Deloused in the Comatorium

Wish I had heard this album sooner. What a jam.

I feel that this was a good effort (with excellent production), but somehow the tracks were lost on me. 2/5

Verrassend goed eigenlijk. Ik had het veel experimenteler verwacht

This album is now over 20 years old. I first heard it in high school, my second from this group, who were really my introduction to more technical, modern progressive rock like this. Basically immediately fell in love with the group, and then with this album especially, shocked I'd never heard anything like it before. There's no way I can pretend to rate this album objectively. In my heart, it's a 5 all the way.

You never forget your first delousing. I can’t wait for the day that I get deloused in a comatorium. With that out of the way, I’m unsure if I’ve heard The Mars Volta. I’ve definitely come across their name, but I’ve no idea if I know their music. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Roulette Dares, Ambuletz So much of this album is amazing. The vocals are great, and the music itself stays consistently interesting with enough weirdness through in with the expected. My only frustration with this is the amount of ambience between the songs. I don’t mind some interlude tracks, but there seem to be a lot here, even having them in the middle of individual tracks. This could have been higher rated if not for this, but I did still enjoy the album.

Nie vorher gehört und eine Bereicherung.

yeah… not for me

It’s kinda like if My Chemical Romance got inspired by Muse then just went crazy with it. Very thoughtful very technical i just need to listen to it more

Holy banger

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!

Liked the guitar sound

Outside of 'Inertiatic Esp,' I wasn't nearly as familiar with this project as I am with At The Drive-In's discography. Kicking myself for not diving in sooner, as this new iteration takes the latter band's angular guitar work and disjointed narratives to 11, opting for proggier, more symphonic tracks that twist and turn over extended runtimes. The technical proficiency on display is immense, Bixler-Zavala somehow managing to deliver some seriously impressive vocal chops on top of the most precise, laser-sharp guitar I've heard. This LP really shines more in its compositional work, though, crafting a melodic throughline that borders on concept album without tying the songs together irreparably. Not all of the longer tracks' twists and turns felt especially necessary, but the overall journey was still a hell of a ride.

Hysterisch, hektisch, mathematisch - nicht mein Fall.

Awesome albums. Songs are long and instrumentals are a big part of it but it’s very pleasant to listen to. It makes me think I’m a mechanic working on a body shop.

I've listened to Francis the Mute while in Highschool and even seen The Mars Volta at a SOAD concert, I was the only one of my group that fucking loved their performance. I loved At the Drive-In so much as well. Even still, I never listened to their debut album, I wish I did. This is for me. Huge fan of the guitar work, it's so different and that usually what I gravitate too. Vocals as well, so different and just hit for me. I usually drop a star for overly long songs (like Prince - 1999) but these ones just don't make me want to skip ahead.

I fucking love this album so fucking much.

Chef’s kiss

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.

Fucking awesome

okay wow! Awesomeeee metal/screamo/rock band. Actually really loved this.

Great album So close to a 5 Math rock guitar. Omar is outstanding on this record

Cooler than I remember it being

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

Not for me.

