Deloused in the Comatorium

Didn't like it at first, but it grew on me.

I‘d like a little less prog in my rock, please.

Actually really enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Cool melodies and really enjoyed the lead singer.

After the first twenty seconds I was fully prepared to give this a one. It was like, well here we go this just seems like this is going to be awful but then the lead singer comes in and made me do a complete 180. Don’t think I can give it a 4 but I like a strong 3 just because I don’t think I’ll be listening to these again but I enjoyed it more than expected. Just wish I could actually understand what he was saying

I definitely appreciated this album even though this side of the spectrum on this genre isn’t always for me. Sounds like there has been plenty of influence on later bands as well. It made for great driving music on the way home after a long weekend.

I was familiar with later work but had not spent time with this. It is complicated and compelling. Will take further listens to really suss out.

Decent stuff. Was totally new to me.

Composed with purpose; a frantic, almost chaotic energy created with a sense that something wants to be expressed, wants out. However, the lyrics are frequently drowned out by the instruments accompanying it, making the message hard - and at times frustrating - to discern.

Interesting, but Mars Volta has never quite been my cup of tea.

I vastly prefer old prog rock compared to new. This didn't resonate with me at all and it's not the first time I've tried listening to Mars Volta.

Ideal to be listened to on vinyl w/headphones. Immersive experience.

Didn't grab me at first I think there is something there I will enjoy again.

I just can't get into Prog Rock. Personal enjoyment 3/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5

I’m glad I finally listened to this after seeing it around so much in the 2000s. I can appreciate the musical chops on display. I just find this so stressful to listen to most of the time.

An instrumental version of this album would be great. The vocals aren't horrible, but they just don't add anything to the music. Plus I don't think I knew what any of the songs were supposed to be about. I'd say 4 stars without the vocals.

These guys sound like a mix between Muse, Coheed & Cambria, and Tool. Pretty solid modern prog rock. Interestingly, Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers played bass on this record. Another interesting note.... These guy formed from the ashes of hardcore band At The Drive-In. Favourite songs: Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of), Inertiatic Esp, Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt, This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed, Televators Least favourite songs: Cicatriz Esp 3/5

I think there is some potential here, I’m going to give this album and their other discography a listen and form a better opinion. On first listen 3/5

Certainly not to be confused with any traditional approach to popular music. What are those occasionally understood snippets of lyrics? This is a breath of fresh air after a smog of normalcy. And have fun decrypting the song titles while you're smoked out in your dorm room or basement (knowing spanish helps). Proggy approach to wacko. Tool on acid? I like to listen to one or two songs at a time, but a whole album side can be too much. Less can be a good bit more here.

Supposedly what happens in the mind of someone in a drug induced coma. There's a lot of bass and drums happening in that coma dream. Well produced but also off-putting.

I had heard of the mars Volta before, but I don’t recall ever listening to anything by them. Whenever I hear the name of the band, I always think of 30 seconds to Mars and Son Volt, neither of which is this band. I enjoyed this album and would not turn it off if I ever heard it playing again, but don’t plan to listen to it again on purpose, or seek anymore of their stuff out

I admire the spirit, energy, and musicianship, I just felt it was lacking magic. A lot of exciting things were happening, and almost none of them made an impression. Maybe I need to re-listen, but that's all the time I had.

Rock and roll with a thin and flat vocal that didn’t cut it for me.

Kind of cool to hear a modern progressive band. Many of my first music "loves" were progressive rock bands: Pink Floyd, Queen, Yes, Genesis (and of course Peter Gabriel's solo work), Emerson, Lake and Palmer, King Crimson, Styx, Jethro Tull. I was impressed with the out-of-the-box intensity of the music and vocals. High, high energy. And just when you think you get the tone of the record, Cicatriz Esp comes on and sounds like Santana and a bit of 60s psychedelic rock vibe to boot. I dont think this will be on repeat on my playlist but it is a very intriguing band and intriguing album

Deloused in the Comatorium I had this on repeat this morning and genuinely couldn’t distinguish anything, it just went round and round sounding the same, I had no idea what track was what or if the album had started again. Nothing was memorable in any way. I liked it a bit more listening this afternoon after a break from it, but I still couldn’t really pick out any songs, apart from Cicatriz ESP, which I enjoyed, particularly the last 4 minutes or so. Some of the guitar and organ on Roulette Dares I also liked, as well as the drums and organs on Drunkship of Lanterns. Overall it felt like there are a lot of good moments but not so many great songs. Obviously there is a huge amount of skill and technique on this, some excellent guitar and drumming, but I don’t find the overall result that interesting. I admire the bombast, the over the topness and all the ideas crammed into it, but it feels like it needs more space and subtlety to let it breathe a bit amongst all the chaos. I also don’t find his voice that great, which I think undercuts all the dramatic tension they are trying to build. I also get the concept behind it and it is quite touching, but too often the song titles and lyrics more often fall over that fine line between clever and stupid, the earnestness of it renders it all a bit too daft too frequently. A 2 is too low for the technical skill and overall ambition, so a 3 feels about right. I’m glad I gave it a good go, but it’s unlikely I’ll revisit it. ⭐⭐⭐

Rock progresivo raruno. Ni fu ni fa.

Förstod mig allt mer på musiken men tycker sångaren+lyricsen suger. Givande ig

Musically very good, lyrically? eh.

Very mixed feelings about this one. I think the frontman is doing an awesome job. He has a great voice and he shows that a lot and even more in the more rocky songs. But the more the band goes in the direction of the psychodelic rock the more I can't understand that direction. Very intriguing, but could be better. 3.5/5.

always thought the mars volta was some kind of emo stuff due to the voice, its not, wow still annoyed by the vocals, otherwise good music

Starts strong, kind of peters out. Spotify automatically played The Widow after, which probably did not do this album any favors, but such is life.

