Deloused in the Comatorium

Trodde jag aktivt ogillade det här bandet, men det här var ju helt ok!

Lyckades hålla sig intressant trots långa låtar och kanske brist på "hits".

2000s alt-rock. Fast guitar riffs. Slightly weird, haunting soundscapes. Creative, theatrical, sometimes unsettling.

Pretty cool at times, but the whole overly dramatic verses do get tiresome.

6/10

Prog rock al massimo

I liked this more than I expected to. But it started to wear on me by the end.

6/10

Not the most memorable album I have listen to so far, but it was still a nice discovery.

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.

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

Cool prog rock vibe but not as memorable as other albums. Good example of this era and genre, but it's not my era and genre.

Dimly aware of the band (or at least, the name), this passed me by when it came out, which is unusual because it came out around my paying-attention-to-new-music peak. The music put me in mind of a cross between My Chemical Romance and, in places, Bloc Party. I quite liked it, although several of the tracks were a length I'd consider over-indulgent. I also found the tone a desperate tone a bit wearing after a while (is this emo?). Would happily listen to a track or two of this among a selection, but not sure I'd listen to the whole album end-to-end again.

I enjoyed the music a decent amount, but struggled with the vocals.

Fine. I prefer less rawk in my prog.

Ok but too prog for me.

Correcto

Odd, progressive rock that is soothing at times. Can definitely feel the Pink Floyd and Tool vibes. Top tracks: "Inertiatic ESP," "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt," "This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed"

Pretty good, but could be shorter. Definitely one of the better 21st century prog rock albums. Crazy cover by the way.

Wtf?! + 1 star for concept, + 1 for drums, + 1 for all other instrumentation, -1 for incomprehensible lyrics delivered via annoying voice. Wtf?!

Loucura, parece uma banda que o Gus iria num show em São Paulo numa terça feira. Álbum experimental com uns sons da hora, foi outro que fiquei curioso de pesquisar, apesar de nenhuma música chamar atenção. A obra como todo parece ser divertido de sentar num sofá, colocar o som e comer uma berga.

Better than I expected

I did listen to this perhaps in about march or maybe April and like I did think that it was a. good album a bit mental I think it had good sonics in my headphones rather maximalist perhaps a bit busy but it did it pretty well. yup. don't particularly want to relisten to it but it certainly wasn't a poor quality album. yuuuup. God apparently this was from May 2024. that can't be true. I probably listened to it after that. I can distinctly remember where I was when I listened to this. so theres no way it was a year and ten months ago. theres no way I was 19. I probably returned to this page at some point in the meantime and didn't reactivate the page.

3/5 - Word Salad: The Musical. The modern prog rock here is alright, but the lyrics are like actual output of and infinite monkey theorem experiment.

Fun record. I’m not sure how I missed them before.

I know I should like this, but I just can't. I mean it's fine. But it feels so incredibly extra. I just want to rock.

The histrionic singing and the drummer being in a constant state of soloing are not really my thing. This is the same reason I'm not into Yes or Rush. I do get the quality here though for people that are into prog rock.

Trying a bit too hard with this album, appreciate the arrangement and the band are super tight but feels like its lacking any soul.....

Not really my type of music but if it was it would be quite a cracking album! Reminded me a bit of Rush. 3 for the bands talent

Interesting music. Not bad.

listened to this a while ago some songs are really cool but only a few the vocals kinda dont fit this sometimes imo

I enjoyed it plenty. It was some nice prog rock. I don't have much else to say about it.

3/5 It was so nice honestly, but the gibberish turned me off from it a bit.

good

Honestly enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Surprised it came out in 2003. Could get into this and vibe to it while listening. Like a 3.5

Not my prefered style of prog, but it has its moments. 3.5 stars

"No es lo mio" as they say in Spanish... Do they actually say that? Can't be sure, but it means "not my thing" and the band members are out of El Paso, so I figured why not? Prog Rock is the Not My Thing part, but I can appreciate musicianship. Couldn't focus on the lyrics, I think some in English and some in Spanish. But apparently their live shows are something to see, which I could easily believe. So while the genre ain't my jam, talent comes through. Probably closer to 2 1/2 stars, but 3 for these guys.

Kind of emo. I did find moments in the songs that I genuinely liked, but then I listened to the vocals and immediately hated it. I don't know about this album, I don't want to say I liked it and I don't really dislike it.

I loved the first few songs and then it went downhill from there.

rock music

Not my favorite. Teetering at a 2.5 but I’ll round up because it reminds me of My Chemical Romance.

Good record never left me bored, but nothing that sweeped me off my feet. But I can picture liking it more as time goes on

Thought this was a woman singing at first.

loved the drums, loved the bass, the instumentation in this album slaps. the only problem is i don't want to listen to this album anymore. once was enough. that does not slap.

Ok, there is a place and time for this. I did not hate it; kinda like it. Three stars

The instrumentation and compositions work for me. Sounds good for 2003. The vocals and lyrical content not so much. Especially liked the instrumental stretch of Cicatriz ESP.

3.5 rounded down. I like this type of music, it feels like middle school, but this album didn’t stand out.

Haven't listened to it enough yet but pretty fun, different rock for sure?

I've given Mars Volta a few tries over the years and they just don't grab me. In the moment, I like it a lot. When it's done I forget that it existed. This album had a lot of good noise nuances but really all the songs just ran together for me.

Alright alt rock. Not quite for me, but I think I can understand the appeal. Except for the 12 minute song that utilized water dripping noise halfway through, as if people left mid recording, mic left on captured a drip and some ambiance, then band came back and just picked up where they left off

Not my thing. Unique. interesting. technically brilliant. Completely deserving of being on the list. Just not for me personally. Scoring on the basis that I found it interesting to listen to and am glad I’ve heard it. Even though I probably won’t come back.

