Reviews (page 2 of 9)
Random thoughts: * Like most metal albums, I'm having a hard time evaluating this one. * This was a bit more math rock plus some metal. I do like the vocals overall which makes it more enjoyable for me than other harder sounding bands. * Apparently this is actually progressive rock according to Wiki. * And the theme/concept of this album is wild: "the concept album is an hour-long tale of Cerpin Taxt, a man who enters a week-long coma after overdosing on a mixture of morphine and rat poison." * Cictriz Esp had a little Santana meets metal sound to it. Nice! * Ok, I just listened to this straight through while doing some work. Good album overall and enjoyable. I would need some more in-depth listens to get all that this album has to offer.
If 1001 Albums has taught me anything, it's that I don't actually love prog as much as I thought I did. My love for the first two Mars Volta albums, however, is undeniable and undiminished, ever since I cranked up the volume on a very early prerelease copy downloaded from IRC and heard Son et lumière transition into Inertiatic ESP. Clearly I underestimated how much I attribute to prog is really Mars Volta secret sauce, whether it's the post-hardcore/ashes of At The Drive-In talking, modern production, or just fantastic musicality. The lyrics are nonsensical garbage (surely "You must have been phlegmatic in stature" takes the cake here), but who fucking cares?
This music is made for me and this is not for me.
This album sounds like queens of the stone age meets soundgarden, meets System of a Down, and it all comes together nicely. I appreciate the tempo changes and pace of the album.
Really enjoyed this. However, none of the songs stood out as truly great which held the album back but it was a really well put together piece of prog/art rock
Did not enjoy. An angry bummer of an album.
Good math rock but still math rock
I don’t love the lead singers voice but some of it is pretty cool.
Exactly what I expected, easiest 1/5 in my life.
When you read through the list of song titles on an album and it's all gibberish, you know you're in for a hard slog. And sure enough, *Clowns In The Vomitorium* (or whatever this thing is called) is hodgepodge of musical nonsense, seemingly designed to show off the skills of the players instead of conveying a single recognizable human emotion.
It was kinda cool. The lyrics are... nonsense? Idk but the music itself reminds me of a lot of 2000s bands I used to like.
noisy and high energy in a great way. a fine model of that *rise against* dirtbike type genre. it's a longer album but i still took a couple of listens, and i just enjoyed it more by the end. as a record, the flow between songs is really smooth, and the sort of peaks and valleys of bpm make hypey moments seem organic and effortless. favorite song is Drunkship Of Lanterns
Rating: 8/10 You would think I could reasonably be a big Mars Volta fan based on my music taste, but I've never really given them a chance, always on the back burner. It's a cool, interesting, unique brand of 2000's rock. Long tracks with progressive song structures and is for sure a defining and influential post-hardcore sound of the era. I've heard a lot of bands that SOUND like The Mars Volta after they made this record. Its technicality and strange sound combined with the lyricism make it a very hard album to parse and analyze. For this reason I can't really speak to the quality of the story and themes but I would love to delve into it more. The whole album almost feels overwrought at times and is in danger of having a pretentious artsy quality to the whole thing but it works because it's thrilling throughout and sticks the landing. It's also just a great album for this list and the kind of thing I'm excited to see here. Maybe my 30's are for finally getting into The Mars Volta.
Talented musicians, but I did not enjoy this at all.
I actually liked this quite a lot. Nice loud ... soft soft loud ... aggressive vibes. Really interesting soundscapes paired with ROCK.
Super pretentieus prog album, but even with that I had quite the decent time with it
This was pretty interesting. Some parts were a little too "weird" for my tastes. But the less strange parts I really enjoyed. My favorite was the opening track. Might take more listens in order to really get it.
Заінтригували)
sami instrumentali su dosta dobri, možda malo prežestoki za moj okus, a ne mogu reći da su mi se tortiljoski momenti previše svidjeli, no ima genijalnih momenata. ali ovo je možda najgora vokalna izvedba koju sam dosad preslušao. ne samo da je sam glas nepodnošljiviji od deset denisa kataneca i dvadeset nila janga, već je sama izvedba toliko krindž emo da mi je čitav dojam potpuno usran. objektivno nije za ovako nisku ocjenu, ali zbog katastrofalnog vokala trebalo mi je jaaako dugo da ovo preslušam i nije mi bilo nimalo ugodno, štoviše, ljutilo me jer bi bilo toliko bolje bez toga
couldn’t stand this
Absolutely disgusting. Would not want to ever hear this again!
Might eventually be a five for me. Didn't latch onto anything specific but a band I'd like to hear more of
Some tracks lull you into a false sense of calm (more like boredom really) until the thrashing and screeching starts in earnest. Dreadful
I'm tempted to say that this was a real chore to get through, but, to be honest, the majority of this just washed over me. The moments where I was paying full attention, though, were pretty poor. Nonsensical, pretentious lyrics, vastly over-complicated musicianship and a really tiresome, belting vocal delivery. I don't listen to prog-rock all that often, but if and when I do, I certainly won't be listening to this.
These lyrics are so funny. They didn’t even TRY to make them make sense. Music is good though. Really fun guitar stuff. I gotta say though, I wish the songs were shorter. Endless guitar solos get old.
...
Some cool things happening, but ultimately not for me Great album art though
Nope noise
Quite the mixed bag. Starts off pretty banging with epic vocals and guitar work. Slowly gets weirder and some songs go on way too long. Found myself a bit bored in the second half but Televators is a great track near the end of the album.
Diet Tool
Meh
Unbelievably fire that is, I say
I usually love prog rock but this didn't click with me. The vocals are too whiny and emo for my liking and there are a few too many sections with obnoxious noises and feedback. Maybe I'd like it with a few more listens but I didn't enjoy it much the first time.
Holy shit!
As a drummer, impressive performance. Otherwise, reminds me of an indie Periphery. Forgettable songs with a whiney vocal. Songs dragged.
This is confusing. In a good way.
surprisngly good
I remember the first time I heard "Inertiatic Esp", coming in like a jumpscare, proper screamo style, and I weirdly enjoyed it. That frantic, explosive transition perfectly captures what it feels like to listen to De-Loused in the Comatorium, it is a beautiful, deeply polarizing exercise in organized chaos. The musicianship is absolutely insane, with those wild drums and frenetic guitar riffs blending prog, post-hardcore, and Latin jazz into a total wall of sound. I get why it puts some people off, between the screechy vocals and the cryptic lyrics, it can definitely feel like a bit of an exhausting, overstimulating fever dream. It’s a total "love it or hate it" experience, but I’m honestly just hooked on that raw, unhinged energy. The way the tracks bleed into each other keeps the momentum going, which is key. I remember someone playing the intro, "Son et Lumière", on a pub jukebox once, and you could practically feel the room deflate when it didn't immediately launch into "Inertiatic Esp". That’s the magic and the frustration of this thing: it demands you experience it on its own terms and refuses to give you any breathing room. You either get lost in the labyrinth or you end up totally buried by the noise. Either way, it’s a hell of an adrenaline-fueled ride.
Absolute nonsense that made me wanna boogie so hard.
Alright to pretty good :)
funky!! but like emo, punky, screamy, but not growly, rocky, kind of funky :D
1) Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt 2) This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed 3) Drunkship Of Lanterns Least Favourite: NONE OF EM!!
very interesting. combination of vocalists. One of them sounds a little like Mat Bellamy. great stuff
Interesting album. It's not the kind of thing I usually like to listen to, but it sounds quite alternative and original at the same time. 3 stars.
Huh, this definitely an interesting listening experience. First of all: The cover was not promising. At all. But hey, many good albums have covers i don’t like. Then there is the concept of it: An album that follows a guy who overdosed, falls into a coma, has some out-of-body experiences, wakes up and decides to commit suicide. A heavy concept, but done well carries a lot of promise. So i opened Genius to read the lyrics while listening to. And there the problem started: This reads like Thesaurus, the album. The lyrics don’t really make much sense in telling a semi-cohesive story. They barely make sense at all. The annotations on Genius tried to explain the lyrics, but I suspect they read the accompanying book and found some parallels. A concept album loses a lot of its appeal when the lyrics don’t carry the concept. So I gave up reading the lyrics after Eriatarka because WHAT DO YOU MEAN on that song the protagonist gets operated on by a doctor with dogs for hands? But okay, lyrics are not everything, there is of course the music itself. And the music is quite solid. Now, to be fair, 2000s prog-rock isn’t something I dipped my toes in before or would seek out - so this is not my favorite genre. That being said, i enjoyed quite a few moments on the album. All the salsa and latin elements really surprised me and I enjoyed very much - Drunkship of Lanterns is a real highlight in that aspect - then there are the wird sci-fi-esque moments like the final minute of Eriatarka or the mid-section of Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt. My big problem is, that these are over so quickly - they are either buried in the mix after a while or just stop and that got a bit frustrating. The more expected prog-rock and metal-leaning parts are for sure well done and i’m sure are technically superb. But the album left me with the desire for the band to explore these other sounds a lot more. But a lot of stylistic preferences on my side play a big role here, so i’m sure someone else would get a lot of enjoyment out of the album in that regard. I’m quite happy that i got to listen to the album since there are a lot of cool ideas on here, but i don’t think i will go back to the album as a whole. Nonetheless, i saved three songs to my library (Drunkship of Lanterns, Eriatarka and Televators).
