DE-LOUSED IN THE COMATORIUM

A brilliant and original debut, and so far their best album. The songs cover so many moods that it's hard to categorize, which is probably what most prog fans like. At times punk, Latin, rock, and fusion, "Deloused" covers some interesting ground.

"Eriatarka" and "Cicatriz ESP" slide through various textures while adding hypnotic grooves, while the opener "Son Et Lumiere/Inertiatic ESP" surges like a cross between The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Black Flag. "Televators" is a ballad with Latin percussion that adds a nice respite from the heaviness of the album (The Video for "Televators" is amazing and very Adam Jones-ish). "Drunkship of Lanterns" features a samba groove with severe vocal distortions.

One drawback: The sound on the album is clear but uninspired. Rick Rubin is a good producer, but "Deloused" fails to capture the band's full dynamic range and heavy sound the way that "Francis the Mute" does. Jon Theodore's drums have almost no body to the sound, which bugs me considering how amazing they sound on "Francis." The band definitely knows what sound they're going for.

If you have to pick one MV album to buy, this is the one. The songwriting is much more concise and there is much more of a contrast than with their later albums. Jon Theodore's drumming is simply amazing, and it's a shame he's left the band. Overall, a great progressive album.