Tool meets System of a Down meets Santana meets King Crimson meets Bjork. Nice. 3.5

I'm now wide awake. No need for the extra cup of coffee, just listen to this!

i mean it was interesting and well done but i doubt ill listen to it again

Good rock/metal album w/heavy drums and good guitars. Vocals seem a bit muddy but overall it's very potent rock. Reminds me of Zepelin a bit w/some eatly Pink Floyd 3

I remember hearing this on NPR when it came out. Downloaded it from one of those P2P sites as soon as I got home. That sums it up for me - interesting enough to pirate, but I never bought the CD. Even though it might be the coolest album cover ever!

Some cools stuff, but not really a fan. Don’t really like the vocals. 3.1

I listened to this twice. The first time I didn't like it at first, then it grew on me. The second time, I liked it less as I listened more. I don't know what to take away from that.

Not my vibe, but it has decent vocals, has interesting sounds, is not dense, and is overall fun. These things are pretty rare in OG prog rockers from the '70s. I still have mixed feelings about the vocals though. Not always a fan of that loud and thin vocal style. It also feels overproduced, which I guess is a common problem with 21st century rock. And the lyrics... lol. Perhaps if they didn't take themselves too seriously and let themselves loose like they did when they were writing it, it would've been more fun.

Listened to in Madison in my office kinda weird emo-y but also kinda enjoyed it

This is the kind of prog-rock that I just don't get into. It seems like a prog version of screamo music. Definitely don't like the vocals. It's not horrible... but not my thing.

Best this will ever be for me is 3/5 Heard this quite a few times. It's just barely above listenable.

A bit odd at times but not horrible at others. Definitely not something that would be in my regular rotation for throwing on the turntable but I won't skip over it when its number does come up.

Eh, decent but pretty out there and dramatic. Not my cup of tea

The instrumentation is in your face. The grooves, the riff, the drum fills all sound really good. I’m still warming up to the vocals and I need a bit more time to really digest the album. Also it’s just rock album after rock album and I’m a bit tired of it now. I need a bit of variation. So maybe that affected the listening experience as well. It’s a really good album tho. I’ll go with a strong 3 and I see it growing on my with more listens.

3.5. Fairly enjoyable. Some songs went on too long, but that's prog rock for ya.

This album is a blast from the past for me. It's intense and hectic. I like it when I'm in the right mood.

I finally got into At The Drive-In, over the last couple years. Remember Mars Volta being a big deal to people, and I always assumed they’d be more my thing. Turns out they aren’t, or at least not this one. It’s good, kinda like a better Coheed and Cambria, but not as good as I hoped and anticipated.

I remember the hype when this came out but I don’t think I’ve ever listened to it. The whole way through I just wished it was ATDI. In places this is very good, but I feel it should be better. Experimental post punk should be right up my street but it didnt really hit the mark. It picks up massively in the middle, with Eriatark / Drunkship / Cicatriz being my highlights, but other than that it was just decent. I’ll probably give it a few more goes as I should love this…

A very good album, I really enjoyed the high energy of it. The singer definitely has an interesting voice/style, to the point where the lyrics are almost unintelligible. but I never found it too annoying. If they trimmed the fat I could have easily given this 4 or 5 stars. Cicatriz Esp is indicative of this, there's a great 4 minute track here. I think this album could grow on me with subsequent listens. Highlights: Inertiatic Esp Eriatarka

I can tell its good, but definitely not for me.

The blazing guitars and unique vocals of The Mars Volta really do it for me at times. The last Big Day Out I went to had them on the bill. I entered the main stadium against a strong flow of people leaving and we were left with ample space to Grove away. It was a great show, but only 5% of the total people attending were there to see it. This album has great moments, but I don't think it is the prog masterpiece that some do. A bit long in parts and I struggle to listen to all of it in one sitting.

I always thought Mars Volta were an electronic act. But evidently not. More a kind of Muse-meets-Limp Bizkit-meets-Yes. So some of this is just fine, and clever, but there's just too much. Too much I tell you.

inch resting

Interesting music. Every drummer I know loves this album, and there are sick drums throughout. Some sick little bass fills in every song but this is definitely “gotta be in a prog mood” for this album.

Wish I found them in 2003, now a little emo for my current taste Oddly reminds me of Trigun

Erratic, powerful, interesting music with sometimes amazing, sometimes irritating vocals. Probably the most incredible band I've listened to that I also find unbearably annoying at times. I've owned this album, and tried repeatedly to become a fan after enjoying "At The Drive In." It just seems like they tried too hard to be erratic and unique, like the kid with the most facial piercings. You don't have to try so hard buddy. We already like you! The lyrics and song titles of this album may illustrate this point. But the beauty here cannot be denied. Probably a 3.21 to me.

Hmm, not sure how to rate this one. I liked the instrumentals and energy of it, but it felt a little overlong and…homogenous, maybe? Around 30 min. in, I found myself checking to see how much longer it had left. I also thought the vocalist sounded a little whiny at times. Made me think of early 2000s emo. I dunno. I think I would’ve really liked this in high school, but it’s harder for me to connect with it at this point. Highlights: - Son et Lumiere - Inertiatic Esp

Crazy prog-rock arrangements. Extreme guitar and drums. Indecipherable lyrics. Concept album with some insane sci-fi premise. Spooky latin or latin-sounding titles. I have to give an A for effort, but it did not all come together for me. Not my thing. It should probably be a 4 if I was into this music, but I will give it a 3, for me.

Started hot, really enjoyed the beginning. Almost like a hybrid of pop punk vocals with a heavy metal backing band. They lost me around the 12 minute tune down the stretch.

Music good, singing bad

Not my jam. It was ok background noise but not something I would purposely set out to listen to.

If only I was 23.

