De-Loused In The Comatorium

An Amazing Debut: De-Loused In The Comatorium Establishes The Mars Volta As An Important Prog Rock Band

With an excellent blend of musical influences, this album has go it all: from Latin beats and an awesomely bombastic percussion sound to dub and blues. Few other rock artists (or artists of any genre) are bold enough or even remotely as successful in blending so many styles and genres into one unified sound. Yet, this album proves that the group is as much Prog Rock as it is a jam band with a jazzy attitude. From the first song, Son Et Lumiere + Inertiatic, Cedric establishes himself as more than a singer. With that range, he sounds more like an instrument or effect than a vocalist. This is the first real album since co-writers Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bivala have left the punk scene with At The Drive-In, and this album represents their transition into a complex, progressive, fusion band.

One of the highlights of the album is Cicatriz ESP, which features John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers in the interlude section. After a whole 9 minutes of eerie sound effects, the group swings full gear into a fast-paced, latin influenced, jam section that has an almost infinite amount of energy. Simple song writing and a systematic verse, chorus, verse, chorus progression is never on the table with Mars. They also slow it down a bit with the ballad Televators, where the bass borrows much from Pink Floyd. Much of this album can be traced back to such influential roots as Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Yes, and even Queen. The final track of the record, Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt, defines Jon Theodore’s loud and edgy drum style, which can be traced back to John Bonham. This is one of Mars’ most energetic and passionate songs, including another latin-beat jam session. Overall, with this as a debut, The Mars Volta can easily be compared to the other Prog Rock lords out there since they have the raw talent, ensemble sound, and originality essential to success.