One of those bands I heard a lot about, and were releasing music when I was exploring my own tastes heavily but I never really got around to. Wonder what I'll think of them? This album is elite. It's like Dead Kennedys meets 2000's indie rock meets foo fighters. Definitely one I wish I'd picked up in my festival going days. It's an album that often makes little sense but all the disparate melodies come together in an oddly interesting way. Drunkship of Lanterns is my pick, but its not really a standout either.
Some interesting sounds, but the whole thing is too long and utterly soulless. They put so much effort into being weird and unique that they forgot to just write good songs.
Not that into it and it was really quiet
Although fictional, it’s about the suicide (and life) of a tortured artist. This dark, drug fueled concept album/rock opera is a strange experience that demands your attention. It is very well executed; paints a manic, disturbing, and thoughtful picture of the depressed artist’s inner mind. Each song is a saga in and of itself. The music is kind of a modernized mash-up of Santana and Yes, but so much more. The journey is beyond weird and more than a bit hard to follow. But The 1001 Must Hear List struck gold with this entry. (4.70*s) Read the related short story, it’s even stranger than the album.
The Mars Volta are a strange band with a strange history and I like this debut release. Deloused is abstract with Radiohead and Rush tones. I had heard of the band prior but didn't know their work. Recognize the tracks "This Apparatus Must be Unearthed" and "Televators" though I don't know where/when from. Can't pin down a top song from this record. It blended well together and I pretty much cruised through it. I'll have to go back for another listen and pay more attention to the lyrics to really get into Cerpin Taxt's comatose state. 2.94 mars-stars this go around.
I've had friends mention The Mars Volta over the years through their connections to RHCP and At The Drive-In. I've wanted to check them out for years but for some reason just never got around to it. Was excited to fire this one up and see if they have anything interesting to offer in their overlap with some other popular acts. On the surface level I enjoyed what I got from some modern prog-rock/metal. The vocals are a little closer to emo/hardcore stylings than I typically prefer, though it didn't drive me away from this one. A few of the longer jams are fine to vibe out to if you are feeling a bit angsty. I didn't love Deloused but it was creative and good enough to pique my interest. I can see where the allure in Mars Volta is in a decent melding and crossover of a handful of genres. There appears to be some pretty talented musicians involved and they seem like they are willing to go outside the box at times. I'll have to talk to some buddies and maybe check out another album from them down the line. Deloused it a decent album, not enough to wow me, but also unique enough to maybe come back to with some more exposure. 2.67 stars
Mostly ok
I think this is what this list should've been, a lot more of this. Sure, it's not a 5 or 4 for me, it's not Fruupp, it's not Crimson King, and no Hendrix either. But it's doing something different, not the 100th album of American folk country soft pop 'I'm listening to this cause i want to cosplay an elite music ball man on Instagram' ass album. Didn't love it, didn't hate it, but much respect.
Lastig luisteren, maar je wordt wel beloond. Spacy, beklemmend, dynamisch
Music On Vinyl MOVLP1115 (Europe 2014 reissue) vinyl rip: Placeholder because I want to listen along with the storybook.
A unique sounding album, that felt like there was too many layers of sounds to each song. So they all felt a bit too chaotic for me
Prog post hardcore? Prog emo, even? I didn’t expect a prog album from this century to work this well. The drumming and vocal performance are both particularly impressive to me. There’s a lot to chew on here. It’s absolutely massive in sound and scope. There’s also some deep feeling here, even if the writing is pretty opaque. Soaring melodies, clean and complex guitar work, and even some great use of ambient noise. It’s over the top, but it's not self-conscious about it, so it works. I actually kind of wanted to dislike this, but found that I couldn’t.
This is not for me. The lyrics are incomprehensible, the songs are extremely long and meandering and I didn’t love the singers voice
Missed the mark - lots of fast guitar and drum work. That’s not enough to make up for the forgettable songs.
Three songs in, had the distinct thought that listening to this loud, extremely stressful, ridiculously frenetic album was something akin to bliss. Never got into these guys, but this was everything I wanted it to be and more. Bixler-Zavala has the perfect voice for a project like this. The salsa rhythms were insane. The lyrics were nonsense. I absolutely loved it. PS: these stars are also spiritually for three cheers for sweet revenge and a fever you can’t sweat out, which are obviously in the lineage of this album and would have been on this list if dimery had any taste whatsoever!!
Have no idea why did this album need to be made.
I had never heard this before, but I really enjoyed it. Definitely some Rush influences.
As a teenager in the early 2000s, I had no idea The Mars Volta were really more prog than emo/screamo. This was really cool in concept but I couldn't really engage with the music across two listens.
I must have heard this album in full over 100 times, albeit probably only twice in the last 20 years. It hasn't grown on me since the first impression. It's not the best example of the kind of energy it brings - in any direction - and it's annoyingly screamy and whiney. I can't not think of it like a moody toddler who's ruining your summer holiday afternoon because the sprinkles on their ice cream were the wrong colour...
This was kind of cool. Reminds me of screamo or 2000's metal core vocals. Combined with some pretty cool performances from the instruments. This made a fun listening experience
Cedric has progressed quite a bit since "At the drive in". This album is definitely more focused and cohesive. However for me, I liked the rough edges on Relationship of command. This was decent, but not something that really kept me interested.
I didn't mind some elements of this, but it's also a lot. Many tracks are 8-12 minutes long, which is great if you're into it, not so much if not. Not a huge issue for me, but I was ready for the album to be over by track 8 of 10. High 3/5
It’s hard for me to conceive that people actually enjoy listening to this.
An amazing, unique album. One of my favorite of all time.
This is interesting music to me. I was familiar with The Mars Volta primarily when Thomas Pridgen played with them. I like the creativity, the instrumentality, and the layering in the music. The one thing that keeps them from my playlists is the vocals. They're well done, but the style to my ears becomes grating. There are many bands that fall in this category for me. I like the music, but after just a little while, the vocal style becomes annoying. That is definitely the case here. I'm between 3 and 4 stars on this one. I'll lean 4 because I think it is more significant than simply "another record."
I think if I listened to this a few times my appreciation of it would grow. Liked the guitar work, sounded like Robert Fripp of King Crimson. The vocals grew tiresome after awhile.
This would’ve been right up my alley when I was 16 and while I knew who these guys were it was never on my radar. This one blew me away.
Definitely could have liked it more in the right mood, but didn't work for me at this time. Definitely in my wheelhouse. Fairly frenetic but experimental post punk
erst dachte ich bei dem namen und cover und der spotify seite: "scheisse, schon wieder pretentious men", und ja ich hatte recht aber tatsächlich ist es crazy EMO MUSIK YAAAYYY
Solid album in the vain of Tool, AFI, Muse or Paramore. I mean that in the sense that it’s bombastic, operatic, a touch overproduced, and fairly poetic. I did find some of the lyrics somewhat shallow, But overall I enjoyed this album.
Just. Like. Wow. It's really good, ya know?
Fun. Enjoyed more than I expected to. 3.5 rounded up to 4. Favorite tracks: Cicatriz Esp ; This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed.
A little She Wants Revenge influence with a hint of Muse but no heart. Unpleasant guitar interludes and high-speed impact vocals trying to bring something new to the 2000's sound. The attempts at psychedelic sounds just come off as noise.
This is too much for me. An hour+ of relentless songs wailing on the same vocal range, with largely nonsense lyrics about some anime-level lore that I frankly don't care about. I need texture, I need moment to digest. I've been familiar with this album for nearly 20 years and in all that time I've never found a moment for it in my life, and that still hasn't changed. The first track into the second is great. After that, I really want a different texture in there. I'm exhausted.