Fuck yes, another favorite from 20 years ago - the chokehold that Televators had on my adolescent mind! A great band to listen to if you're studying for the SATs, get your blood pumping while you expand your vocabulary. This album absolutely rips. I'm just a gal who loves psychedelic, prog, weird stuff. I'm not afraid of a 60 minute jam about the nightmarish hallucinations experienced during the limbo between life and death. In the proggiest move ever, there's a companion book that goes with this album to add further details to the "story" of Cerpin Taxt, the fictional main character based on real life artist Julio Venegas. I only learned of its existence today, so I'm glancing at it now out of curiosity, but for me the vibes of these songs are strong enough to get the point across. Summary: a man is in immense psychological pain, takes a cocktail of drugs with the intent to die, goes into a coma and has an existential battle with his various demons while hospitalized before ultimately deciding, after he wakes up, to make the final choice to end it all. Track 1 - "Son Et Lumiere" - The title translates to sound and light. There are droning background noises that evoke florescent lights, combined with the paranoid and repetitive beep-like note it gives the essence of hospital. The narrator vaguely describes shooting something up and says he is "not the percent you think survives" - he was planning and expecting to die. He refers to himself as a rat and vermin with pockmarked skin. All the while the music is steadily building, adding drums and louder instrumentation. Track 2 - "Inertiatic Esp" - The first track flows seamlessly into this, with the band at full volume as the singer wails "Now I'm Lost!" - the narrator is lost in his comatose interior world. There is grotesque imagery, a possible combo of hospital horrors and nightmarish psychosis. The drums are driving, the organ is wonky, the jams are fantastic. Track 3 - "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)" - This intro is the most At The Drive-In sounding to me, loud, fast, intense. The haunt of roulette dares - these ghastly hallucinations are the result of the narrator playing a game with his life. The verses refer to various forms of self harm. The pre-chorus slow down jams are heavy AF - the narrator will not be reconnecting to his body soon, the junction is delayed, he's going deeper. The end is a slow jam out Track 4 - "Tirame A Las Aranas" - Throw me to the spiders! This is a very short and spooky instrumental track, dark plucky guitar gives way to atmospheric wails and wobbles that slide into the following track. Track 5 - "Drunkship of Lanterns" - The Latin rhythms on this song are frantic, along with the bass. It grows more and more throughout the song, which evokes claustrophobia and isolation with imagery of submarines and tombs. "Is anybody there?" "Nobody is heard" There are multiple movements as it weaves in and out of begging for another soul, panicked descriptions of desolate scenery, and the intense locked-in horror of there being nothing but the counting of one's own blinks. The outro is another atmospheric industrial wind down, with a marching beat. Track 6 - "Eriatarka" - The chorus of this one is ATDI reminiscent again, with hardcore edges that give way to proggy verses, more grotesque imagery - tapeworms etc. The lyrics here are particularly esoteric, but the vibe is that the narrator is an experiment, something is wrong. In this basement he has been restrained, is "cocooned meat", dark stuff. Track 7 - "Cicatriz Esp" - I fucking love this song. "IIIIIII'VE DEEEEEFECTED" It's 12:28, it is bonkers, it is just so good for me. Just psychedelic weirdness for the middle bit. The rails have come off, "said I've Lost My Way" , it comes all the way back with a Santana style Latin rhythms and guitar moment that builds and builds from around 8 minutes to 11 minutes. The singer comes back with a vengeance and the end is massive. Track 8 - "This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed" - weirdest (funny to write that) vibes on this one. The narrator is unhinged and wrathful, there are images of destruction, cities in ruin, and themes of vengeance and blame. A very aggressive drum outro. Track 9 - "Televators" - I love that this was a single that I could hear on the radio in 2003, what a time. This is a beautiful, sad, slow song that uses allegorical lyrics to describe the tragic suicide of Julio Venegas, a friend of the Mars Volta founding members. He had been in a coma after a previous attempt at suicide by overdose, that experience informed the stories of the previous songs, after waking from his coma he eventually took his own life by jumping off a bridge over a busy intersection. A plea for mercy from concrete and pavement. Track 10 - "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" Cerpin, or Julio, has chosen the veil. This is great closing track with more beautiful, evolving, instrumental jams. A self-guided journey to death with the tragic final call of "Who brought me here?"

what

I listened to this quite a bit in high school but haven't listened to it much since. I am pleasantly surprised that it sounds great 20 years later. I didn't really know what prog rock was back then, but have since developed a taste for it, and this fits right in the pocket. The tug between Mars Volta's desire to "jab the common man's ears" and producer Rick Rubin's desire to cater to those ears, creates a perfectly balanced cocktail.

Spotify started auto-playing similar early 2000s prog acts once this album was over, and it took me 13 tracks to even notice the difference.

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.

One of the best albums (debatable, I know) by one of my favourite bands. This album is full of complex masterpieces that are weird, exciting and vibrant.

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.

Just came off like a bunch of whining. Did not work for me but I can see how other people would like it.

Super weird album that I didn't like at first, but grew on me with its incredible level of details and self-references. Quite a unique album

Bangers on bangers on bangers

Good album. Like most progressive rock, it's one that I will definitely have to listen to several times. This is one of my favorite styles of music. It's almost too early for me to give it a rating, but nonetheless, I'm inclined to give it a 5.

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

Buen disco de rock, bien producido, saliéndose un poco del estándar de álbum típico de rock. Buena voz. Los conocía solo de nombre

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.

I never would have listened to this if not for this project. It was an interesting listen, but not one I will go back to.

Absolutely exceptional. Beautiful, trippy, emotional and so very tightly realized without loosing its raw energy.

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

Favorite Songs: Inertiatic ESP; Drunkship of Lanterns REgrettably I had never heard of this band, what what a solid album. Will definitely give them another look.

Wanted to love it at times but overall I didn't

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.

Hardcore man noises.

Très moderne malgré l'année, certains chansons à la production un peu brouillone je trouve, mais musicalement riche

Interesting to learn this is apparently a concept album with a story, I've always been of the correct opinion that Mars Volta and At the Drive In lyrics were exclusively nonsense. Relationship of Command is one of my favourite albums and I still return to it, so I was primed for Mars Volta when they started up. They shook me off around Frances the Mute though, just too pretentious and daft. I definitely enjoyed a lot of this when it first came out though, but I've not revisited like ATDI so let's see. Intertiatic still hits. These do frenetic energy exceptionally well. How could I have not recognised the story on this album with lyrics as evocative and imbued with narrative strength such as "exoskeletal junction at the railroad delayed" and "dress the tapeworm as pet"? Roulette Dates is another banger though, despite this utter nonsense. The longer this goes on the more daft I feel for sort of mentally writing MV off years ago, this goes in directions my tastes have caught up with since, prog, Latin, afrobeat etc. all mixed in with that sweet, sweet hardcore. Oh I remember now, songs like Eriatarka are much too long for their own good without doing anything with the extra time. Conversely, Cicatriz noodles along for ages doing stuff but I find myself getting bored instead of drawn in. Bit of an Icarus wings situation. So close to a 5 but I remembered why I don't listen to it and got bored before the end so I can't possibly. Woke me up for the weekend, at any rate. Time to dip back into the back catalogue I think.