Have always had conflicted feelings on this band and record. In a way, I love it or the idea of it and TMV in general - though not so much in practice. The first half of this record I feel like I have memorized and super fond memories of, but the back half I really never remember, and that’s not so much that it’s appreciably weaker than the front, but that the album becomes a slog to get through. It’s fun and absurd and as long as you don’t look at the lyrics it can be pretty great at times, but I’ll always think I love it more than I actually do. Someday I’m gonna torture myself and listen to all of Omar’s stuff.

Honestly this album was quite enjoyable. I thought it might be annoying at first but as it went on I actually quite liked it. I think if it had sounded like it did towards the end rather than from the beginning throughout the whole thing, I definitely would’ve given it a higher rating of overall I think this is a seven out of 10 but not quite good enough to be a four out of five.

-never heard of this band or album -loving it so far -inertiatic esp is really good actually -his voice goes pretty high which im enjoying -this feels like it stands out a lot -you listen to enough of these albums and can tell when an album stands out and sounds different -dude these songs get CRAZIER -i was like who do these guys vaguely remind me of. its MCR -anyways. three stars for me

Prog punk/prog alt? Fairly heavy, but cool meter changes and such

Arty, cool en onrustig tegelijkertijd, ik weet nooit helemaal wat ik nu van The Mars Volta moet vinden. Slecht is het zeker niet.

Jemig, wat een energie. Nu kan ik een beetje pit wel waarderen, maar dit is iets te hysterisch om het prettig goed te vinden.

"Deloused in the Comatorium" by The Mars Volta is a frenetic and ambitious debut. Released in 2003, it's a concept album filled with wild instrumentation and Cedric Bixler-Zavala's distinct vocals. Tracks like "Inertiatic ESP" and "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)" showcase the band's progressive rock and experimental tendencies. The album's production is dense and chaotic, at times overwhelming. While it's praised for its technical virtuosity, the album's complexity can make it challenging to digest. "Deloused in the Comatorium" is a polarizing work; some may appreciate its chaotic genius, while others might find it inaccessible. It's a bold and experimental piece that showcases the band's unique musical vision.

I'm heavily biased towards alt-prog like Tool, Silversun Pickups, Falling Up, etc., but this is rather one-note. I wish there was more musical diversity here because I like this band's overall sound and I plan to check out other albums.

I feel like it’s at its best when it gets experimentally technical. At its worst it sounds like Fallout Boy or MCR playing an early Muse song. And, while I’m not a fan of the former bands, I am a fan of the latter band, especially in their early years. And I love technical prog-rock, as long is it isn’t too busy and whiny. So I guess I actually liked it quite a bit, overall. The parts I didn’t were at least versatile in their own way.

John Frusciante on guitar and synth on Cicatriz Esp (maybe the best track here). Flea on bass for nearly the entire album. Lenny Castro (percussion on Toto’s Africa), too.

Definitely an interesting listen. Probably won't make it into my regular rotation but I liked the jagged grooves

Multiple positive reviews of this album said that it demands multiple listens to absorb. I'm sorry I wasn't going to give it that. Didn't feel any sort of hook to get me to do that. I did notice that I was frequently frantically reaching for the volume as it would instantly go from too quiet to too loud over and over again, like some lower-tier cable TV show going to commercial. So fully admitting I didn't give it the required hours of full concentration to get more out of it, I got a hint of its interest but mostly it was kind of noisy.

I was unfamiliar with The Mars Volta and this album, but it has a sound somewhat similar to some other rock bands of that time with which I have some familiarity. As with those bands, I think that for me this album is best digested in small portions. The full album listen made it kinda tough. Of course, listening to a concept album one track at a time over the course of a week is probably going to mean that I will take less away from the experience, but at least maybe I could make it through without rolling my eyes or tuning it out.

I don't personally see the need for this kind of thing in any year past 1973 but you do you Mars Volta.

Another band I’d never heard of (call myself a music fan?!). Lots to like here. Positives: 1) the vocals - love his tone and range. 2) at times frantic guitars! 3) the unmistakably Flea bass style. 4) some decent mood changes. Stand out track: Eriatarka

How did I miss this band when I loved their previous band At The Drive In! You can hear style and sound of the two main men from ATDI on this record. They have certainly expanded upon their roots and gone down the experimental route. Bixler-Zavala' s vocals are more more melodic and less shouty, whereas Rodriguez-Lopez's guitar playing is Avant Garde to say the least, but the similar staccato and loud/quiet style is very much in place. They bring the same energy to these songs from ATDI, which is a fucking lot! Very enjoyable, definitely worth a lot more listens to appreciate the complicated song structures they have created. A high 3 (for the moment).

Got some solid moments here and there, def great production throughout, but in all honesty I just don’t really care for this type of music. It dragged pretty hard by the end and while I was ok with the vocals at the start by the end they were kinda annoying. Still not the worst def got some moments, light 6

Really liked Relationship of Command at the time and had put some effort in liking The Mars Volta. But unlike At the Drive In, the Mars Volta's music is not so catchy, and also on this attempt it is not working for me except for some song fragments here and there. score: 5/10

Exciting roller coaster. A bit too intense and jumpy for me.

Just didnt stick with me. Average 00's stuff

Metal progresivo. Algunas partes raritas.

old prog is shit but new prog can be pretty cool

I listened to this one before but O still can't get into it. Seems like something I should like and it's not bad, but leaves me a little cold.

Prog's not dead

super bien pour le ronpiche

Decent but not quite my taste It was a little too aggressive for me, and I'm not a huge fan of the style with all those random noises thrown in. But parts of it I did like- and my favorite song was probably Televators

Sorta bleeds together by the end of it. Drunk Zeppelin.

Just a really enjoyable listen. Musically they are on par with Radiohead. The vocals were a bit much at times, 3. T3B 1. Roulette Dates 2. Inertiatic Esp 3. This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed

Y a un truc dans l'instru, mais je suis pas convaincu (2.5/5)

PREFS : Drunkship of lanterns, Cicatriz ESP, This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed, Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt MOINS PREF : Inertiatic ESP

I respect the craft. But where I am in my life at the moment I don’t have the time or ability to get into the exploratory mindset necessary to absorb this. It’s a bit sad that I have lost my patience for absorbing more experimental music. Or maybe this was just never my cup of tea, because I’ve tried to get into this before.

