DE-LOUSED IN THE COMATORIUM

The debut LP of this intense band is by far their best. The story of Cerpin Taxt creates an environment that plumbs the depths of the human mind contemplating a life-changing decision, described in words comparable only to James Joyce's "Finnegan's Wake".

The intro "Son et Lumiere" and "Inertiatic ESP" comes bursting out of the gates as you see a glimpse of the awe-inspiring synthesis of this seven-piece pantheon of progressive musicians. The haunting intro builds into a song that can have you headbanging and dancing salsa at the very same time. Guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's composing skills are visible here. At first glance nothing seems to be on the same beat, but about 10 seconds into the song you are hit with the synchronization.

Leading right into our next Fragment of Insanity (the only term capable of accurately describing a TMV song) is "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)". Singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala's voice once again soars above the constant rise and fall of the moods and tempos of the music. A second dual song follows what seems like the greatest upstager of all time. "Tira Me A Las Arañas" and "Drunkship of Lanterns" compliment each other very well (obviously has NOTHING to do with the fact that they were originally one song split up by the label because they wanted more tracks on the album), and a slow, haunting tune again builds into a seven minute, congo-slappin', rock/salsa great, the drums carry a beat that is steady and nonsensical at the same time, and I've lost count of how many times they've changed the time signature. Eriatarka is a more hyped-up sound, keeping with the flawless instrumentation and composition.

And here it is. The absolute masterpiece of this album, "Cicatriz ESP". I, in all honesty, have no overly-verbose description for this song. This is a pinnacle. This is a landmark. This song captivates me for 12 minutes and 30 seconds every day, with the electrified choruses in the beginning, the beautiful solos by Omar that carry you away into a few minutes of peace, only for an incredible build-up back to that first, sweet chorus and finishing stronger than almost any other song I've ever heard.

Nearing the end of the album, we come across the fact that "This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed". I love this song, yet somehow it's also my least favorite track on "De-Loused In The Comatorium". The erratic guitar along with the double layering of the vocals creates an almost annoying sound, but ties together perfectly throughout the rest of the song.

The last two tracks are the third and second best songs. Televators is beautiful. There's almost no other word for it. Six minutes of peaceful, smooth guitar, congos, maracas and, as throughout the whole album, the vocals becoming an instrument themselves, tying all of the others together into a blissful experience. I would use this as the song at my wedding. Not even kidding.

And at last, we have "Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt". An upbeat, hard rocking song incorporating lots of prog. As always, Jon Theodore on drums continues to amaze me, the guitar part carries a complex, intense melody, and the song completely changes about three times. Just enough for a rating from me of WTF/10 stars.

This CD is a masterpiece. I would suggest anyone who listens to any kind of music to pick it up and listen to it multiple hundreds of times like I have.