DE-LOUSED IN THE COMATORIUM

When this album first came out, I was an At The Drive In fan, curious about the latest product of their former members. So I heard the singles, "Inertiatic ESP" and "Televators" and was highly pleased. Therefore, I wanted to get the album, but the price soared for some reason. The short version of the story is, I opted for their second album, "Frances the Mute". It's a good album, but I was somewhat dissapointed. Luckily for me, I was not so disheartened as to prevent me from trying their debut album, "De-loused in the Comatorium".This album was really an unexpected treasure, especially in a time where most bands as well known are no so experimental and creative and do such a great job being those things.

The first thing that struck me as a listener was the fact that the lyrics were so bizzare yet profound. It certainly sticks to the concept and vividly portrays it by using the lyrics and the sound as one to fuse the creative measures taken to form the storyline. The music itself is both abrasive and melodic, which fits the bitterness of the story as well as the goodness of the character, Cerpin Taxt. Everything is so poetic, it's really a joy to read the lyrics with or without the music.IT may not always make sense, but at least it sounds really, really cool.

It is no secret that the musicans involved in this album are extremely talented. Every guitar solo is prefectly exectuted. The rhythm section is also strong throughout the entirety of the album. Cedric Bixler-Zavala's vocals are mindblowing, although that is the most frequent complaint about the album is that the vocals are too high, so if you don't like high pitched vocals, this might not be for you, but you'd be missing out on something spectacular.

Now, on to standout tracks. "Cicatriz ESP" is the track that most conflicts itself, spanning the whole array of styles that the Mars Volta uses. It has a catchy but immense verse/chorus. However, it is followed by random electronic noodling to the point where it's almost ambient. What follows, however, is one of the best intrumental sections thus far this millenium, especially with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's incredible guitar lines. Another song that I find particularly good is "Eriatarka." I just find that the instruments work really well together to form the band's unique sound. This song is a great example of that. The closer, Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt, is another one of those songs that has great melody, great power, and great skill. Rodriguez-Lopez is perfect here as well. A perfect closing to an excellent album.

To summarize, this is album features superb instrumentalists and mindblowing lyrics and such a unique sound that it can only be characterized as a masterpiece of progressive music.

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