AMPUTECHTURE

The Mars Volta have always been a love it or hate it kind of thing, and if you love them, then this album should blow you away. A lot of music critics say it's their hardest record to get into, but I would be the first to disagree and say that it is the easiest to get into. Sure, you may not appreciate it at first, but after a few spins it should grow on you.

"Tetragrammaton" is one of the biggest highlights here. It's nearly 17 minutes of absolute Mars Volta bliss. It sums up the band as a whole and makes a huge statement about their ambitions. It really shows you what they're all about and lets you know where they stand with themselves. If you do not love this song, you don't like The Mars Volta. It must be heard to be believed. "Vermicide" is a very single-worthy release with an inanely catchy chorus. The whole album is, like their previous effort, very latin influenced, and the Spanish/English combination of lyrics still remains, but not to an as large extent as "Frances The Mute". "Meccamputechture" is their jazziest song yet, which uses a lot of saxophones and has a running beat with every other instrument flowing around it. It's a technique which is used a lot on this album and it could very well change the way you think about music. "Viscera Eyes" is probably the catchiest rock song in recent years and is one which you simply must hear. The version on the album is extended and has a very samba style ending.

This brief runthrough simply isn't enough to sum this album up, and even if I went into a lot of detail it still wouldn't give you an insight into this band. You simply must hear this album, and if you don't like it, that's fair enough, but nobody can deny the sheer intensity and musicianship of this band.

If you appreciate this kind of music, you will adore it.

One of the best albums I have ever heard, and certainly the best Mars Volta release as of yet.