Rating: 4/10 Did not enjoy this overall. I really enjoy some of the ideas on it, these guys are amazing musicians. The songwriting is what leaves a lot to be desired. They have all of the tools to craft fantastic songs, and instead love to go overboard and fully chaotic, which I don't enjoy. The slower moments on this album is what really shines for me, but even the slower moments can be very boring. Still a creative album, they definitely have their own sound which I respect but I don't like their sound, at least on this album. Also, I really dislike the vocalist. Favorite song: Inertiatic Esp, Roulette Dares. Worst songs: Drunkship of Lanterns, This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed.

oh good, I get to learn what prog would sound like if it came after indie rock, and even more so, emo. by good I mean wretched. some of the more basic guitar parts would be ok in a different context. the Zappa of its generation, collecting fragments of what's around for a monument to ego. very unlikeable.

This one felt like I forgot to take my meds, but I don’t take medication.

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…

When Mars Volta are good, they're great, the guys voice is so unique, really intricate angular prog rock/punk but with a Latin American tinge. They are however very self indulgent, even by the standards of the genre. This album is actually fairly focused compared to some of their other stuff and I still found myself waiting for the wibbly ambient bits to end. There a 5 star 40 minute album in here but as is it's a 4.

The creative force can't quite sustain itself. At times bombastic, frightening, amusing, and bizarre, and frequently within the same song. The album is far too long though, and would have been a fantastic recipient of some pretty sharp editing. Still, I greatly enjoyed the general sound and will listen to more of their stuff.

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

Knew of the Mars Volta but never listened to them. Was thinking while listening that this has to be the singer from at the drive in, and it is.... Distinctive voice, which I really like. I enjoyed bits of this, however probably the stuff which was more like at the drive in, heavier with the phrenetic guitars. Other parts of it were a bit too progressive, too big gaps where nothing interesting was happening in very long tracks. I recognised "inertiatic esp", which was also the best track imo. "Roulette dares" was good too. The second half of the album, I found tough to get through though. Kept wishing it was at the drive in! Tough to rate as I did really like some of it, it just got a bit much by the end! Might give it another go. 3.5

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

Wow alltså, topp 5 progmetalalbum genom tiderna. Närmare 5 än 4.

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

Zero redeemable qualities.

Really just blends with all other metal. Wasnt a fan but maybe it's just the genre

einzigartiges, stilprägendes Album / absolut underrated / so facettenreich und kreativ. Trifft genau mein Geschmack. 5/5

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.

I liked this a little less than the first EP and more than the follow up...this band seems to lose me a little more with each album they release which is odd because they have all the makings of an incredible band.

The lyrics are merely there to fill in the space, like another instrument. But who cares when it's this good!!!??

I used to like this album a lot.

Not as good as others in the genre. Not sure why this is here but not White Moth Black Butterfly. Just because something is popular doesn't mean it is good.

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

After many listens, I still couldn't tell you any of the song names on this album, or what the lyrics are about. But it's a banger front to back. Best enjoyed by just putting it on and taking the ride. To me, this is a wild masterpiece that still holds up, even after I have moved on from many albums in the same genre.

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

Not for me. Proof that good musicians don't always make good music.

Takie muse trochę ale nie wyróżniające się. Może 3/5 dam, a może 4 bo Drunkship of Lanterns ma fajne tempo

Very interesting and probably important album. I can hear a lot of modern post-rock, post-metal bands in this record, especially with the way all of the instruments work together despite the possible chaos. What's surprising is how user friendly this album is, despite a massive amount of experimentation. It didn't strike me as an undisputed great modern album ever, like some people think, but I do find it very enjoyable and pretty important in popular music history.

Interesante, relisten seguro

Uno de los mejores álbumes de rock progresivo de los 2000. Las letras crípticas que relatan una pérdida son sumamente densas y ricas en contenido, mientras que las composiciones e interpretaciones son sumamente impresionantes, coronando la carrera completa de At The Drive-In. Lamentablemente, este es el peak de la discografía de The Mars Volta, no volviendo nunca a estar a este nivel de intensidad.

I'd had The Mars Volta on my list to listen to for years now, but never got round to it. The name put me off a little, also the description of Latin/ Punk/ Prog didn't sound amazing, even though their name consistently comes up in forums I subscribe to. So I had mixed feelings seeing this come up; would it be as good as people said, or would it not fit my tastes. I also flicked through a few reviews, noting that there was a lot of 1s and 5s and not much in between. The vocals were often picked out as a weak link. Then I listened to the album, halfway through I stopped playing it and went and purchased a copy, then continued. Yes, it was incredible, not ground breaking, with lots of influences I could detect from other bands from the 1970s onwards, and probably bands influenced by this album possibly? Definitely a bit of a Muse, Radiohead, King Crimson vibe throughout, but in a good way. Listened to it again, twice and it only got better each time.

This one is a 5/5 for me. With no prior listening to this band, they still felt familiar to me in a way that can only indicate their influence on other bands in my wheelhouse, and vice versa. Televators was a standout track, and there are several other worthy mentions here. Planning to take a second pass at this one later.