It was fine. 3.5

normal/5

A mix of prog-rock, punk, and hardcore. The instrumentation is good (vocals are great, guitar is awesome, and drumming is SUPERB). Can’t really understand all of the lyrics, but the listen was interesting. Favorite Songs: Eriatarka and This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed

Eriatarka reminds to some parts of Radioheads songs, in the period of paranoid Android. Global they remind me to Myse. And they gave me the same feeling: not bad, but too much hysteria 😉. In another book i am reading, "365 albums die je beluisterd moet hebben", they get compared to and promoted as the successor ( opvolger) van King Crimson. I dont know that band very well, should be the founders of progrock, but one of their songs , "21th schizoid century man " is in my lust of liked songs. So after this album i d like to listen to " in the court of kung Crimson". The song i am hearing now, cicratic esp or so, is better : more nice guitar riffs in it, but also to long , i like more short powerful songs. I accidently listened to it a second time and liked it then better. I noticed now that songs are also energetic and also remind me sometimes to quotsa, liked the second song. Still very long songs, that sometimes sound more space, what fits with their name. Tonight we can see Mard in the west, so the timing to offer me this band today is maybe not a coincidence 😉.

I liked this okay. Don't really have a ton to say.

There’s nothing wrong with this album, but it’s not really my style. Some of the extended solos are pretty cool, but I didn’t like the vocals or the subject matter thereof.

I remember when this album was popular about 20 years ago. I’m probably in the minority on this, but I am not a big fan of this guy’s voice. The music, on the other hand, is 🔥.

OK album, distinctive early 2000s American rock

It's not really my speed but it's really well made.

Meh

Miellän tän iha hyväksi bändiksi, mutta kyl tää vaatii kuulijalta aika paljon että pääsee kärryille. Kokeilen joskus taas uudestaan. Tälläerää 3/5

En ihan kaikista biiseistä välittänyt, mutta Cicatriz Esp oli sen verran nautinnollista, että nostaa kolmoseen arvosanan.

Here's a name I've heard before, but I've never listen to the Mars Volta. My brain assumes it's one guy, maybe his name is Lars Volta? I just looked it up and apparently this is a storytelling concept album about a guy who "enters a week-long coma after overdosing on a mixture of morphine and rat poison." Damn, that's a rad concept. But yeah, I didn't pick up on any of that when listening to this. The music is good, it's just a style that I wouldn't normally associate with storytelling, so lyrically there wasn't much of anything that stood out to me. I took a great interest in how all the track titles seem like some foreign language. I don't know man, I think I'd have to listen to this again to "get" it, if I even were to get the concept, but time moves in one direction and I've got other albums to listen to first. Maybe some day I'll try again, but for now, this one didn't hit like that. Favorite tracks: Roulette Dares, Cicatriz ESP. Album art: Pretty sweet image, a golden head screaming light into some weird laboratory (or comatorium I suppose?). Definitely memorable. 3/5

тоже очень видно что 00е ну и могу сказать что несколько психоделичны в сравнении с последним альбомом(2022)

I like these guys but the vocals are bit too discordant for me to love them

This one definitely needs to be listened to more than once! I'll reserve judgement until I've had some time.

Muse/My Chemical Romance/Underworld vibes. Some sounds I've not heard before. Head looks like an old step dad. 3/5, mostly for the album art

I wanted to like this more than I did, but I ultimately did not. I enjoyed the Latin flair in this, but I somehow just found myself not feeling too much about the music or the album. And part of this may just come from me not being that big of a fan of progressive rock. I'm just not sure where the disconnect here for me is, but it's somewhere between "this is interesting" and "I don't really care". That said, the lead singer's falsetto is outstanding, and it reminded me a lot of Coheed and Cambria as I listened to it. Despite this not really thrilling me, this is still very listenable.

alright

>< ><

Prog garage rock. 2.6

3/5. A good prog metal album but doesn’t hold up all the way throughout. And prog can definitely drag if it isn’t great from front to back.

I think teenage me would have been really into this, hearing it for the first time in my 30s though, it's not really my vibe anymore. Probably won’t return to it but it was nice to listen to for the project.

A bit chaotic. I liked the guitars in "Roulette Dares" though, they were on point!

Never heard of the Mars volta before. This was a good modern prog rock album. Deserved place on the list,

I loved this album when I was 13. However, I am no longer 13.

There aren't too many American Prog bands as most of them seem to be from Europe and particularly England, so this is a bit of a novelty. Mars Volta sound like an amped up Porcupine Tree, with more shouty vocals. I think if I could read and ponder the lyrics I would appreciate their music more. The song-writing is fairly complex, jammed packed with dissonant melodies and time changes so repeated listenings... like maybe 10 times would also help me appreciate this more. But as it is I don't have that much time to invest in one band so they get a middle of the road rating from me.

its ok. fine

Am I into psychedelic rock? Not really. Did I dig this album? I did! Three stars for an interesting listen. Cedric Bixler-Zavala's vocals are fantastic, but not enough for me to want to make whole albums a frequent listen (or four stars).

The bleeds of the outros into Intros were great and sounded cosmic? Really different from other shot I’ve heard lately. Not bad

Band and their music all new to me, so it was interesting to give this a listen. Frenetic and jarring at times, lots of chaos at times as well, yet definitely intriguing art here, enough so that I'll want to give this one another listen or two and explore some of their other work.

bad

Needlessly excessive. Other than that, I loved it.

Album left me a bit confused and I'm not sure whether I like it or hate it. It definitely has some good elements, but also a lot of noise.

