Following in the footsteps of King Crimson, Yes, Public Image Ltd., Genesis, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Pink Floyd, The Mars Volta are one of the true experiemental progressive punk rock bands that know the score very well. These Texas progsters sure know how to keep the numbers rolling and their new album, The Bedlam in Goliath is one helluva roller-coaster ride.
I first got into the Mars Volta's music quite by accident. I've read about the group's music in a MOJO magazine paying tribute to the Prog Rock scene of the '70s. I've listened to the first 30 seconds of the track 'Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt' and I paused and hated it, I absolutely hated it at first because I thought they were trying to be a King Crimson rip-off. The next day I remember going into Hot Topic and remember buying 'Frances the Mute' for a low price. I remember going home and putting the album on, and I was completely blown away by this album. It was like the torch of King Crimson had been passed to the Mars Volta. So I realized it was my fault being a complete ass of myself because it was a mistake of hating them. And then I've became a huge fan of the Mars Volta now and still am to this day.
The Bedlam in Goliath is one of the most powerful Progressive Rock albums that the group has ever put out this year. Cedric Bixler-Zavala is the next Jim Morrison and doing his snake crawling up to guitarist Omar-Rodriguez Lopez who is also the next Robert Fripp and John McLaughlin as a crazyman. The tracks on this album are filled with emotion, sancutary, sacrifices, and bizarre fairy tales that will have you screaming for more.
'Goliath' is the best track on this album. This is the fastest version of 'Rapid Fire Tollbooth' that was originally on Omar's solo album 'Se Dice Bisonte, No Bufalo'. Which is really good, this one is like a shriek maniac version of the song that the group does. This is almost a pure funky punk sound that meets King Crimson meets Parliament Funkadelic meets The Buzzcocks.
'Aberinkula' is the ultimate introduction on this album. This is pure Frank Zappa right here that has the patients waiting to meet the doctors waiting for Cedric and Omar as Doctors getting ready to do some gruesome injury for the patients gory sacrifice. 'Tourinquet Man' is one of the eeriest 2-minute tracks ever on this album that is almost a haunting call for the Goliath to return.
'Calvettas' is punk-prog right here! it has an Avant-Garde taste of 'Roulette Dares (The Haunt of)' but more of a sinsiter raste of schizophrenic madness. Another track that is absolutely weird and mad is 'Askepios' which has the cords going into different amplifiers as the music becomes a strange journey as Cedric screeches for his appetite for human flesh.
Even though Cedric and Omar are like twin brothers, the other musicians that bring The Bedlam in Goliath to a haunter situation, they give themselves an A+ Juan Adlerete on the Bass Guitar is pure Jaco Pastorious coming up with the Bass solos and funky movements to a top notch, Isaiah Key-Owens is magnificent on the keybaords by compeltely nuts, new drummer replacing Jon Theodore is Thomas Plidgren is a lunatic on the drums and he brings the house down, Omar's brother Marcel is the next Tito Puente on the percussion, and former guitarist of At the Drive-In Paul Hinojos who is now a member of the Mars Volta, does a good jon on the juitar and the sound manipulator that makes it sound like Syd Barrett meets Tangerine Dream's Rubycon.
The bonus tracks on this album I bought on iTunes, is dead on perfect on the covers they play. Two tracks include 'Memories' by the Soft Machine is an excellent cover on paying tribute to the Canterbury progsters of the late '60s and the fusion style of the album simply called Third. John Fruscinate appears on a cover of Nick Drake's eerie classic folk 'Things Behind the Sun'. This cover is almost an outer space feel and ultimately warm and a perfect track to pay tribute to Nick Drake. But there was one track they payed tribute to the late cult hero of the Madcap Crazy Diamond, Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd's cover of their single 'Candy and a Currant Bun'.
This cover of Pink Floyd's single, brought a smile on my face because being a Floyd-Freak of the Syd Barrett and Post-Barrett era, they got it nailed with Cedric scary and shrieking vocals and almost paying tribute to Syd. The Crazy Diamond would be very proud to hear this track! This is the best album I've listened to and The Mars Volta brought the house down to a T. And they have the house rockin' at The Bedlam in Goliath.
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