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.

This is not for your average music fan. This is a cohesive work, high on production. I feel like so much of the music I love that this needs to be digested in full.

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.

Meh

I, too, enjoy my prog rock with a heavy dose of noise and energy.

This album sounds like electric spiders who are good at math are screaming inside my brain.

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.

Terrifying. I'd never heard anything remotely like this before; 'twas recommended upon release by a friend with my having had zero knowledge of anything surrounding the band so... quite the shock. The opening is amazing: from the perfect haunting-yet-something-bigger-is-coming-i-can-feel-it intro song of "Son et lumière" which folds directly into the beat-you-through-the-brain "Inertiatic ESP" - you're in or out at this point. I was in. Amazing. The cover definitely fits, too. This is an *album* - you can't listen in parts, or have a song on a playlist (MIXTAPE) - it's headphones-on and take the hour-long trip. These lyrics man wtf I've never bothered trying, but when I occasionally grab onto a word or phrase it doesn't make sense yet definitely contributes to the terror of the album overall. Incredible musicianship that hits the proggy geek part of me yet has a controlled aggression I can't compare to any others. But honestly it's sometimes too much, even if I do love it...I love it but don't always *like* it, if that makes any sense. It's jarring, dissonant, completely frenetic, noisy yet ... melodic. It's 100% worth it but feels exhausting and therefore not an album I listen to often, it's almost like it takes a lot out of me. No passive listening here. Best moment without question: "Roulette Dares" chorus....: "Exo-skeletal junction at the railroad delayyyyyyyed!" - chills. The flame-broiled un-wakeable dystopian nightmare hard rock compliment to the frozen-dark introspective electronic Kid A. No coincidence: two of my favourites. 9/10 5 stars.

One of my all time favorite albums from one of my all time favorite bands. There's not a single miss on this album.

-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

I'm usually into most of prog rock so I thought this album would be for me, but nope, I didn't like it. The songs didn't lead anywhere, the music was way too intense and busy throughout (except for a short time in the middle of the album), it's overproduced, and the singer's high falsetto voice annoyed me most of the time. Majority of the album is more post-hardcore than prog rock anyway. It was difficult to get through this one...

Found the CD at an opshop a few months ago. Been in the car CD player since. Great album.

Perfect, I have listened to it so many times, it never gets old.

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

Hoogst onderschat album. Voor mij in elk geval een van mijn favoriete albums ever. Ik weet nog zo goed hoeveel impact het maakte toen ik het voor het eerst hoorde. En het heeft nog steeds niet aan kracht ingeboet.

Wat een energie! Wat een drive! Wat een overdaad aan geweldige muziekale ideeen en catchy melodieen! Het wordt hier en daar wel wat top-zwaar en dreigt dan onder zichzelf te bezwijken, maar godallemachtig wat een stelletje briljante freaks bij elkaar!

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

Really interesting and I loved the guitar work on this album. Another reminder to listen to more of their stuff

"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.

This was just kind of boring for me!

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.

Terrible title. Awful cover. Bullshit lyrics. Pretentious band name. 12+ minute track. All of this should add up to an hour or so in sonic hell; but ... actually a really enjoyable listen.

A bit lousy, a bit comatose.

not often you envy the guy in the coma

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.

lugar comun

Unnecessarily busy; overly produced. No hooks, nothing to grab onto.

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.

Immediately this album sets the tone. The opening track lets you know what you are in for, and then Inertiatic takes off running at full speed, and never really slows down to let you catch your breath. I use the term "beautiful car crash" because it's hard to describe the kind of energy this has in any other way. But I think it's wonderful. This isn't my first forte into The Mars Volta. I've heard Frances the Mute before, and I enjoy that album a lot. Since they rose from the ashes of an already existing band, there was no time for them to find their sound. Cedric and Omar already knew what it was, and they were ready to share more of it with the world. I have to say, I love the mixing on this album. Every sound is so pronounced and hits with so much power, yet you can hear each piece of each song so clearly. They did a fantastic job at giving each instrument its own space. I also think Cedric is a really great vocalist. His voice has always stood out to me since the moment I first heard the chorus on Cygnus...Vismund Cygnus. He has the perfect amount of 2000's emo to his voice, and his range is insane. The highs he hits in these songs are sick. The only two real issues I have with this are two specific songs. I think Cicatriz ESP is a good song, especially the beginning and end of it. I love how thumping the bass is. But that long stretch in the middle of just ambiance throws the song off for me. This is an issue that will become more apparent in their sophomore album, but that is its own thing. And with Televators, there just isn't much to the song. In an album filled with breakneck bangers that damn near give you whiplash, Televators is just kind of boring. TMV is a divisive band. Some love them for what they do, and then there are some who really get up in arms about their music. Some of the most extreme online music reviews probably exist on one of their albums. To me, there is nothing inherently wrong with their music. Calling it unlistenable trash is so extreme, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I think The Mars Volta represents the best parts of modern prog rock. Prog rock hasn't ever been super beginner friendly, and has always been a genre that can mix with so many others to become this huge melting pot of music. I think for a debut, De-Loused hits really hard, and sounds great.