Hated this when I first heard it 18-ish years ago. It’s still a difficult album to get through, but I appreciate what it’s trying to do a bit more now.

Mostly cool sounds with some noise inbetween

Sounds decent but seems very overrated. Top review gave me a chuckle

I know a lot of people I know loved this album back in the day, but I never bothered with it at the time... I think this is what you'd call math rock. Beloved of drummers. It's technically so smart it hurts. Like a hard rock/jazz fusion. I can admire the accomplishment and skill that went into it, but I will never be able to love it - sounfs a bit toouch like the inside of my head on a bad trip, or a musical version of ADHD.

De-Loused in the Comatorium (commonly referred to as De-Loused) is the debut album by American progressive rock band the Mars Volta. It is a concept album about a man who entered a week-long coma after overdosing on morphine and rat poison. The music on this album is primarily progressive rock and art rock, but it also contains influences from psychedelia, Latin jazz, heavy metal, and punk rock. De-Loused was a critical and commercial success, becoming the band's biggest hit. However, it's not a great album to listen to in the background, as it requires a listener's full attention to really absorb all the intricate details. For this reason, I may have to give it another listen, but for my first time through it sounded pretty good.

Not bad at all

Cool progressive rock album with heavy metal elements. The album gels well song to song and is cohesive. This album might be just a tad to hard for me. Its a cool listen though. Recommend, but only if you have listened to this kind of music before. Great vocals! Tight group. Really cool arrangements for the songs. A lot of the songs felt arbitrarily long just for the sake of being long. I will probably listen to this album again as it seems like the kind of album you need to listen to many times to fully appreciate. 3.25/5

No idea what is being sung, but it's ok

Very rocking and much like At The Drive-in. Not at all like 30 Seconds to Mars.

I like prog rock but this album is a bit to frantic for my taste.

😒

I've listened to it twice and I'm still not sure whether I like it or not.

weird not sure

This is something between 2 and 3. Some moments are pretty prog-good, but it's not my style.

Not bad

Got some Tool vibes from this one that I really enjoyed. I kinda scoffed at a "prog rock" album at first, but I actually dug this. Flea is cool.

Would have been 4 stars but I don't care for some of the vocals

The Mars Volta is a band I've heard of but never listened to. I know they're popular with NERDS though. ONE HOUR LATER: I thought the singer was a chick until Wikipedia said it wasn't. It was alright out of the gate but became very long by the end. It's pretty far up its own arse. Wouldn't listen again, but I did enjoy the first 20min or so. 3/5.

An album I probably would’ve liked had I hear it when it came out. It’s noisy, inventive, dramatic. Lyricism leaves a lot to be desired. Didn’t finish the whole thing

I once had to be deloused before entering a kindergarten. It was so undignified and really embarrassed me in front of all the kinders. I went a hot shade of crimson and two of the cooler boys pointed and laughed at me. I got my revenge.

This album was odd and I liked it.

Interesting sounds. Maybe shouldn’t listen to it at 8 in the morning.

Heavier than what I usually listen to. Great voice on singer, can be so gentle then so strong. Band reminds me of something that I can’t put my finger on, but it is also a style that I don't listen to too much. Very math rock and prog, like heavier Porcupine Tree. First tune definitely hooked me.

Very fast and very technical, but not very interesting.

I generally liked the music, even if it got a little heavy-handed. Apparently there was some kind of story in the lyrics but I couldn’t make out one word in ten so that part was lost on me.

Unique, and they really go for it, not sure what I think.

I can't listen to this again (5 times so far) to try and work out what it is or whether I like it. This is why I'm not a music journalist, my views changed depending on my mood, and not normally for the better

Ég hafði aldrei hlustað á Mars Volta áður og var alveg spennt fyrir fyrri helmingi plötunnar. Svo fór mér að leiðast. Ágætis lög mörg hver, en ekki nógu áhugavert fyrir athyglisgáfur mínar.

Half the album’s sound is the type of rock I enjoy, a sort of alternative and hardcore mix, the other half is a progressive and unconventional use of sounds and noise that made it hard to listen to. I will say overall it’s a cool album and definitely interesting to be exposed to. The production is perfect.

Early 2000s alternative rock with a progressive edge. Starts out quite good but at the end of the day, the rather long runtime and the fact that a lot of songs have instrumental parts or not a classic song structure prevent a higher rstingy

It was very interesting. I like the escalation and de-escalation of the volume, etc. The guitar was also nice (most notably present during track 8). The album was very ominous and dark at times, which I also liked. The singing reminds me of punk-rock, which I guess it is, but I just wasn't expecting it from someone who rarely listens to that type of music. I feel like the singing came in too randomly from the long instrumental portions of the songs. Overall, it was pretty good. Televators was my favorite track.

Album started with a bang and kept my attention through most of it. Kind of a contemporary Prog rock sound, that I'm sure would grow on me more with repeated listening. I don't love it, but I certainly would listen again. We'll see...

Shrill, sprawling and squalling – and excessively nu-metallic for one’s taste. The “everything at once and at high speed” vibe is grating and the breaks (e.g., the first part of “Eriatarka” [whatever TF that means]; the last part “Cicatriz Esp [whatever TF that means]) are far too few. One’s limited genre knowledge means one can’t judge all the virtuosity (which seems pretty extensive). Bonus points for crystalline production and the “let’s throw it all on the wall and see what sticks attitude,” though ultimately this feels like much ruckus with little merit. 2.7/3

Not quite my thing but it’s really well made. The whole vibe of the album from the title to the song names kinda made me roll my eyes with how self serious it is but it was alright to listen to

Sort of terrible but sort of good? Seems to be a love it or hate it type record, so both emotions seem valid. Suppose I'll land in the middle but I'm really reconsidering my rating strategy.