The quick shifts in style, timing and urgent screams probably aren’t for me on balance. It deliberately loses coherence and creates a feeling of unease. This maximalist approach deliberately puts you in the mindset of a person struggling [in this instance from substance abuse]. There is a very real humanity to this album, and my overwhelming feeling is to feel sorrow for its subject. Raw and experimental

I’ve had a weird journey with this record. I’ve listened to it twice, four months apart. The first time I loved the instrumentals but couldn’t get on board with the dramatic, world ending vocals, which sounded very cheesy to my ears. On my second listen however it was like I was listening to a completely different vocalist. He’s still a strong flavour but seems more in keeping with the band somehow. Maybe someone has meddled with the masters or maybe tastes change with continued exposure. Either way, what I definitely like is the chaotic, unpredictable post-hardcore elements and how they regularly, fluidly fold into ambient passages. Vocally, depending on the day, I find it far more or less challenging but there are points that now I’m acclimated I “get” and bits that I don’t.

Prog rock wank.

Confused by my reaction to this album. I like the voices but not so much the seemingly nonsensical lyrics. I love the instrumentation overall, the harsh to soft transitions make the songs interesting; good use of guitars and drums, but too much use of synth..... Some of the electro pop is too too too much. Best line "Its musk was fecal in origin" I don't need to listen to this again, but it is an interesting experiment is whatever they were trying to prove. ⭐⭐⭐

I'm not into prog rock, but a college friend introduced me to Coheed and Cambria back in the aughts. This sounds a lot like them. It's weird, but it does rock. I dislike the cover and title, though...

3.5 stars

45min of Mosh pit antics - Skunk Anansie meets Ash. Some scifi themes.

Muse-core!

De-Loused in the Comatorium is an album that comes at you at full speed and never really eases off. It is frantic, maximalist, and deliberately overwhelming, packed with complex rhythms, sudden shifts, and a sense of barely controlled chaos. At its best, that intensity is exciting and impressive. At its worst, it feels exhausting, like being trapped in someone else’s fever dream without a clear way out. There is no denying the musicianship. The playing is sharp, inventive, and fearless, and the band clearly thrives on pushing ideas to their limits. But for me, the album often feels more focused on momentum than meaning. Songs stretch and contort, constantly escalating without giving much space to breathe or reflect, and after a while the constant barrage starts to blur together rather than build. What initially feels thrilling can turn into sensory overload. By the end, De-Loused in the Comatorium leaves me respecting the ambition more than enjoying the journey. There are moments of real power and imagination, but they are buried in a density that makes repeat listens feel like work rather than reward.

Weird and not for me, but it's not annoying to listen.

A bit more emo than I was expecting but I liked it didn't love it 3.5*

Achei bem similar com At the drive in, só que mais alternas. Vi que tem o mesmo vocalista e guitarrista.

New to me, but very similar in style to Tool. I like it.

would have rather listened to Relationship of Command but here we are. last two tracks were my favorites. 3.5 shout out to my freshman year situationship's dorm roommate who picked the other side in the At The Drive-In divorce and was a sticker-carrying member of the Sparta street team. i'm sure if i spent enough time in the art buildings on campus, even 24 year later, i could find one of those stickers.

Sounded fine, everything went on too long.

Mistenke at da kan bli litt slitsomt i lengden, men enn så lenge va da bra

Nice

3.0

On paper I should like this album more, but it has never clicked with me. There are definitely some interesting moments but something about the overall mix doesn’t vibe with me.

Weird and kinda experimental but still managed to have melodies to bop your head along too. I kinda sighed it.

A loud, melodic rock record with some wailing vocals. For me, somewhere between Metallica and Led Zeppelin? Some great song titles as well. Overall, enjoyed it Highlights: "Son Et Lumiere" and "Eriatarka"

Only heard their name in passing, can't remember whether in a positive or negative context. This is perfectly fine upbeat pop-rock, I probably would've been really into this if I heard it at age 14 but I never had an emo rock phase.

Two good songs. I am going to be generous

More interesting than most rock, but I didn't feel like it

I greatly appreciate the Mars Volta. Deloused is my favorite Volta record. But this record still seems out of reach to me, and I've listened to it since it came out.

I had listened to this album before based on recommendations on Reddit. It is strange in a good way.

fun! very 2000s but definitely not slop!

It's weird. Here is an album, and more broadly, a band, that I appreciate but have never quite connected with. A blast from the past, I suppose, it's good but with fresh ears it often feels enigmatic and drawn out for the sake of it while lacking the substance that it needs and deserves. Really, for me personally, is recognizing the eventual metamorphosis of the Mars Volta from the chaotic ATDI live performances. I don't know, maybe this band needs a little deep dive from me but I think it might overwhelm me.

7(sin acabar)

It was good, i think i would listen to it once in a while

Super out there, in terms of both the lyrics and concept itself. It's admittedly a tad strange to be listening to prog rock that was recorded after the millennium, but this isn't really the psychedelia sound that one would expect. This is more of a modern rock sound, with all sorts of influences ranging from punk rock, blues, and Latin. I mean, the lead singer himself sounds like he could front My Chemical Romance. Interesting listen, if not a little pretentious.

Well, this only means I will officially declare this list bullshit if Relationship of Command is omitted.

