from Omar Rodriguez-Lopez is really something special, but drums, bass, vocals and keyboards are all well played and powerful sounding.

The production is excellent. One of the best modern prog productions I have heard.Everything is right in the mix. I bet this one cost a lot of money.

The cover artwork is pretty weird but looks cool.

The Mars Volta has been a pleasant surprise for me and well worth my money even though I had my worries before this purchase. The emo influences are there as I had suspected but they are not the dominant part of the music. Experimental modern rock like this should be welcomed by any prog head who is in search of a new challenge. I´ll reward this album with 4 stars and recommend it to anyone who likes powerful, innovative, melodic and memorable music.