To prog or not to prog, that is the question. I really like some prog, although much tilts towards the bombast or endless noodling. Complex isn't the same as good and merely throwing stuff against the wall isn't complex. It is not a lack of musicianship. More like a sprawling novel in need of an editor

Because they opened for RHCP this was technically the first band I saw in an arena. We did not like it. This was fine but not really for me. I think this band has some great musicians but only a few of the songs had real grooves so it reminded me of prog rock in that way.

Another of those that feels like it needs way more than one day to properly digest (I listened to it once before, years ago, but even TWO days isn’t enough time to really know it…) I respect the proggy experimentation; it’s a pretty unique blend of math-rock, emo, latin, helicopter sounds and god knows what else. There are moments when an epic chorus or mighty riff breaks out from the chaos and it sounds very nice indeed. I can’t say that I enjoyed all 67 minutes of it to the same extent, but with more listens maybe that would change. For now: 3.5 stars.

This feels like the kind of thing I would like but for some reason it doesn't really appeal to me. Not sure why but something just felt a little off.

C’est l’fun. C’est comme si Porcupine Tree et I Mother Earth avait un bébé coké. En fait, on est dans l’excès ici. Ça va vite, il y a plein de notes, il chante très aigüe, c’est très compressé/reverbérisé. C’est un peu envahissant comme musique. Par contre, je me vois très bien en écouter par-ci par-là, mélangé avec des trucs plus tempérés. C’est aussi un bon cours de drum.

Mimo wszsytko tekst jest integralną częścią piosenki i nie można go tak po prostu zamienić na losowo brzmiące słowa i dograć do nich trzeba przyznać nie najgorszą nutę. Czasem dobre solo, lub jak w jazzie "rozmowa" instrumetnów może nam zastąpić warstwę liryczną. Z moich przypuszczeń to celowali coś w stylu jak angielska piosenka brzmi dla ludzi niemówiących po angielsku. Podobny feeling mam słuchając niektórych openingów anime, pojedyncze słowa kojarzysz, ale nie do końca wiesz o co chodzi. Jeśli rozpatrzymy to w takich kryteriach to wyszło nie najgorzej.

Feels like pre pop punk goodness -- Chiodos wishes they sounded like this. I'm so happy I got a throwback album out of this.

This is only after one listen (don't feel like another) but just found it wearing and samey. The singer just yelling all the time, math rocky guitars, long songs, though listening on a Monday morning after a 4 day bank holiday probably doesn't help!

Listened some time ago: recall it as a math rock fused with certain emoish/punkish tendencies as well as more arty/jazzy things. It was alright but hasn't stayed with me.

Found this more interesting than especially enjoyable or ‘good’ but I liked it

Yet another band I’d heard of but not heard. A good listen, though I’ll admit my idea of progress sits more on the Yes side of things than this.

I know of Mars Volta, gun to my head, can't name a thing of theirs. So when I saw prog rock and concept album was fairly excited. In the end, not something I am going to be rushing back to, interesting, but not Yes or King Crimson...This might have hit me differently if I heard it in my teens but now. not so much.

Really slow and melancholy

It’s not boring…

I’ll admit; I was going to leave a snarky, one-star review indicating that I didn’t know where my migraine ended and this album began after initial listen, but I read some other reviews and decided to give it a second listen. There are still some tracks that evoke pain, but I’m feeling new things and the second listen-thru. Perhaps a third listen will give me something to chew on. Three stars in optimism for that. Oh, and for Flea.

Yet another prog album brought down by it's singer

I have to be in the right headspace for The Mars Volta. This album seems ambitious and technical. The end result isn't especially listenable, imo.

A pretty good album that I have not heard before. I enjoyed the various genre bending this album provides. Some various levels of prog rock, alternative creates an enjoyable album that feels modern and important for future bands. 6.6/10

6/10 has not aged terribly well, but has some cool drumming

6/10. Loud, but some bits were pretty interesting

It was ok, didn't love it

Did not know what to expect and was still surprised. Not my thing but not bad.

A Beloved Roy album Favorites: Drunkenship of Lanterns Televators

It's his voice. I just don't like it. I feel like if be a huge MV fan if it weren't for his voice.

Melodic in parts

Fun prog rock entry to start the week.... Would listen to again

Meh. I didn't connect with this at all

I'm awake now

I get it but I don't get the music. I have just never been a fan of speed any style of music. I can definitely hear the influence in latter bands. I am thinking Linkin Park and Evanescence. I could only sample this album. I just don't care to listen to an entire album of this genre. All that being said, they belong on the list and have more talent then some of the other artist chosen for this book.

Voor mijn gevoel symfonische rock met heel grappige elektronische geluidjes. Ik vind het wel heel leuk klinken. ***

This is one of those records that I don't necessarily dislike but I don't completely like either. It manages to get my attention in some parts, but in general I find it overly long and cerebral. I honestly would have preferred to see Relationship In Command by At The Drive-in in here.

good

Le lundi n'est pas une journée que j'apprécie particulièrement, c'est pourquoi la qualité de mes reviews tent à diminuer en cette journée. En effet, dès mon reveil, j'ouvre le générateur après 3 jours de pause comme chaque semaine. De là, je me retrouve systématiquement noyé sous une multitude de commentaires de mon camarade d'écoute robpellemèle, qui accorde des notes ahurissantes à chaque album que Robert met gentillement à notre disposition. Cet effet s'estompe progressivement au fil de la semaine, d'où le regain en qualité de mes reviews courant mercredi.

Fine album. Gets boring near the end. The drums are great

I'm singing high. I'm singing low. -this album It's not a bad album but I'm not going to be extolling its virtues on high.

This is really interesting. Reminds me of a harder rock version of Yes at times with the sudden, loud staccato outbursts. Definitely worthy of further listens. 3 stars.

I mean, this is high-intensity noodling and the melodies are pretty strong, but it just feels like it goes on forever and I start to tune it out.

An amalgamation of Led Zepplin, QOSTA, My Chemical Romance and Ricky Martin has produced quite satisfactory results.