I like this one a lot. I was a big At The Drive In fan got this right away back when it dropped. I've spent a lot of time with this one over the years. Some aspects (like the lyrics) make me roll my eyes a bit but I get over it because this album just kills it. It's just a shame that the next album was still terrific and then they really kept falling off until I didn't give a shit anymore. I absolutely love this album and probably always will.

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

Really really really liked it. To the extent that I would’ve liked to download it. However, it’s region locked, and I could only watch an upload of it on youtube. Ya~y. Favourite song probably Eriatarka.

This is a bunch of weird gay bullshit.

Some parts about half way got me interested but just as a whole didn't really stand out to me. Got bored towards the end, especially a nice 8+ minute song to end the album.

More, please! Progressive rock, ftw! 4/5

Meh

Not to my taste but I can see they have something.

Is this even music lol

It's alright i guess. Nothing bad, but nothing really gripped me here. Maybe it's just not my style.

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.

The opening of this album was electric! From the opening notes I shot up and was transfixed. How about we all sing along now? “Transient jet lag, Ecto-mimed bison, This is the haunt of roulette dares, Ruse of metacarpi, Caveat emptor to all that enter here…” “Track-marked amoeba lands craft, cartwheel of scratches dress the tapeworm as pet tentacles smirk please, flinched the cocooned meat Infra-recon forget…” “A mass of gallon sloth (They're gonna get you) As flies have walls for feet A rapturous verbatim (You better run now) Someone said, but who's to know?“ Ummmmmm… yeah? I could probably spend the rest of my life trying to unravel the lyrics and still be left wondering if this is James Joyce-level brilliance or the unhinged rantings of a lunatic. This is one hell of a freaky ride I can’t wait to go on again!

Going into this a big fan of late 60s/early 70s prog, so looking forwards to checking this out. Not a huge fan of the vocal style, but the instrumentals are really impressive and the songs are interesting. Favourite Tracks: Inertiatic Esp, This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed

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

Great album, Inertiatic Esp and Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of) were favourites

Un ruido asqueroso.

cool

Store brand Rush.

This was awesome. Never listened to them and pleasantly impressed

I was a fan of At The Drive In but somehow missed this band. Great to discover them now. This album sounds very 2000s so there's a bit of nostalgia going on, but I'm probably more open to the progginess than I would have been back then. Will definitely listen again.

Woah, something about this one really connected with me. Hadn't heard of them before. Complex, chaotic, put spot on tight precision. A wild blend of like Rush, Coheed & Cambria, and Death Cab? Hard to pinpoint, and I don't normally like the longer prog-rock style, but this one broke through to me, really enjoyed it

fuck yea. and Flea was a bass player on this?! Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of) really feels like the album is in full swing, but then immediately drops back. The obsessions with swinging 3s makes for a rythmically engaging sound. This album has a much more approachable sound than something like Francis The Mute. Eriatarka is my favorite track so far. Cicatriz Esp has this weird downtempo ambient section that just feels like a filler. The back end of Take The Veil Cerpin Text also feels a little languid.

Very enjoyable progressive rock album (which isn’t my favorite genre). This was a great mix of styles and really embraced the idea of a concept album. Great debut.

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

In the past I focused only on a few songs (the opener and Drunkship of Lanterns in particular), but listening to the album in its entirety again makes me realise it is great from start to finish. The overall sound and dynamics just blow me away.

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

Just didnt stick with me. Average 00's stuff

Not for me so much. 2.5

I've known of this band for ages but never really listened to them. And I don't usually like this sort of music. But these tracks grew on me after 2-3 listens

Metal progresivo. Algunas partes raritas.

It's hard to describe the insanity in overdrive that this album is. I never made the click with The Mars Volta due their annoying fans back in the early 2000's. But by Zeus, this is awesome!

Wow, this kicks ass. Energetic, interesting, great instrumentation and vocals. No idea what the lyrics are about but I don't care. This is some good-ass rock music.

There is so much going on. Quote noisy. Liked it

this album slaps! i love the post-hardcore proggy sound, everything flows super well, and it's based on an interesting concept. favorite tracks: son et lumiere, inertiatic esp, roulette dares (the haunt of)

Progressive rockart rockpost-hardcore. Rollo.

Mars Volta is my new favorite listen. Went on to listen to two other albums.

Too long and sound the same all along

old prog is shit but new prog can be pretty cool

9/10

Bra, lite väl stökigt ibland, men i stort en bra platta

This album came into my world because Saul Williams toured with The Mars Volta and I was thoroughly obsessed with anything he touched or orbited at the time. This sonic bombardment was nothing like I had heard before, but I loved it. And still do. I've never gone too deep on the rest of their catalog (or even heard half their albums at all, I think) but this is an album I come back to frequently - especially when I have the opportunity to play it very loud.

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

epic

super bien pour le ronpiche

Yes! What an insane album.

I'm such a sucker for prog rock. I love me an album that has a consistent through-line. Musicianship is fantastic. So much here that I can aspire to. I could put this one on to play and the entire hour passes without my noticing. My buddy says the Wiki summary reads like an Aronofsky film! Love it. And I'll be listening to this album again, most definitely.