I have heard of The Mars Volta before but did not know any of their music and probably get them confused with Jared Leto's band. The Mars Volta sounds like if Muse focused a lot more on becoming experts of their instruments, went complete prog-rock and wrote fairly incomprehensible lyrics. There are really 8 songs on this album, as two of the songs are very brief. These 8 songs are not brief with one track coming in at over 12 minutes and three other songs exceeded 7 minutes. So, this is true prog-rock for the modern age. I do not know if I would make it a point to listen to this one again and as far as prog-rock goes I think I prefer King Crimson, but it is nice to have a modern(ish) prog-rock album in this book. Inertiatic Erp Drunkenship of Lanterns This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed Televators

Pretty good rock album for its period. To be fair that’s damning with faint praise since it was a bad time for American rock and Mars Volta made an album that survived all that and is still quite good. It’s not At The Drive In, however.

Suck it! Stuart.

Really good, I enjoyed it. Not really my style, but kept me interested throughout.

A bit intense to listen to (esp on headphones) but the concept and music is coherently unique! The lyrics are wild though. Tracks to Track: Ineriartic Esp

Way better than expected

This should be better and more interesting than it is. The album feels over produced and polished with only moments of resonance. It feels kind of like a film that critics mistake confusion for art.

Wut is that album cover?! This is so weird and I don’t know what I hate the most and what I like the most. This album with a bunch of long ass songs and 1 hr! It’s a lot! Also all there other album covers are so much nicer, Frances the mute is like a beautiful reinterpretation of a Rene Magritte painting, it’s just this one I absolutely hate!

Better than a lot of the other 2000s prog rock but still not amazing

maybe not my cup of tea. yet. i still really enjoy it (for short periods of time) prolly gonna give this a 3.5 cuz i really do see myself enjoying this in the future

First listen and I liked this better than I thought I would. It doesn’t seem to be overly pretentious despite the title and the cover. There are couple of bits that distinguish it from other rock band around at the time, but I played it twice though and both times it blended so far into the background I didn’t notice it had stopped playing.

This album was ok. Not a huge mars Volta fan. I like the noise aspect of it, but not something I really have gotten into in the past.

Day692 - this album has a lot of potential. the concept is cool. i would give the songs better names and i would tone down the sound effect guy

Taken piecemeal this sucks. There is no cohesion and the singer is annoying. But when you listen to it as an album (as it was intended to be listened to) it’s a great experience. I won’t listen to this album again. It sounds like Pink Floyd with a mid 2000s borderline emo-rock singer. However, I wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to see this band live. But that’s just my opinion, man.

Prog rock, Yes influence

Inertiatic ESP

Started off liking it, thought it was like if Thursday met Muse and had a kid but they divorced and the kid favored Muse. These songs are very long and I am very tired. 3/5

Decent record that felt more alternative to me than prog-rock. Bonus points to this one because it featured a lot of elements that I wasn't widely hearing until the later 2000's.

Don't think we've had anything quite like this... feels like a mix between emo and metal somehow? Makes me think of Coheed and Cambria. Quite a fun record, but not completely my taste. There wasn't anything particularly bad in this record. I enjoyed most songs for what it was, but nothing I'd put on really. Solid 3.

Love me some melodic emo

Never was a huge At the Drive-in fan, but it is good shit overall.

„De-Loused in the Comatorium“ (2003) ist das Debütalbum der US-amerikanischen Band The Mars Volta. Aufgenommen wurde das Konzeptalbum 2002–2003 vornehmlich im The Mansion in Los Angeles; ergänzende Arbeiten fanden in den Cello Studios statt. Produzent war Rick Rubin, die musikalische Leitung lag bei Omar Rodríguez-López. Musikalisch arbeitet das Album an der Schnittstelle von Progressive Rock, Art-Rock und einem experimentellen Post-Hardcore; prägend sind dichte Arrangements, komplexe Rhythmen und ausgedehnte, oft disharmonische Instrumentalpassagen. Textlich erzählt das Werk in surrealen Bildern die Geschichte von Cerpin Taxt, einer Figur, die nach einer Überdosis ins Koma fällt und sich mit Erinnerung und Tod auseinandersetzt. Besonders bekannte Stücke sind „Inertiatic ESP“, „Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)“ und „Cicatriz ESP“. Knappe Bewertung: Ein ambitioniertes, stellenweise sperriges Debüt, das handwerklich überzeugt und klar erkennbare musikalische Absichten verfolgt.

Plain cool listen.

i kinda like it it's like a clean mess isk how to explain it

Nice, would be 3.5/4, but solid 3 will suffice

OK, this was just really weird. While there were elements I found somewhat enjoyable or cool, the overall package just kind of didn't work for me. Some have commented on not liking the lead singer's voice – I actually found it worked. I like the concept. I don't think this is one. I will rush to listen to and it's entirety again if ever. These guys were clearly influenced by prog rock bands that came before them and I can't help but thinking that Twenty One Pilots probably love these guys - while not prog rock themselves, they definitely enjoy similar stylings, the concept album, etc.

3.25

Cool le son

Wasn’t expecting much but I didn’t mind this.

Note to self don't take morphine and rat poisoning. 7/10 fun concept album but just not my favorite type of music. I can see why one would like this album though

Yeah, ok album. I think this might have hit more if I was in the mood that day. There were some ideas for songs I liked on here, like Drunkship of Lanterns.

Interesting, gets better as it goes on. Enjoyed my first listening

Ok, but not my bag. Props for being interesting and unique. 3.5/5

Concept albums can be hard to pull off. And while the musicianship is very top notch here (especially the drumming), the vocal delivery can be a bit annoying. There’s some creative and unexpected dynamics and time signatures which keeps it unpredictable, but unfortunately the wall of sound onslaught makes many of the lyrics indecipherable which is what tells the story. I was never really into this band, but have to recognize their abilities.