This album went entirely too long.
Really never liked 00s prog bands. Still don’t
At The Drive In >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The Mars Volta
Quite interesting, some cool ideas, pretty long too
Sur le principe, c’est intéressant. Sur la réalisation, j’ai pas accroché du tout.
It’s the mars Volta.
Deloused in the Comatorium The Mars Volta 2003 Genres: Rock Styles: Alternative Rock, Experimental, Prog Rock, Post Hardcore 1. Son et Lumière (★★★⯨☆) -Contexto: Introducción de la historia. Cerpin Taxt intenta suicidarse y comienza la transición hacia el estado de coma que dará inicio a todo el viaje. 2. Inertiatic ESP (★★★⯨☆) -Contexto: Cerpin entra en el Comatorium, un mundo onírico donde la realidad se descompone y su identidad empieza a fragmentarse entre visiones y recuerdos. 3. Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of) (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: El protagonista es perseguido por sus miedos, culpas y entidades simbólicas que representan sus conflictos internos durante el coma. 4. Tira Me a las Arañas (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Breve pieza instrumental que funciona como transición hacia una zona aún más profunda y perturbadora del universo mental de Cerpin. 5. Drunkship of Lanterns (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Cerpin atraviesa un paisaje caótico y alucinatorio lleno de violencia, desorientación y simbolismos, mientras pierde cada vez más contacto con la realidad. 6. Eriatarka (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Comienza a aceptar que ya no controla su destino. La lucha por aferrarse a la vida se mezcla con la resignación ante lo inevitable. 7. Cicatriz ESP (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Clímax del álbum. Cerpin enfrenta sus heridas emocionales y psicológicas en un largo enfrentamiento consigo mismo y con las fuerzas que habitan el Comatorium. 8. This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed (★★★⯨☆) -Contexto: El protagonista inicia el regreso hacia la conciencia. Empieza a comprender parte de su experiencia, aunque continúa dividido entre la vida y la muerte. 9. Televators (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Cerpin despierta del coma y contempla nuevamente el mundo real, pero descubre que ya no encuentra sentido en él y se siente completamente desconectado. 10. Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt (★★★⯨☆) -Contexto: Decide aceptar definitivamente la muerte. El "velo" simboliza el paso final hacia el otro lado y el abandono voluntario de la vida. 11. Ambuletz (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Epílogo presente en algunas ediciones del álbum. Representa la conclusión del viaje de Cerpin y su desaparición definitiva, con un tono mucho más sereno y contemplativo que el resto de la obra. -TOTAL = ★★★☆☆ (3)
I struggled a bit with this one, the post-rock thing isn’t really my jam, but it wasn’t bad. I wouldn’t listen to them again
Damn it’s close to a 4. Heard it described as “Prog rock at its most pretentious” and yeah, that tracks.
This one was interesting, smart, and technical, to my ear. Not something I'd probably listen to otherwise.
Another early 2000s band that were supposed to be the next big thing that have seemingly disappeared. Updated prog rock with nonsensical lyrics that supposedly forms a concept album. Not sure how you are supposed to follow the concepts when the lyrics don’t make sense.
Not for me
Gros rock. Moyen
It's about half way through track 3 - Roulette Dares that I go from being convinced that this is the best album ever to being a totally exhausting noodle-fest. Ultimately, while I can't appreciate all the technical intricacies, there is enough here that I enjoy despite it being a bit self-indulgent.
Great album. I was a huge fan of At The Drive-In before The Mars Volta. Such good music.
Such a rad prog rock album. While I preferred At The Drive In - The Mars Volta really came out with an awesome first album.
Wow did not realize this was on this list. This is one of the defining bands of my high school experience. I first saw them opening for System of a Down and they have been one of my favorite bands ever since. This band opened up so much for me music wise that this is an easy 5/5.
I've tried so many times with this album but just can not get past the piercing voice, a tattoo gun on your ear drum. There are some blitzing guitar parts and explosive riffs combining the best of post-hardcore energy, indie tone, post-rock metal dynamics, and prog songwriting, but they're all ruined by the shrill whinge. A 4* instrumental album spoiled by a 1* singer.
#407/1001. After the first two or three songs the feeling is always "fuck yeah this is the greatest hard / heavy progressive rock album out there, I want more!" But somewhere in the middle the feeling starts to wear out. Also I never got the same feeling from other MV albums. But fuck yeah this is the greatest!
Sometimes championed by the prog-rock arena but not a band that I've really gotten into. The album does have some clear prog influences in its complex rhythms and passages, and in its cocktail of other sounds which blend together into something original. I enjoyed this more than Frances The Mute, the only TMV album I own.
Wild and weird but part of this fully rule
Too repetitive and noisy, very impressive though! I appreciate the craftsmanship. This album, to me, sits between modern hard rock and prog rock. Usually I don't really enjoy hard rock, instead I enjoy softer prog rock. However, the experimental style here is pretty captivating. It sounds a bit like Muse on acid. One thing: none of these songs are playlist worthy. To me, I would only listen to this album as a whole, rather than as individual songs. I won't lie, towards the middle of the album I began to get sick of it... It's a little too intense for me, pretty repetitive, and a little noisy. I don't think this is for me. I can appreciate the craft from a distance, but it didn't 'vary' enough for me. The start had me hopeful, but it felt a little bit like a chore to listen to as it went on. By the time I got to the end, I was glad it was over.
A lot progressive and a touch of post-hardcore gives this album a pretty interesting sound. Is it something I like though? I think it has its moments but the 59 year old me doesn't like the loud stuff as much as younger me did. 3.5 / 5
So weird, so improvised. Quite a fun and original listen. I like to imagine that the intro song basically inspired the entirety of the glass animals based on sound. A good change in pace from some of the more boring albums on this list so far. How do I know? Because I added four songs to my liked songs! I am also a big fan of the wild guitar/synth solos, dramatic atmosphere, and general cinematic and epic feel that this album has to it. I'm just a sucker for good story.
not my cup of tea pero aplaudo el laburo detrás + Televators me gustó
no mg
The worst part about this album is that I wanted to like it so badly. It’s a prog-rock experimental concept album with enough breeziness and whimsy that it’s not infiltrated by a pompous state of mind, but evidently takes itself seriously enough to commit to a fully fleshed-out story. I was so excited… and then I was on the fence. The vocals had such a punk-adjacent screechiness that felt very of its time, which got grating by the end; the composition of the songs themselves, however, were ingenious. Sometimes an album can have all the right concepts but fails to entirely hit the mark on the execution, and that’s where this album lands for my personal tastes. I think this is the type of album that needs to be metabolized and analyzed with a fine tooth comb, and I fear this generator just forces you to keep on moving. Clearly boundary pushing stuff—and I’m happy The Mars Volta has continued to make music to this day—but I’ll go against the grain & honor my feelings. Weak three bordering on strong two, but open to changing my mind. STAND-OUT SONG: “Televators” HONORABLE MENTIONS: “Cicatriz Esp”, “Inertiatic Esp”
The Mars Volta sound like you diced up one Tool record, one Rush record, and the Rocky Horror soundtrack and made a dinner size cobb salad out of it. No dressing. Individual bites are kinda good but I'm not going to finish the whole thing.
The raw ingredients are there, but like most prog, it feels overcooked, odd and under-edited. And I really dislike the shouty-anthemic vocals that are such a hallmark of so many bad contemporary pop-rock and emo acts. 2.5 stars.
Man I'm glad I finally listened to this album, now I know I never need to listen to it again. Whatever it was that attracted people to this.... a mystery.... for someone else to solve........
Its been a few days but I remember liking it okay.