Very decent although very samey - the singer has a good voice.

my chemical romance - esque emo rock 3.5

Gran disco!

Sounds like a mix between Tool and Muse, to me there was some nice things attempted just doesn't hit the mark for me.

This is an absolutely crazy debut album from a band that I've never heard of before (even though it was released during my lifetime unlike most albums on this list). I was skeptical before and during the first set of songs, but the album *slowly* hooked me more and more throughout. It is not something I would want to listen to all of the time, but I can definitely appreciate it for what it is. The album is finely crafted from an instrumental perspective with everyone giving it their all here. If I had to describe it to someone who had never heard of this band before, I would say it is My Chemical Romance if they made experimental rock in the 1970s. The MCR vibes mainly come from the lead singer's vocals which sound nearly identical to Gerard Way's and from the overall emo feeling present on every track. While I enjoyed the vocals for the most part, it was hard for me to understand what he was saying at some points which led me to focus more on the instrumentals. From that perspective, the progressive rock staples are all here which is both a good and bad thing. While this style allows for more freedom and expression through instruments, it also tends to allow for a bloated feeling due to long tangents during songs. For example, Cicatriz Esp's outro last way too long for what it is (incoherent noise with distorted ocean-like noises in the background). This eventually leads to more great guitar and drum work, but it leaves me wondering how much of the album could be trimmed down to make for a more cohesive and focused listen. In short, although I don't think this album fully clicked with me, I still respect it and had a good time listening to it. 3/5. NOTE: I was pleasantly surprised to see that Flea, one of my favorite rock stars of all time, played bass on the majority of this album due to the original bassist leaving the band before the album's recording. This makes complete sense and definitely sounds like him upon further inspection (Drunkship Of Lanterns features some of his craziest work on bass even when including all of the RHCP discography).

This is one of the albums that made me pivot in my listening styles. The story telling is awesome and the music always keeps you on your toes. Really good stuff.

3.5, very enjoyable, extremely talented

Interesting music

Rock progresivo raruno. Ni fu ni fa.

Didn't like at first, started to like it at the third heard

Nice, but it wasn't able to deeply deliver its mood to me.

decent alternative album but doesn't add enough for me to rate it higher

Eksperimenterende psykedelisk rock, Imponerende lydunivers, velkomponeret

The energy and angst and strong here, though they lean a bit too much into the Primus funk/experimental camp for my tastes. Still, we're it is energy without spazz, it is excellent.

One to return to. Intriguing, if noisy

Really exceptional album, amazing musicianship and an interesting energetic sound. I'm just not sure it's one I would play all the time. A really nice change of pace though

The album has a good flow start to finish. A decent listen if you are in the right mood

This was okay. There were some good songs, but they were all so long... If every song was capped at 4 minutes this would be a really good album.

I remember liking this record back in the day but I haven't listened to it in years. I'm not a huge fan of the singer's voice - find it a bit grating. There is a lot going on, it's a bit hard to get into. I guess that's prog rock for you - which is typically not my thing. Still, it's definitely an interesting record. Not as good as I remember or maybe I just wasn't in the right mood. Makes sense for it to be on this list.

A very powerful album intense and deep. Stylistically varied and interesting. Can't possibly absorb it all in one listen but I intend to delve deeply in the coming days 3.5 🌟

Es ist vor allem eins: abwechslungsreich! Schlägt Haken und Volten (!) wie nur ein wendiger Geist oder System of a Down dies vermag. Oder Fühl mich an eine Emo/Indie Zeit zurück erinnert, für die ich knapp zu alt war, aber immerhin in Ausläufern (The Cooper Temple Clause, Dredg, Juno,…) dann doch mehr als nur ein Ohr offen hatte. Wird hier kein ähnliches Erweckungserlebnis, aber partiell bleibt es haftender als kukident. Meine prall mit bestickerten Notizbüchlein („Eriatarka“ Skizzen!) verseuchte Umhängetasche hängt tiefer als 3.4

Sounds like prog rock

The music is good but definitely not as good as I remembered, it really rubbed me the wrong way this time. This album oozes pretentiousness in ways I can't explain

time has been unkind to this band in a way that it really hasn't for At the Drive-In. insane musicianship that is almost hard to appreciate because the entire thing seems to drip with smugness. this album in particular might be the peak of Cedric's self-gratifying pretentious lyrics. stupid album, amazing musicians.

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.

Was expecting modern prog. More screaming than prog

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...

not my style

Individually - some really interesting musical elements. Shame that they repeat the same pattern until the last few tracks of the album.

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

Bit shouty for me, but the bits that weren't shouty were good

Man, I just cant get into these guys. Ive tried.

Inertiatic Esp Eriatarka

Not At The Drive In, what a shame love the first song all a bit too progy for me.

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.

Like lowkey what am I listening to? Definitely not good but there exists worse music out there 2/5

Eh, not the worst thing I've heard on this list but there isn't much to be excited about on this either.

Nope. I can't.

Nie celkom pre mňa... Určite sú to zruční muzikanti, ale môj dojem z hudby je 2.

Fairly certain this is the result of mixing prog rock, showtimes and heavy drugs. Yeah … that’s a very generous 2 stars

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.

Alright, general rock.

Inglaterra

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

uuhuh

4/10 - a bit too hard rock for me but objectively it is decent

Once again, I will never tell people that I like all forms of music.

Good but to repetitive for what it is

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.

I prefer At The Drive In

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

Very annoying

Each song contains 3-6 songs, some great, some okay.

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.