Quite the polarizing album. I’m probably inconsistent but I enjoy a lot of this. Probably bc I was listening when it first came out. 3.5 but a lil too much prog for me to fully buyin and round up.

Part of me wants to round up based on the crap ish we’ve had recently. This was a shot in the arm and a kick in the ass. But I have to be real to myself… never been able to really get into this band. Def some songs I really like, though it doesn’t rise to the great tier IMO. 3.5/5

3 stars

It’s basically a prog emo album. It was interesting but felt like it was trying to be more clever than it actually was

Meh

Well quite a lot going on here, not really sure that calling it prog rock is accurate, but then I guess what else do you call it? I was familiar with At The Drive-in and like the energy of that band. There is also plenty of energy here, but somehow it never quite hits the mark. Disjointed in places and found the vocals too harsh when it is supposed to be telling the story of the concept album. Gave it 3 listens to try and get into it, but it probably takes a lot more. I like parts of it but could find no real stand out tracks.

Cicatriz Esp

Would really have to be in the mood for this cos not an easy listen but certainly interesting

Groupe et album connu. Très original, l'accompagnement est très bon et dynamique. Je l'ai découvert à l'époque de sa sortie et je l'ai écouté plusieurs fois mais ... il manque un petit quelque chose indéfinissable qui me le ferait vraiment apprécier. Même constat avec cette nouvelle écoute, quelques morceaux réussissent à me captiver (+2), mais il finit par me lasser ... Il ne rejoindra donc toujours pas ma collection. =>3/5

7/10

oh wow i know this one. this was a big one growing up. this was a build up from their rise in At the Drive-In to what would be a huge project in scope. conceptually, musically, this record was game changing. there are some great songs on here. i would like to rate it more, but mostly i loved it when i was younger and dumber, now it is a little try hard, but still amazing. 3/4

I like some of the sounds these dudes make but none of the sounds actually seem to amount to songs.

I liked this album quite a bit. The second track stands out as a classic. The Mars Volta was part of the next generation of prog-rockers back then. Another thing I liked about this album is the lead singer. In other news, I have recovered from my cold. 3 stars for "Deloused in the Comatorium".

Not as bad as I thought it would be. Still kind of forgettable.

Jon Theodore är en teknisk grottmänniska och omar skriver galna riff.. men jag blir trött på att lyssna på cedric för länge, stark 3a

2.7 Prog-Emo? I think I saw them one time open for RHCP. They seemed to have some hype around them back in the day but I never really got into them,

Bom album, um rock mais agudo me passando uma vibe de anos 2000, talvez puxando um pouco para o estilo que era o linkin park

Okay.

I somehow missed this bad when this album came out even though it is in a genre that I listened to a lot back then. Hearing it for the first time now they have a nice sound and some good songs. Maybe its because It was 20+ years ago I listened a lot to the genre and the other bands have more nostalgia to me but nothing really makes me want to go back and listen again.

Favorite Track: Roulette Dares

Interesting sound. Hugely reminiscent of the British band Mansun (but not quite as tuneful). Worth a listen, but you could upgrade to the album Six by Mansun if you want - wonder if that is on the list…

Love ATDI but have always thought Mars Volta a bit overwrought. Still feel that way.

It's a mediocre album by every measure. There are some great guitar riffs, but this is negated by the vocals which are hard to understand. Favorite Track: "Televators".

Some really good moments on here and some that dragged on. I get it, prog rock is all about being artsy fartsy, but shave some of that shit and this would have been a slam dunk.

Loved the first couple tracks. The whole rest of the album got a little too artsy for me. The long musicless interludes are pretty annoying.

Rock som er sådan lidt eksperimentelt ligesom King crimson bare med mere moderne lyd. Synes ikke umiddelbart det var noget specielt, men måske kræver det bare et revisit.

++: Son et lumière, Tira me a las arañas, Drunkship of Lanterns, This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed +: Inertiatic ESP, Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of), Eriatarka, Cicatriz ESP, Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt +-: Televators 6,9/10

This wasn't my cup of tea. I actually thought every aspect of it sounded quite good except for the pop punk/rock opera vocals. All of the instrumentals were really solid and it was cool to listen through a prog rock album. The idea of having an overarching story that plays out throughout the album is interesting and reminds me of classical tone poems. 5.5/10

It’s ok. Good band. Fast upbeat metally lie coheed & cambria

Another nostalgic throwback to high school for me. Cool see they are still making music these days. I’ll have to check out their newer work. Musically they bring a lot of fun complexity to this album. Personally I find the vocals too shrill for my liking but it works. Great listen after forgetting their existence.

piola medio emo

Never really listened to TMV despite this album coming out while I was in high school. I appreciate the musicality but not a big fan of the voice. Fun rock n' roll sounds on this one. Would be a fun listen on loud speakers.

2.5. Songs don’t need to be over 5 minutes long tbh

I kind of zoned out through out the album because it didn’t fully grasp me but it was adequate for background music 3.3/5

3.71…. There were moments in the songs where it was soo good. But then there were boring moments too, you know?

Well that was a wild ride. I don’t know that I would listen to that regularly so I want to rate lower but there seemed to be so much that went into it that I want to rate higher.

Je ne sais pas trop quoi en penser...

Listenable.

Really loved the ambition and the story for this, and for quite a while, it was a clear and obvious four stars. The musicality was really fun and interesting, with good light and shade. It toppled into self-indulgence though, and by the end I was relatively glad to see the back of it, which automatically shunts it down a peg. Weirdly, just when you're ready to wave tata, I think it the final song is actually pretty excellent.