4.6 Great album. Always wanted to like the mars Volta due to my love of progressive but never really listened to them. Now with Spotify etc it’s so much easier, rather than having to buy an entire album in the early 2000’s. Apps my be ruining the industry but sure helps with access
#381 I’ve never properly listened to the Mars Volta before, although I had a friend who liked them and I even agreed to go see them with him, but he lost the tickets and so we never went and that’s where my Mars Volta journey ended, until now. Musically this was pretty good but I could take or leave the vocals, to be honest. It possibly didn’t catch me at the right time because much of it passed me by, and it was a bit overlong. Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Listen before you die? 🫳 Fave track(s): Drunkship of Laterns Rating: 6/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ve always meant to listen to The Mars Volta, so I was genuinely looking forward to finally giving De-Loused in the Comatorium a listen today. If you're going to start somewhere, their debut album feels like the obvious place to begin. That said, I went into this knowing it might be a challenge. I’m not really a fan of progressive rock and concept albums tend to leave me cold, and De-Loused in the Comatorium is very much both of those things. It also turned out to be a lot heavier than I was expecting, particularly in the opening few tracks, and I quickly realised this might be a struggle. Musically, there’s no denying the talent on display. The musicianship is excellent and there are moments where the energy and ambition are genuinely impressive. My problem is that I just never connected with it. The lyrics often felt incoherent and, when I could make them out, I struggled to understand the point or the story the album was trying to tell. I think this is one of those records that either completely clicks with you or leaves you standing outside wondering what everyone else is hearing. Unfortunately, I was firmly in the second camp. I can appreciate the creativity and technical ability involved, but it just wasn’t an enjoyable listening experience for me and it’s not something I can see myself returning to. Favourite tracks: “Drunkship of Lanterns” was probably the standout and gave me early Muse vibes in places Least favourite tracks: There were quite a few tracks that felt overlong or unnecessary, with “Televators” in particular doing very little for me Album artwork: I love the album cover — really striking and memorable
well, it's no relationship of command, but it is very good
Meh
Like a phoenix from the ashes of at the drive in
Requires further listening
Un excelente disco de Neo Prog, una locura en armonía y complejidad, largo y épico.
Well, even though I’m pretty late to the party, better late than never. I’ve known about The Mars Volta since this album came out, but back then they were so popular that they were way off my radar, and I had zero desire to listen to them. To me, they were just another sleazy, overrated band. But looking back, my musical interests were in totally different places, so maybe now is the right time to actually sit with their work and appreciate everything they have going on. First off, mixing prog rock with post hardcore is such a unique combination, and they pull it off really well. There’s also this psychedelic edge that really pulls you deep into the music and takes you for a ride. I also picked up on some jazz and Latin influences spread throughout the entire album. And one more thing worth pointing out, the production by Rick Rubin plays a huge role in how the whole thing comes together. It really shapes the presentation of the soundscape and brings out the full complexity of the music.
Like the way a train crash can make you watch, the chaos is so intense and inviting.
Now this is some sick prog rock.
This album sounds like something misunderstood 14 year olds would cling to.
I really enjoy the chaos of this album. I tried to listen to this when I was about 15 but found it impenetrable, partly because it gave me ear fatigue by the end. It maybe still does a little bit but so much now The noisy presentation works well in making the music more chaotic but everything does start to blend together a bit by the end Highlights: Eriatarka, The Apparatus Must Be Unearthed, Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)
Reminds me too much of 30 Seconds to Mars and I know this came first. Could not get on with the vocals.
Na. Hay algunas canciones que están bien, pero no volvería a escuchar el álbum, no es mi tipo y mismo me parece un disco x de una banda x. Da esa sensación.
2026.07.08.
It cannot be that hard to make a good album cover man... wtf is this ??? I dont like the singer voice and its sometime prety prentensious but the songs are still good. Very interesting album. It sounds weird, it rocks, the songs changes all the time. Its one of the best album this book showed me and thats really cool. BUT WHY IS THE COVER SO ASS
Was expecting modern prog. More screaming than prog
I thought this was going to be a really good album, but it kinda let me down after the first two songs.
A bit too much up its ass for my tastes. This is why Pink Floyd mogs these guys: you can create a great progressive rock album with simple lyrics alongside a simple instrumental backbone, and not throw around excessive cryptic and quasi philosophical remarks like these guys. The instrumentals are decent, but some real bad choices bury it into the ground. You don't need a drum fill every minute or so, nor does Cicatriz ESP need a long, almost totally silent, part that kills any enjoyment. Call me old-fashioned I guess...
From the Vault #21 (June 26, 2026) IT'S DARE Here we fucking are! This is the final album on my list which is over an hour in length. It's been an arduous 51 albums, though this review series is finally over, just like my pre-written reviews for all of the hip-hop albums on the list and the albums which were removed from later editions of the book. Unlike the hip-hop and removed album reviews, however, it feels real good to be capping off these hour-longers. I worked my way down the list by order of runtime, starting with the 4-hour slog that was Sings the Gershwin Songbook, meandering through the two-hour DnB offerings, leaping through the hour-thirty live albums and coming to a close with this meagre offering. It's been real satisfying to watch these albums become less burdensome over time, though the hour-tenners were still grueling. I don't know why, but the hour-ten runtime has always frustrated me. I can weather longer and shorter albums, though I always come out fatigued after sitting through an hour-tenner. It's simultaneously a long runtime for an album and a short runtime in comparison to other forms of entertainment. Anyways, the album. When going purely off of the album name I had the impression that this was an edgy, nu metal release, though I'm not so sure now that I'm looking at the cover. I think it's equally likely that this is an unassuming indie rock act or a downtempo, electronic album. I'm leaning more towards electronic, though I'll bust out the coin of indecision to make things more interesting. Heads is indie rock and tails is electronic. Here goes. Tails. I guess the coin has my back. Here goes. Fuck, it's prog rock. This stupid coin could have at least nudged me in the right direction. I oughta melt it down. Anyhoo, I didn't mind this album. The lively vocals are well-suited to this style of music and the instrumentation is solid on the whole. The strong, breakneck power chords keep the album from ever being unengaging and the quieter moments still managed to be engaging thanks to the bassy, reverberating, full sound which lingers in the background. Functionally, this album is perfect relative to what it sets out to do, though I came out of it feeling strangely flat and empty. Honestly, I blame my level of interest in this music and the mastering on the vocals. Some of the vocal effects were solid, though on the whole I thought the singer of this band had an unpleasant, over-produced sheen layered on top of his voice. There also isn't much of consequence going on with this album. The music is chasing a constant high of soaring power chords without anything to really ground it's lofty ambitious or make them land. Overall, I was content with listening to this album, though the experience felt a smidge vacuous. Book time. Has a wide range of influences, notably Fela Kuti and Miles Davis as well as electronic and old school Latin music. A friend of the band, Julio Venegas, injected rat poison into his arm, causing it to wither. He later committed suicide after surviving an overdose-induced coma. I guess that explains where the album name comes from. The book describes this as "...a lucid, Dali-esque blur of an album". Wikipedia says this album is the only one to feature Jeremy Ward, who contributed the effects and mastering of this album. Ward was found dead from a heroin overdose one month before the release of the album. A lot of death and substance abuse surrounding this specific album, huh? Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers contributed some of the bass to this album. One of the co-founders of Hipgnosis created the artwork for this album. Critics were somewhat polarised, though the general reaction to this album was positive. The album only performed modestly on the charts, usually peaking at ~40 in the six countries where it charted. Hmm. Hmmmmmmmm. I was expecting this album to have more going for it, though that doesn't appear to be the case. This kind of indie sound is also in no short supply among the 2000s nominations. I propose that we remove this album. In its place, I humbly submit "Feelin' Kinda Free" by The Drones for inclusion on this list.
One of those enticing listens just off the album cover but super fire
In the big At the Drive-In divorce, I got Sparta's Wiretap Scars while most people got this album. I've probably tried this out a half dozen times since then. What's one more shot among friends? TMV are basically the sliver of the Venn diagram of prog and emo. That's probably a big reason why past listens have been busts. But maybe I’m in a better (or worse?) place now, because those wails of “now I'm lost” as Inertiatic Esp blasts in feel a little more like home. Maybe it's the album title, but this music always feels a little insect-y, a little like if creepy crawlies went steampunk. It's hard to explain why, but that feels right. Maybe it's the sinuous creep of the guitars and the dark corners of the sound palate or maybe it's just that Cedric loves lyrics about exoskeletons and Spanish titles about bringing him to the spiders. Anyway, those are the sonics I am getting most into on giving it a proper focused spin. I'm not getting hung up on the forced clever titles or the shoehorning of words like “autodafé” and instead getting into the fact that this sounds like the music that would spawn from a haunted underground prison. It's paranoid as fuck, haunted as anything, it uses space while also cramming sound into said space (songs both have the tension of a vast cavern and the chaos of bombardment of sound). And the more you give the album room to breathe (or the longer i do at least) the more every instrument, from angular and mathematical guitars to rapid-fire drums to soaring vox, becomes more clear in its skill and begins to construct an ornate cathedral of sound, something byzantine and labyrinthine, perhaps the whole castle and maze of Minos. At this point, even the Very-Longness of the album tracks has become a moot point. I only really feel it on Cicatriz Esp (the clear centerpiece and, to be fair, the longest of the tracks), but that comes largely from the more spare middle. I think this time around I'd be brought around completely if the whole track was equally active. Really surprised, is the point. The only real down point is “This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed,” which is fine but distinctly not up to the rest. Hey, Wiretap Scars has Glasshouse Tarot. Nothing's perfect. Anyway, this could climb from ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ now that it's broken through for me, but that's where it is right now.