I'm surprised this has a rating over 3 tbh. I though it would alienate so many people. Masterful Latin heavy prog rock . Conceptual and the lyrics are mostly gibberish but but does it rock and hook and have drive and purpose. An utter force of nature. 4

C’est explosifmais c’est quandmmeme original’ j’ai aime le style. 3.90

I do not like it a whole lot. But I like it a little bit.

One of the enigma like bands that I feel I should like far more than I do. Have owned this album since release date. Have tried to listen countless times...just never clicks. 2.5/5

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

Favorite Song(s): I liked them all, but I think Televators was my favorite? Danggggggg. This album blew my mind. Half the time I had no idea what was happening, but in a really good way. I'm definitely going to have to listen many more times before I even begin to appreciate what's happening here.

This album is simultaneously treading new ground, but is still very much of its time. The guitar tone and the style of playing are very much early to mid-2000s, but the use of the Latin and jazz rhythms is unique. This album feels very influenced by Rush’s 2112 in its scope and overall self-indulgence (not necessarily a bad thing). I think I need to give it a couple of listens before I really make up my mind, but I did enjoy it quite a bit.

Far out, maaaaaan

A very interesting and captivating listen. Drummer is a beast. Really cool blend of emo/prog/psych.

Good music, but holy shit I can't stand the singer for a goddamn second. I would like this with any other vocalist.

Not listenable

I think the instrumentation is great throughout most of this album, especially the uptempo drumming; however, they have composed their songs so poorly that every song ends up sounding like random noise. Granted, there are times when math rock & noise rock can be pulled off and sound amazing, but this is not one of those albums. The lyrics appear to be up for interpretation and I have no idea what the plot of a single song is. On top of that, I am not a fan of the singer's falsetto range, especially when he gets into the loud vocal sections - there is also a bunch of funky processing of the vocals happening which seems to intensify the shrillness of it all. This one stays on the shelf. Thanks for the ride. Fave tracks: Son et Lumiere, Drunkship of Lanterns

This one should be easy for me, I love Prog Rock and having Flea on bass is a huge win for any band. But yet I just cannot get into it. The songwriting and instrumentation are good, I really enjoy the incorporation of latin/jazz styles, but what looses me is the vocal delivery. It sounds too much like a whiny 00s Emo-Punk band. Also makes what is supposed to be a story based concept album mostly unintelligible (although having looked up some of the lyrics, it appears you need a thesaurus to decipher them anyway). Plus including a well-known acronym in two of your tracks, but then redefining what is stands for is officially jumping the shark on the pretentiousness scale. Fav Tracks: Inertiatic ESP, This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed

Relationship of command was always an album I loved although Stand out tracks - - This apparatus must be removed - Inateric Esp

Mais um esforço para conhecer mais de rock progressivo. Não me entreguei a esta opção dos anos 2000. Melodia e vocal incomodam mais do que a qualidade do instrumental, especialmente a bateria.

EXOSKELETAL The folks will never forget the meta that was initiated at Terminal 5 in NYC in late September. The boof was hit, Mike V was met, Family Guy was watched (the open with Osama bin laden doing comedy), and the fellas initiated meta.

you already know this album is a banger. It’s the Mexican Weeknd singing for gods sake

Me like this album.

Hard to give a 5 to an album I haven't listened to before, but I really liked this one. The wife liked it too.

It was good but was a little bit like noise sometimes

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

Super enjoyable and creative. Started to drone on a bit toward the end of the album, but hung on as a great one.

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

Did The Mars Volta single-handedly revive Prog Rock? No one can ever say definitively yes, but if they didn't do it, no one did. And, if this full-length release didn't kick it off, then I don't know what did. This album continues to thrill.

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

Une énergie folle

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

I am not a fan at all of the Mars Volta

Holds up

Sounds like dance Gavin dance but if they were really bad

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.

Another one of my favourites. Epic poly rhythms, unique sounds, a concept album about a man wrestling with their mortality while in a coma. Unique and amazing. Still not as good as the next one though lol

It was fine. 3.5

2 stars

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.

Thank Glob for genre changing mad-scientist-musicians like Cedric Bixler-Zavala.

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.

yeah this is exactly the type of music i don’t like.

Ret fedt album.

turns out i like the Mars Volta...

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

I was dreading trying this one. Something in my head just made me groan as soon as I saw The Mars Volta pop up, despite being a fan of At the Drive-In. I remember trying to listen to Francis the Mute ages ago and being turned off almost immediately, and that’s always colored my perception of this band. Then I heard Inertiatic ESP and realized I may have made a mistake. Like the best At the Drive-In tracks, there’s a lot here that rips, and the constant switching between different dynamics every minute or so always keeps you guessing. It’s as if the band has some sort of physical reaction as soon as a song enters any stage of comfortability, only being able to play a part over again in service of the occasional chorus or rousing rallying cry. The lyrics are often abstract, conveying twisted thoughts and feelings that mesh well with the constantly contorting musicianship at play. That rhythm section! You definitely won’t walk away from here feeling bored, but you may feel like you’re losing your mind a little if you truly dive into this one.