It is interesting and it is different, with that title and cover I would expect nothing less. I'm not sure what to think about it though. I liked it, but it just doesn't click for me. I was waiting for something to would push it over the top, but I just never heard it. Not bad, not great.

Read a review that there's a fine line between you don't get it and I just don't care, and I found myself in the latter. Some good experimentation, some good sounds, some tracks hit hard, but yeah, moving on.

neat

Pretty good, always a good listen

Like Rush

A good album, but not as good as At the Drive-In's "Relationship of Command." If "Relationship of Command" is already on the list, then this one is redundant. If not, a mistake has been made and should be corrected.

3/5

"Possibly the best prog-rock album from this century." Ja meikäpoika ei ymmärtänyt hyvyyttä...

It’s like the school assignment was play your instruments as frantically as you can while the vocalist tries their best to Freddie Mercury impression. Their voice is so bizarre. I wasn’t sure if it was a man or woman or heavily auto tuned. Their sound gets old fast. They all have talent but they do not have nuance.

I can understand why someone would like this album. I unfortunately don’t. There’s normally too much going on and songs go on for way too long. Multiple ideas are explored in a song, which just rubs me the wrong way. I like if a song has varying ideas, but to have a minute long break in between them, and to have almost every song do that? Bro, just break it into two songs.

Hints of At The Drive-In's chaotic post-hardcore are swathed in psychedelia. Less about being loud and fast as being dense and playing with textures. On one hand, I do enjoy this, but something about The Mars Volta keeps me at arms' length. Perhaps its the combination of Santana-esque psychedelia, maybe it's frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala's delivery over this music; whatever the case it just doesn't do much for me. It's alright.

A Prog-Rock/Art-Rock concept album about a man who enters a week-long coma after overdosing on a mixture of morphine and rat poison - not exactly a happy concept. But I quite liked the album,

3.4 - Seemed a little bit wanky if I'm honest

I kinda respect this album but I don’t really like it. 3.2/5

Nice

positives: + i loved the genre as its very similar to my dads music taste that ive grown with + the punk rock vibe is right up my street negatives: - i didnt know any of the songs - most of the songs were 4-8mins long which lead to some dragging especially if they didnt have that many lyrics - some songs were in a different language so obviously i couldnt understand them my favoutite songs: drunkship of lanterns, ambutetz and eriatarka

Interesting but not really my kind of thing, it's a bit like experimental Jazz, all noise

this felt like drugs

Great mix of hardcore and psychedelic rock. It isn't my usual style, but I listened to it while running which was perfect. It kept me moving without being to hardcore

ok billy talent (derogatory)

I'd go 4 on this, but deducting a full point for Bixler-Zavala's grating voice.

I’m a fan of the instrumental stuff. The lyrics are complete nonsense. And they noodle around a bit too long. Solid but not really my thing. 3/5

Wapo

Neutral for now. I have a feeling I would need to listen to this a lot before I make my mind up

Pretty cool record but I’m not sure what to think about it. Maybe there is too much going on for me.

Nice enough vibe, but the lyrics are just so-so. Energetic background music for writing or such.

Sort of makes me think of Muse. Big sound and big voice. Like Muse more.

Rock

Interesting 2000's prog/metal... would be a 4 star album but really not into the singer's vocals.

I’ve never heard this album but I feel like I’m back in high school just from the sound. Not terrible but the songs are too long so probably won’t listen again.

Inertiatic Esp // Eriatarka //

There were some really good songs on this album. The lyrics are kinda hard to understand but instrumentally I really enjoyed a lot of it. Giving it a 3.5 but gonna round down.

as much as I enjoy insane sci-fi prog that makes rush look like the carpenters, I'd take At The Drive-In over it any day. Why Relationship of Command isn't on this list is beyond me. Also, does anyone else think Cedric Bixler-Zavala kinda sounds like Gerard Way or is it just me?

Listened Before? N Ever wonder what drugs sound like? This is it. Not that it's totally a bad thing but holy hell... this album is all over the place and the lyrics are pure madman ravings. Burnout in musical form. It was fine. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Roulette Dares

Interesting concept album, definitely more my kind of high tempo heavy guitar music. I think the main singer's voice takes centre stage here because it is spectacular! There's clearly some very deep lore to this album but it's behind like 20+ page explanation which I'm not really up for. The album just needed more interesting hooks because it certainly feels like nothing quite stands out

While there's a lot here that I like, the overly long songs, repetitiveness, and obtuse lyricism keeps me from really liking this album. It's like Muse with extra pretension.

Not sure live albums should be in top album lists.

Long but fine?

3.3

Progressive rock concept album. I think it’s a solid album.

nem rossz ez, adom a csávó hangját, meg azt is, hogy milyen bizarr az egész. ez azon ritka esetek egyike, amikor tudom, hogy nem az ő hibájuk, hogy mégsem tudom értékelni őket igazán, simán csak nem érzem az ilyen zenét.

Album Name: Deloused in the Comatorium # Artist: The Mars Volta # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Wow i remember when Inertiatic came out. Very good song. Theres a few good tracks on here. Its a very hit and miss album for me though. Not a bad effort. # Top Tunes: Inertiatic / roulette dares / lanterns / televators # Would I listen to it again? Only the singles

Surprisingly good considering the title. Nit bad at all

Pretty good stuff

So technical and impressive but so maximalist and everything all the time that not much grabs me... Maybe I'm just too stupid for this

Reviewing album on only one listen it's difficult, like most prog rock it's dense, vocals/production/music all well done. Unlike some of the prog rock I've had so far this has heavier metal like guitars and even emo vibes. It's certainly an ambitious record, will need to be listened to again a few times to fully appreciate

Much like King Crimson, you either love The Mars Volta, or you don't understand them. I oscillate between the two.

