DE-LOUSED IN THE COMATORIUM

To many(including myself), this was their first exposure to TMV. This was their first full- length album, but they had released the Tremalaut EP a year earlier. That EP sounds like the missing link between At The Drive-Inn's last album and this. ATDI broke up due to Omar and Cedric wanting to go in a more experimental direction, as well as heavy drug use. The other two members formed the more punky/indie sounding Sparta. But even on the last ATDI album from 2000 you can hear hints as to what TMV will later sound like.

For whatever reason, the members of The Red Hot Chili Peppers were this bands biggest supporters when they first came out. Flea plays some bass here; on the next album he will play some trumpet. Later John Frusciante will do a lot of the guitar work. Why that is, I'm still not sure. The music of RHCP and TMV could not be further apart, although the former used to have a big punk influence and the latter can sometimes be funky. This is a concept album about a friends' near death experience I believe, but I could be wrong. Generally I'm not into concept albums or the concepts they are about. Great artwork on the cover and sleeve which I assume ties into the whole story.

"Son et Lumiere" is a nice spacey and mostly mellow opening track which segues right into "Inertiatic ESP". I still think the best song is "Roulette Dares(The Haunt Of)". Love the part with organ(or Mellotron?) at the end. I like the tribal feel at the beginning of "Drunkship Of Lanterns" with the percussion. After 2 minutes in the most interesting part of the album starts. This is the part where two completely different sections alternate after evey bar. You don't hear many people doing that kind of thing. Ends with a spacey electronic section with slowed down sounds.

"Cicatriz ESP" is the longest song. Begins and ends with a part based around a steady groove along with a more rocking part where Cedric says "undefended". A spacey part with the sound of water dripping in the middle. "Televators" is a great ballad, one of the highlights of the album. Ends with spacey effects just like every other damn song does. "Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt" has a section with Mellotrons in the middle before Omar plays a guitar part that sounds like he's ripping off Fripp. I swear this sounds just like a Crimson song, "Fracture" maybe? This continues in a more weird and trippy section, almost industrial sounding. A short bass solo and then the best part of the song: a laid- back Latin rock groove which Omar solos over. Later Cedric adds "uh-oh" type vocals.

This is their most popular album but I like Amputechture more. This band and album seemed to come out of nowhere in the early 2000s. It was nice to see a new group trying to make "progressive rock" in this day and age. TMV haven't released anything I would call a masterpiece yet, but their first three albums all deserve 4 stars.