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.

heeeert kei zit gha zum notize mache aber en dude wo glichzitig mit mir d zvdk ufnahmeprüefig gmacht het het mer mol gseit mer müesi das uuunbedingt mol ghört haa. has nie glost. ich han vilicht z wenig gnau glost aber ich checks nöd würklich. s isch chli proggy moderne rock aber null catchy. sött vlt nochli lese drüber

When I seen it was an hour long with only 10 songs I was sceptical. The first track is about 1 minute 30, so I was correct. Alot of unnecessary synonyms and metaphors that appear deep and meaningful but don't pack any depth. Not for me

It is fine. Nothing special and sounds like a lot of other albums being released at that time. 5/10 Top song Drunkship of lanterns

Meh, not my favorite style of music. It was kind of interesting with the bass lines and rhythmic guitar.

2/5

Interaiatic esp Eriatarka

This is #day595 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I'm listening to this one a day later, as yesterday I was overwhelmed with other stuff. But hey, that still counts, right? I mean, I'm not really missing anything. Now, this is my first-ever experience with The Mars Volta. I never really had a reason to listen to them until now, although I do remember briefly checking out Antemasque when it came out. For the most part, I don't quite care for what I'm hearing. I didn't expect the vocals to be that high. I like some of the post-hardcore moments, but prog rock has never really been my thing. The music is more technical than musical, if that makes sense. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day596.

I don't know if there was something about the vocals that reminded me of Thom Yorke of Radiohead but several times I caught myself thinking if Radiohead had been a rawk band they'd sound like this. If I listen to this again I will probably wonder what I am on about. However while it had moments of interest I don't think I am likely to get the chance to wonder.

Firstly, I can’t tell you how uncomfortable this album cover makes me, secondly, I am so so surprised I don’t hate this album given the genre is extremely not my thing. The melodies though? They’re really good and even though there’s hardcore fast asf drums over most of it (which is rlly not my thing), I could still appreciate certain songs! This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed was my favorite.

I really wanted to like this record, but I simply don't. It drags on for far too long, and the lyrics are nonsensical bordering pretentions.

They're doing some cool stuff on this album but it makes me so anxious. I don't need more anxiety in my life, I need less...

Too many disparate musical ideas on top of each other. Give me At The Drive In instead.

Suenan bien rockers pero demasiado complejo pa my body

This was very odd, some parts were engaging but still not for me.

Didn’t take long to determine this was not for me. I have heard worse.

This could have been so good, like a strong 4, there were some great songs on here, that unfortunately were being played over by less great songs leaving me like .. What is happening?

Klarar inte riktigt av dem.

Not for me

Honestly it was a struggle for me to finish this one. Seems to me like music you listen to when you want to be an elitist and lord your superior intelligence over others who listen to that "formulaic pop music drivel". Math/prog rock. I see you but aint necessarily for me.

This one wasn't really my vibe.

I'm just not a fan of this sound. It's not super annoying, but I just don't get any enjoyment out of listening to this. They're good musicians and all, but the songs don't do it for me. 2 stars.

As much as I love prog's first wave in the 70's, I’ve always struggled with the genre once the influence of metal crept in, it just sounds like noise. Deloused in the Comatorium is a prog album through and through with an indecipherable concept, fantasy narrative, and instrumental wizardry. The problem? For me, it has all of prog's inherent snobbery without any tongue in cheek humor. A glance at the album’s lyrics shows the problem "Last night I heard lepers flinch like birth defects, its musk was fecal in origin as the words dribbled off of its chin." If it weren’t for the band’s explanations or Wikipedia, there’s absolutely no hope of understanding story. To the album’s credit, there's absolutely no possible argument against the solid musicianship here. The guitar playing alternates between lead parts or soundscapes in "Eriatarka". The drumming throughout, and particularly in "Drunkship of Lanterns", is fantastic. The singer has an impressive vocal range, with a solid belt. The problem is that it's all style and little substance. The most melodic we get is in the standout tracks "Eritarka" and "Elevators".The album just feels like dissolving into ambient nothingness. The ending, "Ambuletz", feels insulting to anyone who has sat through this for one hour with genuine excitement, it doesn't provide satisfying closure. It’s a real effort to make it through the whole album, and I’m not sure I’ll be doing it again any time soon. Did I need to hear this before I die? Probably not

yeah no

Very hectic and at times self indulgent. Technically very proficient but not something I would not listen to very often.

My knowledge of this band and its associated bands is very limited. I remember At the Drive-In being very popular in the music circles I tended to read, but I checked out Relationship of Command and didn't really like it. Then when Pearl Jam announced that part of their Riot Act tour would be opened by Sparta, I checked them out and it similarly didn't do anything for me. So I never even bothered to check out the Mars Volta. This music is interesting, but I don't love the vocals (too high-pitched, maybe?) and the lyrics are gibberish. I found a website with the novella they are based on and the context didn't really change my opinion that it's gibberish. "Cerpin taxt stood high above the wobbling miscarriage of oncoming traffic"? Sure thing, man.

??? das prog rock albu it kijische rtime? c

The title is the best thing about this album. 2 stars or D+.

just so mid

A lot going on here. Probably deserves a better listen than I gave it

90s music is so moody. Not a fan.

Reminds me of opeth and dream theater in parts. Sometimes it spent too long in places and I drifted away from it.

Started out with this album thinking high 3 trending 4, but ended up a high 2. It's just too much to digest.

This was a tough listen. Started off thinking I might like it after the first song, but everything after that had me begging for mercy. Narrowly avoided a one star rating as I had to skip the last three tracks for the sake of my sanity.

Progressive, my hoop!

didnt listen to fully… ill listen to half ill give the other half a listen eventually but ive seen these guys in concert and know they aren’t particularly my jam so im unfairly going to judge them off of that, im sure they have some banger and i understand why system has them open for everything but honestly just seems like a weaker soad to me

Not awful but I didn’t love it. Fast guitars and vocals that reminded me of a lite version of muse.

did we not make enough proggy rock with hootin and hollerin back in the 70s

Pretty dull

Not my favorite iteration of this genre

This is just Rush for people born after 1990

Weird. But not terrible.

I have to admit that this genre is really not my thing. I gave it a listen but it didn’t change my mind. I’m glad it connects with others though.