These guys semed to linger in my mind as a band needing to listen to. References in movies and some moderate success in early 2000s but the voice killed me. High pitched howling is what thought but it wasn’t bad. Not the kind of record you will click with on first listen. It was interesting but not something I would go back to on my own.

Kinda liked it.

Good album. Very progressive. Amazing how fast the drums and guitars are.

De-Loused in the Comatorium is... fine, I guess. For all the hype it gets, it mostly just sounds like another early 2000s alt-rock album with some extra weirdness thrown in for effect. It’s not bad — there are moments of interesting musicianship and atmosphere — but it didn’t really grab me or leave much of a lasting impression. Definitely not the mind-blowing experience some fans make it out to be. Just kinda meh.

Good.

Strange but strangely listenable.

Hmmmm. I like prog. Actually, I LOVE prog. But it’s ‘70s prog I love, and really this isn’t something I could get my head around. I feel bad, and may give it another go quite soon because it wasn’t bad, but I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it, either.

No strong feelings about this one. But, 'twas a good listening experience.

Prolly won't go back to this, but definitely unique

Weird, but not bad. Fun music, often noiserock.

I liked the punk elements but prog is just not really my thing. If I hadn't read the wikipedia I probably wouldn't have realized that this is supposed to have this running narrative; but bear in mind that I've only listened through it once, and I do suppose this could prove more rewarding upon repeated listening. The thing is, though, that I don't really feel any urge to listen to this again any time soon. I liked the last few songs a little better than the earlier portions of the album, I guess. It's not uninteresting, but in order to uncover more elements that are interesting to me I would have to revisit and I don't really see myself doing so in the near future. So I suppose this about a 2.75 that I'm rounding up to 3.

I'm a big prog rock fan of all kinds but I just can't get into two bands: Van der Graaf Generator and The Mars Volta. This album is good with lots of talented musicians but I really can't dig this singer who just sounds like an edge lord teenager let loose. I also don't care about some of these messages about exoskeletons and what not. I respect the work but I don't need it. All of this combined they're average at best.

Great album cover. Good energy and unique sounds. At first I was thinking it was just some run of the mill emo/alt rock that was popular around that time, but Cicatriz Esp was a real standout on what sounds they could achieve. This album has some characteristics of a really good album, but there is that whiny/punky sound that I really dislike. I think this is very squarely a 3.5, but I am rounding down just because the last song really emphasized the parts that I don't like about the album. Could be a 4 on the right day.

I remember seeing At the Drive In opening for Rage Against the Machine in the late 90's and being blown away. Years later I saw Mars Volta and had the same reaction. They are just amazing live, and this album is a great one.

A massive fan of At the Drive-In, I've tried many times over the years to get into Mars Volta. This record is good. But it doesn't connect with me the way the previous band did.

Not my cup of tea but it is good prog-type music.

Songs i knew none Songs i liked: I don't really know Maybe it's what has came after this that has ruined this album for me but after listening to this end to end for the first time it's OK. Just ok. Low 3 I think.

Decent. Interesting and complicated, but not quite my thing.

Very interesting stuff, I’d never dug into Mars Volta before. Not sure it’s totally my thing but they are very good at this heavy prog, Rush like sound. I might be persuaded to check out more.

Possibly a 4, if I listened more.

The 2003 album Deloused in the Comatorium is a fascinating sonic journey that, while not introducing radical innovations in progressive rock, reveals a unique and engaging approach that captures the listener's attention. With its complex instrumental passages and Cedric Bixler-Zavala's intense vocal performance, the band manages to create a rich and cinematic listening experience. The tracks feature a fusion of rock, jazz and Latin music elements, giving life to a powerful lyrical narrative that explores themes of life, death and transcendence. While not completely breaking with the traditions of the genre, Deloused in the Comatorium stands out for its ability to evoke deep emotions and creativity, remaining an essential piece for progressive rock enthusiasts.

Interesting...

cool instrumentals didn’t like the voice at all sometimes all the changes became a bit too much - might just not be my style didn’t love the mixing

I feel very conflicted by this album. On one hand, the musicianship and technicality is off the charts. On the other, I feel like this album has the same trapping that a lot of post-2000 prog rock/metal falls into: this album is not fun. Obviously this album explores a lot of musical ideas, but they feel surface-level. It's a good album to listen to, but I feel like it doesn't "rock" as much as it should, or could based on a few isolated sections of songs. All in all a good listen, but not an entertaining listen. Top tracks: Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of), Eriatarka, Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt

3.3 Interesting concept. I wonder if after a few more listens it would resonate better, but whatever 'it' is, it hasn't fully stuck yet. Starts off strongly but gets a bit lost in the middle. Will revisit one day soon, but initial thoughts slightly positive, like a worse version of Tool (don't think I've seen them appear yet, surely they have to be on here)

Saw the word 'prog' in the album description, and was prepared to hate this, but actually enjoyed it. (70s prog is still balls though)

3.0 - Ok

Straight rock, long songs, actually pleasantly surprised

Hadn’t heard them before - quite liked it in a modern prog way

Album 674 of 1001 The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium (2003) Rating : 3 / 5 I'm not the biggest progressive rock fan but this one had its moments. Parts of it were quite enjoyable while others just seemed to go on and on. If you're a prog rock fan, this is probably one you should check out.