Perfect album cover to cover
It's pretentious. It's kinda silly. It's a masterpiece.
Not really my thing but arguably amazing. I was surprised by how much I liked this
De-Loused in the Comatorium is a masterclass in progressive rock, seamlessly blending explosive hooks with brilliant genre-fluidity that flirts with everything from jazz-infused codas to driving samba rhythms and bongo-led dance vibes. Musically, the album is an absolute masterpiece—the recording and mixing are pristine, allowing intricate drum patterns, powerful hooks, and every single instrument to perfectly complement the soaring vocals. While tracks like "Sons et Lumiere" paired with "Inertiatic ESP" deliver non-stop energy and "Cicatrix ESP" shines with its gorgeous jazz outro, a few experimental atmospheric shifts slightly miss the mark, and the lyrics lean heavily into complete nonsense. Ultimately, the abstract lyricism holds it back just enough to keep it from absolute perfection, making it a spectacular 4/5 that stands as an acoustic triumph.
A surprisingly diverse album that often gets shoved into a box labeled "modern prog."
not my style
This has to be one of the most epic and insane debut albums out there and will always be in my top 20 of all time! I'm a huge At The Drive-In fan and was heartbroken when they split. Jim Ward and a few other members went on to form Sparta, which I found to be a solid follow up project to ATDI, but was missing that spastic energy that comes from Omar and Cedric. Cedric and Omar went on to do De Facto, which while isn't bad, just didn't gel with me. Their somewhat experimental but also kinda bland dub style just left everything to be desired. Sparta won the breakup, De Facto would just be some vanity project for the boys and that was it. Or was it? Then, POW! Like a shot in the night, we get hit by The Mars Volta with Deloused in the Comatorium! From the very first seconds, I'm hooked! A beautiful and eerie slow build before it punches you in the face with massive drums and and rhythmic blistering guitars that goes straight into "Inertiatic Esp". And from there, the album never really lets up. It's energetic, chaotic, whimsical and powerful. Even in the more "tame" moments, this record is still everything I was missing post-ATDI. It's all the energy of Relationship To Command, but with the added groovy elements of De Facto and a newly added prog-rock feel. And lets not forget the players on this album as they're arguably some of the best to do it. Of course, you have Cedric's wild vocals and Omar's eclectic guitar, but you also have the one and only Flea on bass, Isaiah Owens on keys, and Jon Theodore on drums (one of my all time favorite drummers). Just wall to wall talent and creativity! An easy 5 stars for me
A good representation of the genre. I enjoyed it
new band for me, lets see! Bit like Rush but not as catchy. Ok though
Close enough, welcome back My Chemical Romance Highlights: Son et Lumiere roulette dares Eriatarka Televators Favorite: Televators
ok yes. I like this a lot. don't even care how long the songs are. and I feel like I would have LOVED this in middle school. (and sorry devon, I didn't fully listen to the lyrics but perhaps on a relisten I will pay more attention)
This was weird and cool and interesting. High school me woulda loved it.
I’m busting fucking everywhere uhhhhh oh my gooooood yesssuhhhhhh give me more of his weird angsty voice and distorted guitars and ten minute songs I need this ughhhhhh inject this into my veins NOOOOOW
I don't remember if I've heard this album before. I've heard the follow-up, Frances the Mute. I was also aware of At The Drive-Inn, which Mars Volta was an off-shoot of that. One Armed Scissors was the song that got me into At The Drive-Inn. I remember it be weird as hell lyrically but mind-blowing musically. How can one forget that lovely, eye-catching title of Deloused At The Comatorium? This is exactly what you would want from a Prog band. Slightly high pitched singer singing a bizarre operatic story of a man in a coma for a while playing brain melting guitars which brings a crazy music atmosphere. It can be dull at times but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I don't really think Prog is liked universally like other genres. I like Prog, so I like this. 3.5
Lite för noisy för en femma men väldigt bra annars
Individually - some really interesting musical elements. Shame that they repeat the same pattern until the last few tracks of the album.
"De-Loused in the Comatorium" is the debut album by the American band The Mars Volta. And what a spectacular debut Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López delivered. Just as the new wave of progressive rock bands were settling comfortably into a quiet niche, The Mars Volta shook up the prog establishment. No one had charged forward in prog so loudly, so drastically, so fast and so garishly for a long time. "De-Loused in the Comatorium" is a single, full-throttle ride through tempo and key changes, unexpected twists and unheard-of sounds, all delivered with a self-assurance and energy that progressive rock had lost since the days of the legendary King Crimson in the 1970s. The band thus shot straight to the top and made it rather difficult for themselves to top their debut. For ten years, the band constantly reinvented itself, until they split up in the early 2010s and took a decade to reunite. As a debut album, "De-Loused in the Comatorium" is certainly one of the best, most radical and most successful prog albums of the 21st century so far.
Exciting, progressive and very different. Rooted in core and emo sounds this album is very well done and enjoyable. Not 100% in my wheel house but not off my radar completely.
Only one song on this album was good. The others had interesting melodies and tempos, but for me, they ultimately fell flat.
Didn't hate it, but a lot of the interest I had in the progressive nature of the album was dated by an early 2000s alternative rock sound. It also felt like it was trying to be pretentious with nothing to show for it... Rating: 4/10 Favorite Song: Son et Lumiere
I enjoyed this more than an the earlier prog I've heard. While it often felt as though they were more interested in showing off than actually having anything worthwhile to communicate, there are lots of moments with more sensitivity and feeling. The musicianship is impressive too.
Prog rock. I like how fast and interesting it was, but a little loud, droney, and whiny. Liked it but wouldn't listen again. 3 stars.
Stable record 3/5
Bit shouty for me, but the bits that weren't shouty were good
They seem to have found their audience over the years and based on at least 3 tracks here, I'm happy that they did, but I'll always wonder what could've been had these two been able to incorporate their ideas into ATDI.
Man, I just cant get into these guys. Ive tried.
Slišala sm že za band, ampak poznam pa absolutno nič. Fun! Zanimiv, ne vem kaj sm pričakovala (I guess indie?), ampak ne to? Je pa a concept album. Sploh nism dojela, kdaj smo šli iz prvega ("Son et Lumière") v drugi komad ("Inertiatic ESP"), tko da, spet mamo lepo prelivanje komadov. "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)" je kinda insane? Vokali me pa ful spomnejo na te razne emo bande of the same time. "Drunkship of Lanterns" je isto kinda insane - in a good way. Edin škoda za ta early 2000s produkcijo. (Rick Rubin!) Zanimiv album. Moram še kdaj ga poslušat, je tak, ki kr zahteva to od poslušalca.
I should really listen to this one
Inertiatic Esp Eriatarka
This was an OK listen but. Nothing particularly of note.
Not At The Drive In, what a shame love the first song all a bit too progy for me.
I used to adore this album, but upon relisten, I'm not sure where I stand. Some fantastic musicianship here, but so many songs devolve into jamming or just noise. Maybe not as fond of it as I once thought I was.
I think I'd seen the name Mars Volta before, but no idea then (or now) what they sounded like, so this was a complete unknown to me today. And what a pleasant surprise to get a bizarre, eclectic and wide-ranging hour of music experimentation. Aside from the frantic "Drunkship of lanterns" and the semi-Incubus-sounding "Eriatarka" and the surprisingly intelligible "Televators", I'm not sure I could isolate any other specific tracks as highlights, but the whole is indeed greater than the parts, despite that--and this is probably the only criticism I might offer up--there's not much delineation between the various parts of this apparently concept album (and semi-biography of an artist friend of the band) of a guy who spends a week in a coma after overdosing on morphine and rat poison (or at least that's what Wikipedia tells me; I doubt even many many repeated plays of this album would ever really make Cedric Bixler-Zavala's lyrics actually intelligible). I've never heard anything by Bixler-Zavala's and Omar Rodríguez-López' previous band At the Drive-In, but almost from the beginning of this album I suspected these guys had hardcore roots but wanted to *really* experiment on this album and with this band. It reminded me of the weird Mike Patton connection between Mr. Bungle and Faith No More, although I guess in reverse. Either way, though, while this album isn't the easiest listen in the world, it's definitely an album I'm grateful to have heard.
genuinely interesting. I can't tell if it's my headphones or the recording but I'm hearing a fuzz I wish wasn't there. I wish I had a better audio setup at the moment.