Wow, where's this album been all my life? Visceral, nonsensical, trippy, unhinged but still with a solid structure. The perfect companion to a stressful and anxiety-laden couple of days. Favourite: Inertiatic Esp

Interesting

Electric energetic with matching melodies and timely interludes!! (87%)

Is there a 3.99 rating?

4 .5

Kids were pretty psyched about this band in high school. They never really did anything for me but I will say they are different in a good way

Ej, det blev både ensformigt og alt for sad-boy til mig. Kan forstå hvorfor andre hopper med på den, men det bliver ikke mig.

After listening to this album, I want to walk up to each of the band members, also them in the face and tell them to cull the fuck out.

Oh I know this record #49 all time streams I listened to this a lot when it came out, not so much in the streaming era Love this record, forgot how much so

One of the best progressive rock albums released this century. Impecable, aggressive, exciting!

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

The album cover sucks, but the rest is great. It tells a story, but it’s vague and I ended up just enjoying the extremely pretentious lyrics. It’s very high octane. Also, I was surprised at ‘Cicatriz Esp’ being 12 minutes, but it was stupid of me to assume that there wouldn’t be a 12 minute song on a prog album.

Did not enjoy this at all. Kind of reminded me of Coheed and Cambria.

Meh

this album is so steeped in high frequencies and treble that i can see no way it can't be fatiguing to your ears. modern prog rock is for some people but i am not one of them.

Been craving some Dream Theater So close to a 5 But there's so much stupid bullshit Fuck it 5

4.4 - OK, this is pretty sick actually! It's like Muse but much darker, proggier and more atmospheric. Or like Tool but less doom metal-y. The lyrics are ridiculous with gross-out references to death and medical conditions, and the song titles are obscure. And the vocals, though effective, are screechy. If you can get past all that, this is a dynamic record full of surprising twists and turns.

Prog rock, not my taste

No

This is really not for me. It makes me feel very stressed for some reason.

Not for me, nothing seemed connected.

Oh god. This is way more stressful than I need today. It’s probably “good” but I had to turn it off- no way would I last an hour of this.

What can I say, I like prog. In a very crude description: it sounds like music to me. There's melodies, there are repeated themes, there are stories in the lyrics (not necessary but it helps), there's variation in rhythms and styles, there's sometimes interesting sounds within... Prog is great.

Kuuntelin tätä työhuoneella ja olin harvinaisen tietoinen viereisessä huoneessa työskentelevästä jonoista, joka on juuri aloittanut naapurihuoneessa sijaitsevan gallerian valvojana. End ikinä häpeä mitään (paitsi tekemiäni virheitä), mutta nyt häpesin - ei kai jolppi luule, että tätä kuuntelen vapaaehtoisesti. Piste siitä, että tämä ei ollut aivan niin kamala, kuin muistelin.

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

Onhan tää teknisesti upeaa ja rautaista menoa, mutta en oikein saa tästä genrestä enää mitään irti. Livenä kuuntelisin hyvin mielelläni, kuten jazziakin.

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

Christ, how do I even begin to review this one? I remember seeing "The Widow" video on TV and not liking it, but somehow finding myself listening to this album (which doesn't even have that song) and making myself a massive Mars Volta fan at age 14. I have worshiped at the altar of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. I was a massive participant on the Mars Volta thread on Ultimate-Guitar way back in the day. "Bias" doesn't even cover it. This was one of my first true introductions to the weirdness of prog-rock, along with Yes' "Fragile", though this record appealed to me more at the time since I came to this after listening to mostly Breaking Benjamin and Seether. Still not sure how I survived that jump. It's heavy, it's winding, and it's easy to get lost in the gorgeous soundscapes if you let yourself. Jon Theodore puts literally everything he has into the drums of this record, and he doesn't get enough credit. I can definitely see a lot of people calling this one "pretentious", and rightly so, but fuck that. I haven't heard anything that sounds quite like this ever, and I don't think anyone will ever get close to the absolute fever dream that this record is. Favorite tracks: "Drunkship of Lanterns", "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt", "Roulette Dares", "Cicatriz ESP"

I'm only marginally aware of The Mars Volta. Deloused in the Comatorium was all new music to me. I knew barely enough about The Mars Volta to reluctantly review the album. I'm not a fan of the vocals from this band. I like progressive rock a lot, but this newer metal prog doesn't inspire. Much of the album was okay. I did not like "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)" and "Drunkship of Lanterns" and I would have preferred to not listen to "This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed" or "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt".

1/11, 9%

4 1/2

One of my all-time favorites. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding

Don’t know anything about this band but after listening + the album cover + album title + the track titles, they feel a little pretentious + ratio. Songs weren’t bad persay, but I’m not sure what all the fanciness was about. I guess I should give them credit for trying to be different than other rock bands, because they certainly felt that way. But I don’t see myself listening again or voting for this to be on this list.