Really cool sound. Parts were sort of indie, while some guitar/bass parts sounded more metal. Interesting mix of genres. Would’ve enjoyed more if the songs were shorter. 3/5

Musically intense but hard to feel its direction.

Music is well-produced, somewhat complex. Much better than the last two albums. Would listen again.

Non è malvagio, ma neanche indimenticabile: 3.5

Probably need to relisten. Didnt do it for me the first time over

It is great to finally get some more prog rock on this list. I had never heard this band before, and they are extremely technical players with fast riffs and beats. However, many of the tunes are too “out there” for me to truly enjoy. I would have preferred more harmonies and traditional tempo changes.

I'm apparently much more tolerant of weird music if the lead singer has a melodic voice

Interesting

Can someone translate the lyrics for me?

I'm a prog fan, so you'd think I'd like this more. I've tried to get into them before, but they're just TOO MUCH. Every song is frenetic and over the top, and the lyrics are a little over the top too. Then there's the vocals: I don't mind high and/or unusual singing (just enjoyed the Dead Kennedys with Jello Biafra's insane singing, and I love Rush and Yes) but I've never been a fan of the Mars Volta's vocals - too over the top (I keep coming back to that phrase). It also didn't help that I disliked the metallic effect on the vocals in This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed (and really disliked the bonus track Ambuletz, which I started skipping on relistens). There were a lot of moments I liked, but it was just TOO MUCH and I don't see myself actively revisiting. Favorite tracks: Inertiatic ESP, Eriatarka, Televators, Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt (the instrumental part midway through really caught my attention on every listen).

3.3 2x

Didn’t understand one song title

I've been getting a lot of prog lately, and it is kinda starting to wear on me. This one was pretty good though. Solid album!

Not really my thing but I see the talent and skill behind it.

Un gran descubrimiento, esta lista necesita más rock progresivo. Una pasada musicalmente, una mezcla compleja de estilos, incluyendo influencias latinas, que merece ser escuchada con atención. Sobre todo, la percusión es una maravilla. Aunque le tengo que restar puntuación por la voz, súper abrasiva, y por desviarse un poco más de lo que me gustaría hacia el nu-metal. En definitiva, una especie de Muse más progresivo, aunque sin llegar al nivel de Tool. 3.5

Amazing drumming, but I find the lead singer's voice grating, especially considering that this is an hour-long album.

This is an interesting album. It's a little hard to classify into a genre, but prog rock feels best. There's a lot going on and I just know there are lots of details that I have missed in one listen. I liked it enough to hear again, but not sure I am necessarily ready to do it right away.

I've no idea what the lyrics are on about, lost the plot for that almost immediately & couldn't be arsed to look for it but large sections of the melodies are pleasant enough though 3 stars might be a tad generous. I doubt either that I'll ever listen to it again or feel that I'll reach my grave with a fulfillment I'd have lacked without hearing it but from the vantage point of being within 40 of the finishing tape I can most certainly state that the list has a good 200 albums worth of rap, hip hop, thrash, rooooooaaaar & formulaic 'American rock' shite that's far worse.

Je me sens un peu trahi par l’aura extérieur de l’album. La géniale bizarrerie du cover et les tops commentaires me promettait de grandes choses de nature prog. Pourtant, le contenu de l’album est plus proche d’une collaboration Thom York X Dragonforce que du prochain King Crimson, mettons.

Very unique rock sound. Mars Volta really made a name for themselves and brought new energy to the genre.

Nice drumming, but many songs felt repetitive.

I really don't know what to make of these guys. Prog meets metal meets alt. Sometimes I was into it, other times not so much. Certainly something different than most albums on my shelf. Hard to think of the occasion when I think to myself "I really need to listen to this album right now."

Vocals are disturbingly like "Fall Out Boy".

There is... so much going on in this album. I'm really not sure what to say about it. It's certainly not boring, which is a plus. It's theatrical and over the top and complex and I think the overall effect is pretty successful, but it's just not for me. I actually listened to it twice and I'm still not sure what to make of it. ??? / 10

Reichlich experimentell. Interessant.

So you’ve seen Heavy Metal? You’ve seen Interstella 5555? Get ready for…Consider Phlebas: The Rock opera! This was pretty good, but a whole album means I struggle with it, get into it and then end up waiting for it to finish.

No. 304/1001 Son et Lumiere 3/5 Inertiatic Esp 4/5 Roulette Dares 4/5 Tira Me a Las Aranas 3/5 Drunkship of Lanterns 2/5 Eriatarka is 4/5 Cicatriz Esp 3/5 This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed 3/5 Televators 4/5 Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt 3/5 (2x) Average: 3,27 Surprisingly good listen.

"прог рок", е райт. эмо как есть! набарабанили, накричали, где музыка?

Appreciate the concept and chances taken with this album, makes listening much more interesting and fun. Favorite track was ‘Roulette Dares’. 3/5 wasn’t my favorite but still enjoyable

Lyder udemærket, men synes den teaser rigtigt meget uden rigtigt at gå hårdt nok ind

Incredibly beautiful, but overly long, and at times dreadfully boring. I can understand why this is on the list, but it was somewhat of a slog to get through.

3.5 stars. Fast-paced heavy prog rock. Mixing makes the vocals a bit distorted/muted. Interesting and experimental with ups and downs. Standouts are "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)" and "The Apparatus Must Be Unearthed".

a bit monotonous

Wow never heard of these! I do love a bit of prog rock so I’ll be giving listen another listen or two when I have a bit more time to appreciate it.

I guess My Chemical Romance would be the best comparison, though this album never hits the highs of the best of MCR.

Fine...but likely won't listen to this one again.