Very good!
Lowkey good
took me 4 days to go through the full album. i would generally be more enthusiastic with this sort of music, in theory is the sort of music i enjoy, but i really stuggled to get hooked to it, might give it another oportunity later on, but right now is just not my cup of tea.
its a no for me bro.
I know the name and that I've tried them in the past but didn't get into their sound. I have never heard this record. I remember why I never got into them after hearing the first track. I just don't enjoy his whiney voice/pitch or the machine gun staccato of the drums and guitars. It's a mess to listen to ("Roulette Dares") and and not a genre I could sit around and enjoy. This shit makes me anxious and unsettled. This sound died a few years after this release. You don't hear anyone trying to sound like Mars Volta or Coheed & Cambria now do you? Not to mention, do you have ANY idea what he's singing about? Songs titled "Drunkenship of Lanterns", "Eriatarka", "Inertiatic Esp" or "Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt", what the... Hated it, so not enjoyable. Not impressive either, the product might be good but the songs suck ballsack. 1 star for being someone's something, but this band will never grace my speakers again.
3.5 favs: inertiatic esp, roulette dares (the haunt of), televators
040626 18:36 3.5
Like lowkey what am I listening to? Definitely not good but there exists worse music out there 2/5
Early 2000s nonsense
De-Loused in the Comatorium is a bold and exhilarating fusion of progressive rock, post-hardcore, jazz, and psychedelia. The Mars Volta combine virtuosic musicianship with sprawling song structures and intense emotional energy, creating an album that feels both chaotic and meticulously crafted. Dense, ambitious, and rewarding, it's widely regarded as one of the most distinctive rock debuts of the 2000s.
Insufferable
I'm not sure if I love this, or hate it... It's so out there! I've saved it though and I may listen to more TMV... Or I might never listen to them again!
This is a weird one. I love the instrumentals but only sometimes like the vocals. I actually think the vocals at times take away from the actual instruments. But then sometimes I do think they elevate the songs and sync really well. 7/10
Pretty interesting mash-up of genres here. I enjoyed this album even though I'm not really up to speed on prog or alt-rock or post-hardcore or experimental metal or whatever this is. I found the whole thing compelling regardless. A soupçon of psychedelia really ties it all together.
Eh, not the worst thing I've heard on this list but there isn't much to be excited about on this either.
Kinda all over, always good but sometimes more. Not a 5 but something more than a 3 I think
I was definitely impressed, but I didn’t have any fun.
wowza I didn't know Mars sounded so good
Insane prog with the energy of punk music and a hint of latin jazz. I have no idea what a Drunkship Of Lanterns is and I don't care. This shit rules.
01) Son et lumière - 7,0 02) Inertiatic ESP - 7,5 03) Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of) - 7,5 04) Tira me a las arañas - 7,0 05) Drunkship of Lanterns - 7,0 06) Eriatarka - 7,0 07) Cicatriz ESP - 6,0 08) This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed - 7,5 09) Televators - 6,5 10) Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,95 (70/100) Current ranking: 534/927
Nope. I can't.
Had only heard these guys' name mentioned in passing, but this was a pretty cool prog rock album. Going in I was a bit intimidated as I had no clue what to expect, but reading up on the album concept sounded interesting and they do a great job showing early on what this project is all about. I was really surprised by the vocals. He almost sounds like he's an emo vocalist and it really added to my enjoyment of the record. Super cool instrumentals throughout as expected for prog, but its more on the abrasive side at times and sounded really math rocky to me at times. My only real complaint is it does run a bit longer than I'd like. Definitely an album I'll have to sit with and listen to multiples times, but very fun first listen.
Nie celkom pre mňa... Určite sú to zruční muzikanti, ale môj dojem z hudby je 2.
diferente. muito maneiro
Sonically and musically, there is a great deal to admire here. This is an album that is progressive in the traditional sense, yet never forgets how to rock. The immense amount of thought poured into the writing, arrangement, performance, and production is evident throughout. My only niggling issue lies with Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s vocals. Whilst perfectly acceptable during the album’s quieter moments, they wear thin during the high-intensity, dramatic peaks, lacking the necessary timbre and body to match the music. The instrumental passages are frequently thrilling and deeply dynamic; "Drunkship of Lanterns" is a prime example of this duality - musically spectacular, yet vocally intrusive. Four stars. 1 "Son et lumière" (3/5) 2 "Inertiatic ESP" (3/5) 3 "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)" (3/5) 4 "Tira me a las arañas" (instrumental) (4/5) 5 "Drunkship of Lanterns" (4/5) 6 "Eriatarka" (4/5) 7 "Cicatriz ESP" (4/5) 8 "This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed" (3/5) 9 "Televators" (4/5) 10 "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" (4/5) Total - 36 Average - 3.6 335/1001 182/335 albums reviewed were new to me.
I really enjoy this. I hear lots of different things happening in every song. I had heard of The Mars Volta (and At the Drive-In) and had even listened to a little before, but not paying quite as much attention as I did this time.
An absolute core album from my early 20s, and still holds up. A brilliant combination of prog virtuosity and flawless melodies. Should be up there with OK Computer and DSOTM in terms of public opinion. Straight 5.
Virkelig interessant conceptalbum! Jeg har hørt de første tre sange en del gange før, men har haft svært ved at høre hele albummet. Jeg har kunnet mærke at dette også har været tilfældet i denne omgang. Albummet er ret langt på 1 time og 7 minutter og jeg kan mærke at især de lange instrumentalstykker får mig til at zone ud og blive uopmærksom. Så kan næsten intet huske af sidste halvdel af albummet. De tre første sange derimod er absolutte bangers. Måske albummet kan overvinde mig mere med tiden som en helhed, men det bliver lidt ensartet i længden.
I feel like i shouldnt like this but it’s somehow well done enough that i do. Which is a super backhanded compliment but 5 stars for surprising me
I don t want to seep
If you like The Mars Volta, this is them at the top of their game. It’s a total powerhouse of electricity exploding out of the seams. It’s a no skip album, and instrumentally this album is just so creative while always feeling vast and epic in scale. Genuinely this is probably my favorite album of theirs.
Music that is just complex wankery, nonsensical lyrics and song titles. All calculated to irritate as much as possible, and in that way I suppose this album is a triumph. The line "Expect to find music that is written for the sake of music, that breaks boundaries, that forces the listener to think and experience concepts outside of the easy boundaries of culture and social norms that are forced on us by the media." from the top-rated review on here is exactly the kind of chin-stroking smug take I would expect from a fan of this album. I can and do listen to music that does this, but, importantly, it is music that also doesn't suck ass.
Générique d’animé type shit
Well I have heard it now. No idea why, but have done. Spoiled my commute. Torture. Look at the key words on the review page and wonder if I listened to the wrong thing? But seems not. I have nothing positive to say. A sort of emo metal prog, but even worst than that sounds. The worst aspects of each; emo melodrama and self-destruct stereotypes, metals excessive sonic density creating sound fatigue minutes in and progs excessive self indulgence. Read later it's a concept too, and a pretty shitty one at that which glad didn't pick up on while listening, art work too is in keeping with the crappyness of the thing. would score it zero if I Could, so 1 Star
Proghardhorerockpunkmetal. Niet echt mijn genre, maar ik ga er wel weer redelijk bleu in. Ken deze band niet, en wat ik lees is een van de 'belangrijkere' dingen dat Flea van de Peppers hierop heeft meegespeeld. Nummers zijn langgerekt en kunnen daardoor beetje verzanden in gepriegel zonder eind. Das beetje jammer, maar wat ik daarvoor hoor klinkt vaak best goed. De zang is.. prima, niet heel bijzonder, muzikaal zit het strak in elkaar. Neem Cicatriz Esp, heel vet nummer, maar dan duurt het daarna nog 8(!!!!) minuten, voordat het daadwerkelijk voorbij is... Dat is inherent aan progrock, dat weet ik, maar wel een beetje mn issue met dit genre, niet elk nummer of elk idee is dermate goed dat het gerekt moet worden naar de magische 10 minuten. Dan gaat het na een tijdje gewoon te veel als een jamsessie klinken naar mijn mening. FAVO: Drunkship of lanterns, This apparatus must be unearthed(ben er nog niet uit of ik de outro heel vet of heel kut vind...)