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

I try to be open with music but I struggle to understand why, or frankly even how, someone creates something like this. It felt like a bad trip. I’m sure these guys had some grandiose vision and it all makes sense to them but I detested this album and never want to hear it, or its stupid song titles, again.

Captivating! So interesting and mournful. Enough high octane to keep me high energy and grooving throughout

What a mish-mash of unpleasantness. DNF.

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

Not so much my flavor, but I tip my hat to a very impressive effort.

I knew The Mars Volta beforehand and I’m always keen to listen to songs of theirs. Somehow, however, their debut has always eluded me. I like it a lot, but I guess I like the later work even more.

It’s gutsy to produce a complex rock concept album as your debut, but Mars Volta pulls it off flawlessly. This is the type of album that the listener can lose oneself in the intricacy. Excellent guitar and drum manipulation, with elements of a variety of genres recorded with impressive quality. I’m glad this album made the list.

4 because it’s pretty good but way too long.

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

Awesome album, I love these guys

I prefer my prog a bit more 70s based

Progressive rockart rockpost-hardcore. Rollo.

I'm more convinced than ever this is the emperor's new clothes. Unnecessarily proggy to the point it distracts from the songs, and the lyrics read like the ramblings of a drunk horse

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

Not one to listen to while trying to do a slow run

Features Flea and produced by Rick Rubin… noice. Liked this more than i should have, but some songs were rather lengthy

If Peter Gabriel wore fingerless gloves and listened to Paramore. Sot Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of) Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt 2/5

all music is intrinsically art by nature, but some albums, such as de-loused in the comatorium, are so purposefully made that you are smacked in the face. since it's progressive music, the album can be jarring at times but it isn't overwhelmingly so. overall the sound is better when it's not so distorted or discordant--but that is their style so i won't split hairs. progressive metal is definitely not a common genre, but whenever an artist utilizes progressive music, they must be top notch musically. volta's drums and guitar stood out multiple times--and imagine my surprise discovering flea was the bassist for most tracks here! the lyrics are strong and well crafted. the mars volta is a band with a vocalist (cedric bixler-zavala) who is incredibly well-suited for this kind of music. 3.5

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

Not a very interesting album. Basically sounded like the same song for an hour besides a little bit difference in Cicatriz Esp and Drunkship of Lanterns. Not bad music, just not really my taste and not very much going on. The names of the songs are very cool however.

Exelente

I don't know if I liked it or not. The musicianship is top notch. Great vocal range as well. It just wasn't very enjoyable music for me to listen to. Also, I feel like they make up a lot of words. Regardless, four stars on musicianship alone.

>< ><

Really good i like it a lot

Not my cup of tea

There isn't much range in this album. In a blind test, I probably couldn't pick their vocals out from any other early 00s rock etc. band.

Pretentious emo rock.

Prog garage rock. 2.6

kon but not as good

Awesome

Tja, wat zal ik zeggen na een keer luisteren…

Well, I can say with much confidence that this is not a genre I enjoy. Part of my distaste for this type of music is that it felt like it like I couldn’t escape having to hear it constantly in the early 2000s. I didn’t hate this but I was glad when it was over.

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,

very impressive, kinda forgettable. my prog friends back in high school ate this up and starting using greek/latin gibberish song titles

already heard this one before, it's been a while since i've listened to the album all the way through but it's a fantastic record

22nd December 2022 Listened on the plane back to the UK. Emo thrash, felt it was a bit disingenuous funnily enough. Try hard wailing.

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

A lot of interesting sounds going on, but not for me.

Technically proficient, but frenetic and in no way emotionally diverse. This is a somewhat difficult listen.

Notes - Debut album Prog rock legends the mars Volta - Concept album written based on a short story by the band’s singer - Album released a month after the death of band member Jeremy ward - Flea on bass lol - Produced by rick Rubin - sounds great - Drumming is so good - I used to be a huge mars Volta and at the drive in fan but I barely ever listen to them nowadays - Complex and complicated while still sticking in your brain Fav - eriatarka - really like the sort of emo influence on this one least fav - this apparatus must be unearthed - good chorus but the verses weren’t for me 4.5/5 really good, need to be in the right mindset to fully enjoy

marte it is back

Interesting concept and pretty good quality sound and guitar work. For some reason I couldn’t really get into it though.

I didn’t know the meaning of two words in the album title. Thanks to 1001, I now know what the words “in” and “the” mean. This is quite heavy and full of energy but not the same old / same old heavy and not the same old / same old prog rock. The first five or so songs are exceptional as are the cover and alternate cover.

I was not looking forward to a post-2000 prog release and listening to the intro, which ends with 2112-like guitar chords, I was expecting the worst. But the singer is no Geddy Lee. In fact, I thought he had a top-tier hard rock voice, up there with Robert P or Freddie M, but with a much better name – Cedric Bixler-Zavala. I guess if you’re going to be singing choruses like “Exoskeletal junction at the railroad delayed” you shouldn’t have a name like David Jones. The guitar playing is wicked and arty, the song structures are certainly original and the song-titles are entertaining. It’s an intense, ambitious effort, especially for a debut album, and it’s worth a high mark from me despite my co-judge’s insistence that I listen to it on my head-phones.

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