So emo

A very complex and impressive prog-rock revival. It’s incredibly pretentious in a way I find simultaneously charming and alienating, and really great when it hits - with some really strong hooks over tight syncopated stabs or cool Latin grooves - but there’s too many gaps for abstract noodling that the really gripping sections end up being few and far between

1. lumiere - 1 2. inenertiatic - 3 3. roulette - 3 4. aranaz - 1 5. lanternz - 1.5 6. eritarka - 1.5 7. cicatriz - 2 8. apparatuz - 1.5 9. televatorz - 3 10. cerpin - 1.5

Very weird

I'm pretty sure I listened to this album before, but I don't remember anything about it or why I would have sought it out. But maybe I'm wrong, and I've never listened to it before. Either way, I know very little about The Mars Volta, other than they're my fellow Texans and their music is prog rock. I don't really have many expectations for this album, but I know it will be different from what I usually listen to, so I'm interested to jump in. This album was fine. It's not the sort of music that I'd seek out, but I thought it was pretty good from an objective standpoint. I really didn't care much for the first few songs, but at "Drunkship of Lanterns," I thought it got much better. The guitar playing and effects and sound manipulation made this album really unique, and I felt like the second half of the album used those techniques in a much more interesting way than the first half of the album. The hard rock-influenced sound of the album was really good, and the band did a great job of putting their own unique stamp on the genre. The biggest turn off to me was the vocals; I really can't stand that whiny quality to the lead singer's voice, and the album worked best when there were other aspects to focus my attention on. I was also a bit turned off by the length of the songs, especially on the earlier part of the album. I'd be inclined to check this out again some day to see if it managed to grow on me, but I also wouldn't be terribly sad if I never got around to it. I think this album reminds me of the parts of Muse and Coheed and Cambria that I don't like, and that's why I'm a little underwhelmed by it.

Think Tool. Think Nine Inch Nails. Think (of course) At the Drive In. Think Tool again. Yeah you're pretty darn close. Some standouts but it's not quite my scene.

Wow! This is really something. Prog-rock with a metal influence and emo-style vocals. There’s even some Pink Floyd guitar noodling and some extended jams that are basically jazz-rock fusion. All in all, it’s not totally my thing but there’s no denying that it’s impressive and well made. I can’t believe this album only had 10 tracks. I feel like I just listened to 16 or more. I don’t mean that in a bad way though. This is epic stuff with multi-part songs and experimental intros and outros. Much respect 🙏

Listening to this while anxious wasn’t super fun but good record nonetheless.

-fav songs: Inertiatic Esp, Televators - weird sounds - like the vocals - it’s a good album but I wouldn’t listen to this as as whole again - good prog album and a try to break out of the societal norms OVERALL: 3/5

Liked the energy of this album. A style of music I don’t listen too often, but enjoyed this one. 3/5 Might listen again

I'd been looking forward to listening to this one, as I thought the artwork looked a bit bonkers. Of course, you should never judge a book by its cover, but this was kind of accurate.

Abgedrehtes Album aus einem mix aus Experiment und Konzept. Es ist kaum möglich an einem Tag das Album zu verstehen. Es sind jedoch auch gute progressive Element und intensive Schlagzeugpassagen enthalten. Es wäre vermessen mehr als 3 Sterne zu vergeben aber noch vermessener weniger zu geben - allein schon wegen des Juwels „Televators“.

Fav: Inertiatic Esp Least Fav: Son Et Lumiere The chaotic nature of the songs got really boring after a while, way too long and way too similar imo. There’s definitely talent there so it’s not worthy of a 2

Title: terrible. Cover art: disturbing. Lyrics: grim. Music: makes up for it.

Interesting. 2nd half is better. 7.5

Prog. Gibberish. At least 3.5 stars.

Fun fact - never really listened to them before.

Another strange opus. I guess these are the types of albums they want us to all hear before we die.

Liked it more than I thought I would, but a lot of it felt samey

Nothing crazy but might be worth giving it another go

Is it nu-metal or nu-prog or what? Had some moments but overall not my thing. Some jams I guess

No suena mal, sobre todo como fan de At the Drive-in, tendré que volver a escucharlo ya que de momento solo me he guardado: Eriatarka.

FIZZING with ideas and energy, very dynamic, beautifully executed progressive rock (small p, small r) - rock that is trying to move on, be intense.

Lots going on, couldn’t decide if I hated that or liked it

Sehr wilder Rock 3/5

this record had the potential to be really brilliant. i was impressed by the first 4 tracks, and excited to see what direction the rest of the album would go in. however, i thought it began to slow down after “drunkship of lanterns”, with the final few songs all merging into one. for the most part, i really enjoy the sound, and the story the album tells, but i think this record could have gone in a different, and better direction than it did.

Говнари визжат под гитарку Фтьу Пошел нахуй 7/10 Я дрочу майонез

It doesn't suffer from the cardinal sin of being boring. This may be too avant garde for me, but there's plenty of more melodic sections I liked. Lots going on and I probably didn't absorb the majority of it, but I'm not up for an immediate relisten either. Best songs: Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of), Eriatarka, Cicatriz Esp.

Interesting, sounds very progressive. Sometimes a bit monotone

These guys are very good, no doubt about it. The songs are constantly teetering on the brink of chaos, and it's stunning how well the music is controlled. The lyrics do the same, obscure to the point of inscrutability.. Unfortunately, there are times when even the formidable chops of the band can't keep it together and the whole thing takes a nosedive from genius to mediocre noodling. None of the album is genuinely bad, but some of it is less than stellar.

When this album came out I was having my mind blown by it. They were in heavy rotation for the next couple years.