Day 45 — The Mars Volta — De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003) Listened: May 19–23, 2026 Genre: Progressive Rock / Post-Hardcore / Psychedelic Rock Vibe: Overwhelming and disorienting by design — a concept album about a coma that sounds like one, dense and hallucinatory with Flea's bass anchoring the chaos underneath. Highlights: • Inertiatic Esp • Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of) • Drunkship of Lanterns • Eriatarka ★ Cicatriz Esp • This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed • Televators • Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt Impression: Grew on me significantly more than expected. Once I understood the concept — a man's journey through a coma — and started listening for Flea's bass, it clicked. Not traditional music I'm used to but the musicianship is undeniable and each listen revealed more. Last listen added the most favorites. Art that rewards patience. Rating: 2.9/5 Keep songs? Yes Revisit album? Yes
Prog is still a thing? In the 21st Century?? Not in my world!
Fairly certain this is the result of mixing prog rock, showtimes and heavy drugs. Yeah … that’s a very generous 2 stars
Dig it. Never listed to Mars Volta. Really liked this one out of the gate. Kind wore on me a bit, the vocals can be too theatrical. Drumming is amazing, the range of sounds is amazing. All in all an interesting listen; can see this one growing on me.
I liked this more than I thought I would. A bit too frenetic at times, but it's still pretty good. Televators was the highlight for me.
En Apple Music no está, si apetece escuchalo
I thought some of this was interesting, thought it takes a while for most of the songs to get going. I continue to just not be a prog rock guy.
Temp
Originally this was just a 4-star album I remembered enjoying in my 20's. Then, I couldn't stop listening to it.....over and over and over again! Beautiful, jagged, busy and intricate songs throughout the entire record. I am 1/3 done with the list at this point and this album might be my favorite so far.
37/1089 De-Loused in the Comatorium by The Mars Volta For some reason I never really dived into The Mars Volta, even though several good friends of mine absolutely love them. I’m not sure why, because every time I’ve heard something from them, I’ve enjoyed it. This is a fantastic prog rock album. It’s chaotic, wild, energetic, and somehow still manages to hold everything together. There’s always something happening. The tempo changes, the strange transitions, the sheer amount of ideas packed into every song—it never feels boring. What impressed me most is that despite all the chaos, it’s still fun. Sometimes prog rock can disappear up its own ass, but this album feels alive and exciting. I definitely need to spend more time with it. This feels like one of those records where every listen reveals something new. Wine pairing? A funky orange wine that probably shouldn't work but somehow does. The kind of bottle that starts arguments at the table. Food pairing? Korean BBQ. Loud, messy, full of flavours, and way more complex than it first appears. Vinyl? Don’t own it, but honestly I might want this one. Favourite song? “Televators”. First listen? Yes. Overall 4 out of 5.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA this reminds me of all the reasons i've ever loved The Fall of Troy!!!! i usually fucking hate prog albums (drawn out with barely a justification for it most times, pretentious, anti-art and anti-fun; give me a tighly packed song with a runtime of 1:20 or give me DEATH), BUT THIS FEELS MORE LIKE A POST-HARDCORE ALBUM THAN ANYTHING ELSE AND I'M SO HERE FOR IT melodic, fierce, ready to surprise and overwhelm while not allowing a note scatter out of place (+ high-pitched male vocals are my weakness, especially in extreme genres) besides, they seem to be roughly the same folks that formed At The Drive-In, whom i also love, SOOOO THAT'S A WIN IN MY BOOK
Alright, general rock.
This was a very solid album. I had a lot of fun listening to it, and I don't think there were any bad songs. 5/5 really enjoyable
I remember listening to this album with a friend on a holiday in the autumn of 2007. A classic set-up with one ear piece each while waiting in a train station to go somewhere. There were a couple of songs that became earworms, but it made little impression as I haven't listened to it in the intervening 19 years. Now I wonder if that was a mistake. The music is much more like the material I listen to these days (energetic, complex guitar music). I would like to listen to it more as I think there is more to get from it.
What a pleasant surprise for this to be on the list! One of my favorite prog rock albums that absolutely fucks. Pretentious? Maybe, but this and Frances the Mute are good enough to where it works.
Inglaterra
There are not enough prog rock bands on this list, so I was surprised to see The Mars Volta here. "Eriatarka" and "Drunkship of Lanterns" are great tracks - multi-layered, with stunning musicianship and interesting effects.
I know the band by name only. If i’m in the mood for math rock type prog rockish music i’d happily listen to this again. A very guitar driven album though the drumming is superb.
I can see it is well produced and intense. But I found it soulless. Fav. Track: This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed
I don't relate to this musical approach. The performances are obviously impressive (R.I.P. Ikey Owens, hell of a keyboardist), and there are certainly some passages that I dig, but it doesn't register with me whatsoever on a primal or emotional level. Also, I'm sure that Cedric Bixler-Zavala is a very nice person, but his vocals are very much a non-starter. 2/5
gustó
I like the album cover very pierce the veil vibes
Might be my favorite album cover
too advanced for me
vokali pek beğenemedim ama o soundlar neydi ya
AAAAAAAAAAAAAA
One of the greatest moments in time. This album is a powerhouse with everyone who worked on it. Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s voice takes you through a journey as you submerge into the story telling so heavy in loss. Omar Rodríguez-López is one of the greatest guitar players of all time and with his fingerprints all over this album you feel every haunting moment to every chaotic run through tone and rhythm.
Amazing storytelling interesting album, like it
This album genuinely confounded me. It's so interesting to listen to, but I also don't like it that much -- I am by no means a prog-rock guy, and I'm not too keen on the vocals. But goddamn, it hooked me, it's so offbeat and schizo. I'm giving it a 3 star rating because of my head, but it's a 5 star in my heart.
It was just ok. Probably would never come back to it. 2.5/5
Progressive Post-Dictionarywave They could form a whole subfield of philosophy dedicated to debating what these lyrics mean which is awesome
uuhuh
Du rock
Franchement, belle surprise ! C’était sympa ! Un peu math rock, jazz fusion, progressif, expérimental.. ça doit être top en concert ! Ça joue vraiment bien Je mets 5 car ça sort du lot
Plus sympa que ce que je que je m'attendais mais pas révolutionnaire
4/10 - a bit too hard rock for me but objectively it is decent
This is a great album. It’s full of energy, fun guitar riffs, a madman on the drums, and lyrics that feel completely unhinged, at least the ones you can make out. It’s far from perfect, but it’s an incredibly fun listen from start to finish.
This definitely sounds like the feeling of going into a coma because of rat poison and morphine.
Once again, I will never tell people that I like all forms of music.
This was amazing! I had heard of Mars Volta before, but I don't think I'd ever heard any of their music. I didn't really know what to expect, but I absolutely loved (almost) every second of this album. I got shades of Tool and a few other prog stuff, but the sound was so tight and just perfectly written and performed. There were a couple moments of non-musical noise that I could have done without, but overall it was totally worth getting the rest of the album. I listened to it three times and almost went for a fourth. Five stars, easily.
Such a wild ride
Just an absolutely insane album. The drumming is insane, the vocals are insane, the guitar shredding... also insane. Prog music for Fugazi fans 4⭐️
Good but to repetitive for what it is
I had heard "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)" on a free CD that came with Q magazine back in 2003, giving samples of what their writers deemed the best albums of that year. I’d never heard of The Mars Volta, and while on the surface, their music didn't align with my usual taste, I have to admit, I found myself listening to that track on repeat quite a bit. There was something quite unique and different about it. From the frantic opening drumming and guitar riffs that slap you in the face, to the quiet respite of the verses, to the moments of dissonant distortion that punctuate the song, to the triumphant choruses and the avant-garde freeform guitar breaks, it’s a head-swirling fever dream of a song that is irreverent to conventional structure. But I never got around to taking the time to sit down and listen to the full album it came from. So finally, here we go. Today was when I found out that Flea was playing on this album. Besides the fact that he’s possibly the best bass player in the world (that’s currently making music at least), he always tends to gravitate towards interesting music that’s worth paying attention to (I’m alluding to his work with Thom Yorke over the years especially). The Mars Volta aren’t afraid of space. Songs take as long as they need to, at times spanning over 12 minutes in duration, often expanding to soundscapes that create atmosphere rather than melody. And for all the deviation from traditional structure, it feels loose, but never too difficult. It’s weirdly easy to listen to, for such an out-there album. While it’s not my usual taste in music, and I did find the vocals a particular challenge to get past, I did enjoy it. There's so much going on throughout the entire album, it makes for an interesting listening experience. “Roulette” is still my favourite, and definitely the standout track. It only took me 23 years to get around to hearing the rest of the album. 3.5 stars
I like ORL, but hadn't really listened to this band. I prefer his solo stuff, but this wasn't bad.
The instrumental was alright. Clearly there is talent here. But this record is not essential and I hope I never have to hear any of this ever again. Too far up its own ass to be anything but boring.
Zuhause, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Stark angefangen & sehr stark nachgelassen.
5.5/10
I prefer At The Drive In
Notable Textzeile: Just like everyone else, I'll forget you Is there anybody around, I'll forget you Just like anyone Just because, just because, just because Es gibt einzelne Parts in einzelnen Songs, die ich richtig großartig finde, wenn das Orchestrale zusammenfindet, Gesang, Riffs, die Drums (sind oft fucking großartig). Aber es gibt viel mehr das mich nervt. Die absichtlich exaltierten Songstrukturen, bei denen man nie weiß ob das jetzt vorbei ist, wieder losgeht oder schon der übernächste Song ist. Genauso wie die kryptischen Songtexte und der ganze Vibe. Aber für die einzelnen Momente gibt es eine 2,5 wird zu
Rick Rubin again, wenn auch völlig anders. Fantastische live band, irre Intensität, aber auf Platte finde ich das schwierig durchzuhalten. Im Gegensatz zu ganz viel Prog finde ich das hier aber nicht nervig, sondern unendlich groß, ich halt nur zu klein dafür. Ein besserer Mensch würde dem 5 geben.
Ich verstehe warums in der Liste ist. Ich habe keine Geduld für 12-Minuten-Songs. Ich würde das gerne mal live sehen. Aber nicht als Album hören.
Not bad.
Interesting. Kind of like a modern version of Rush, mixed with Coheed and Cambria. I liked it.
Had no idea what to expect, but it wasn’t that. I don’t hate it. But it seems like something that needs a lot of listens to set in properly. 2.95
Never heard of this group but not bad.
I rather liked this musical menagerie. It was frantic, colliding into itself with a varied tapestry of sound. I'm not sure I've heard of this group, but my millenial temporal lobe is primed for them. (Definitely not good background music for a quiet dinner party)
Very annoying
O sea... me gustó bastante más de lo que esperaba.
Each song contains 3-6 songs, some great, some okay.
7/10. It’s intense, chaotic, and super experimental… you can tell how talented they are. There’s a lot going on, and when it clicks, it really hits. But it can also feel a bit too much at times. I respect it more than I fully enjoy it… still, it has some really strong moments.
I love when I band that I have no familiarity with pops up with an album that just clicks for me. This one was great.
I guess i’d heard this record in passing before? A handful of these tracks were pretty familiar to me! ANYWAY, WHAT A WONDERFUL TIME. Maybe i’m just a 34-year-old white male music nerd but this HITS. ADD ANOTHER 5 TO THE LIST.
One of Storm’s worst covers, and one of his last. Appropriate perhaps? Cover art aside this was fkn amazing.
Trodde jag aktivt ogillade det här bandet, men det här var ju helt ok!
Tidvis nästan lite för kaosigt, men ändå ett riktigt bra och eget sound.
Konstigt men fullt av energi, strålande sång, och sjukt välgjorda låtar!
Lyckades hålla sig intressant trots långa låtar och kanske brist på "hits".
Oh absolutely not
Nuevo, more-interesting, prog.
Was off to a great start but got very same-ish and tiring by song 3. Can't stand the vocals on this, the singer sounds like your average emo band vocalist in the worst way possible. He actively ruins all of the songs. And the songs become very repetitive and noisy the longer the album runs. While I usually don't mind this and can be a big fan when executed right, it just doesn't work in this case.
2000s alt-rock. Fast guitar riffs. Slightly weird, haunting soundscapes. Creative, theatrical, sometimes unsettling.
Favorite Track: Inertiatic Esp
Pretty cool at times, but the whole overly dramatic verses do get tiresome.
6/10
Enjoyed this one a lot, incredible drums and very interesting math rock
Uno de los mejores discos de prog rock de este milenio
Woah is this guy an alien?
Inertiatic Esp e The Apparatus Must Be Unearthed due pezzoni incredibili, le canzoni dell'album sono carine, forse un po monotone e alcune si assomigliano, ma di certo non mi ha annoiato. Come un infinito lamento di strazio.
Prog rock al massimo
I enjoyed this but I got lost in the tracks a bit, a little too similar track to track. Some zep meets pop punk sorta sensibilities with great musicianship. 4
It was okay, not the easiest album. Cant get on with modern prog always feels too erratic. Didn't make me want to turn if off but I'll also never listen again.
How have I never hear of this? I reckon I wasn't around "prog rock" in 2003. Interesting and I dig it. Might be the first 5 (day 284) on the list that I’d never heard before. Solid 4.
I liked this more than I expected to. But it started to wear on me by the end.
prog rock from the 2000s, good find. Favorite track: Inertiatic ESP other picks: Eriatarka, Televators
I binged this album (and the 2 follow ups) a ton when it came out and then didn't come back to the Mars Volta for a long time. I was young then and it blew my mind — the crazy guitar riffs and unhinged lyrics. Coming back to it now after having heard a lot more different kinds of music, I hear the jazz fusion in it, the inventive shifts in time signatures and punk rock influence. It's the ultimate maximalist album. There is so much going on, and there's something new every time you come back to it. To me right now it feels like sensory overload. But that's part of what's great about it. It really works.
6/10
Absolute nonsense
Is this a joke?
Awful
Sounds a bit like Led Zeppelin they said. My arse. 1*
Not the most memorable album I have listen to so far, but it was still a nice discovery.
No
This should be right up my alley. I dig more than my fair share of prog rock. The band members share many of the same influences as I do, and I recognize the inherent technical virtuoso skill (at least for the instrumentalists), but I'm not really feeling a vibe that is greater than the sum of its parts here. The drummer is technically precise, even if a bit heavy handed, but I would prefer bit wider dynamic control to give the story of the songs more nuance, something to keep the ears interested, and when the songs move into the power grooves to really let those bits shine. I love the latin influences, but I feel like their groove got lost a bit by being too busy and would have benefited from a slight opening up of the drum arrangements a bit more to let those grooves truly breathe. The narrative frame of the album is a classic prog rock setup, but I don't think you'd ever figure it out without reading press clips from the band. The lyrics are gibberish and they are performed and mixed nearly incomprehensible to the human ear. Also, not a fan of Cedric Bixler-Zavala's singing style. It sounds like an a combination of an uninspired version of Maynard James Keenan without any of his ability to shape the vocal performance and your typical mundane emo punk from the 2000s. I think I would enjoy his vocals more if he worked on his diction, with regards to clarity and space. His vocals, like Jon Theodore's drumming on this album, could also use some exploration of the dynamics between mezzo piano and forte. I do give them props for taking the creative risks that they did with this effort. Most bearable: "Drunkship of Lanterns" and "Cicatriz ESP" I am reminded of Dream Theater, which also has all the right components as well, but ends up only working for me on "Pull Me Under". I saw someone on here declare that this was the best prog rock album of the 21st Century. I don't quite think so. I think there are plenty of prog rock albums from artists like Rush and Tool among others that are just as or more deserving of that honor. One of the reasons that I came to this conclusion was after I saw the list of guest contributors. It appears that the best parts of this album were by the contributors (at least on the bass and guitar side) more than the band itself. I don't feel like I can rank it higher than a 3, for the creative risks and the solid engineering and production by Rick Rubin and his peeps.
00’s Prog Rock ⭐️Cicatriz Esp
A very good album.
Musically quite strong but vocally bad. Vocals ruined it for me and the guitar playing is deliberately sloppy. A lot of energy in this album. 3/5
Drums! I personally don’t listen to a lot of prog rock but enjoyed this album and may explore more of The Mars Volta in the future (added one song to Random Songs in my Head playlist on Spotify)! I like that the album is based on a short story written by the lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala!