The Mars Volta Album: “The Bedlam In Goliath”

The Mars Volta have returned to once again divide their fanbase. Many found Frances the Mute to be too progressive, weird, and or long. This in turn created a fanbase for the fan that took to their new mind warping experimental music. Then they releases Amputechture a far more solid effort where the songs ranged from manicly crazed to a soothing slow and sexually charged ballad or two seeping in between the mad genius of Cedric and Omar's ever-changing melodies. So a few fans of Frances were complacent while Deloused fans remained dissapointed.

Bedlam in Goliath is bound to turn away fans of Amputechture and have the Deloused fans return in droves. (If your a real fan you go with the flow.) They've shortened things up on a few tracks with a surprising amount of 5 minute tracks and an even more shocking two minute single. Wax Simulacra is such a perfect F-U to the record industry that demands short tracks for radio use and its almost as if the band gave them all they can suffer in a two minute time span and yet the song is brilliantly concise and loses nothing even without running the standard 8 to 9 minute running time.

The Mars Volta have created such a unique brand of music its almost as if they are just variating on their own sound. The spoiled among us would say they haven't done anything new outside of their own sound but they would fail to notice that TMV are continuing to dwell within their own bizarre unique take on progressive jazz fusion alternative metal funk rock. How can you possibly be deravitive in a genre you created? Not possible for the unbelievably talented Omar who is the mad genius behind the bands direction and sound on every record. Put aside the very press worthy "tale" behind the making of the record and what we've been given is another odyssey in the bands journey to reach the most untouched landscapes of sound.

The record opens up without the slow build that we saw on Amputechture. This time the band gets right into the thick of it from the get-go so you're given no warning when the crashing sounds burst your ear drums. They keep momentum moving rather briskly with every track providing plenty of danceable grooves, cryptic lyrics, and guitar riffs that may be potent enough to impregnate any nearby females who may be listening. The record takes a turn with Cavalettas, which isn't as instantly pleasing to the ears but thats when the band is asking you to stick it with them and enjoy the ride to this new place. Agadez and Askepios are there to quickly ease you back into a safe haven before Ouroboros and Soothsayer test your musical palette with some tasty new sounds. Cedric delves into more voice distortions then on previous records and once again tests the range of his vocals hitting some seriously high notes on Goliath.

To give you a break from the chaotic madness of the record Conjugal Burns lets you off easy with a standard Mars Volta closer of the epic variety. Providing enough closure to make this a more satisfying complete work then Amputechture which cuts off and never truly finds it's happy ending.

Bedlam definition: disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably. And thats exactly what this album is all about. While trying to avoid repeating the more obvious elements of this album I must say I was a bit nervous about buying the Bedlam in Goliath. Why? Because while Frances the Mute and Amputechure were both better albums than Green Day or Fallout Boy could even imagine pulling off, yet they both reflect the challenges of a band trying to follow up after the smashing success of De-Loused in the Comatorium while loosing a key member of the band and often overlooked Jeremy Ward. While having many highlights both Frances and Amputechture both feel like bloated eps that could have benefited from more editing (like the 2 plus minutes of tape noise after "The Widow" and does anyone ever listen to the entire "Cassandra Gemini"?) and better mixing (More Ikey, and what happened to the drums in Amputechture?). Then exits John Theodore, who disliked playing live shows, yet was an amazing drummer. Whats next?

Bedlam more than surprised me because I liked so many of the tracks on first listen as previous albums including De-Loused grew on me. This album is a return to form, literally! Somehow a nine minute song like "Soothsayer" sounded like it was three minutes long. The song structures are tighter on Bedlam, less experimental (a la Frances), more structured and shorter solos, less turn on a dime tempo and mood changes (a la Amputecture), sections connect more effectively, less meandering, and overall more accessible. But put into context Bedlam is as accessible as sushi! This is not mainstream music. Now that TMV is an octet this recording retains an amazing clarity and thanks to Rich Costy nothing gets lost in the mix. And don't worry about the new drummer, Thomas Pridgen, an alumni of Berklee college of music. I was pleasantly surprised with Pridgen's intensity and technical control of this complex music.

"Wax Simulcara" would have been a great first track. Perhaps the most radio friendly track, and TMV recently performed this track on the Dave Letterman Show. Wax shows Pridgen in command on the percussion duties while driving a hard and intense rock out that ends in a blissful freak out acid jam that on previous albums may have lasted till next year.

"Soothsayer" is an outstanding track, haunting, very effective, and is in a ten/four time signature. The heavy echo laden guitar sound that dominated De-Loused which I much enjoy is back on this track. I wonder what some sitar and tablas could have added to this and my personal favorite track. The added string section enhances the depth of this song. Bravo to Omar for his opening guitar/sitar phrasing, and outer space effects!

"Goliath" has a catchy guitar riff, while Cedric's high end vocal screams are able to conjure ancient spirits. The screaming near the end is violent and scary.

"Aberinkula" has a blistering saxophone solo, this track has moments that remind me of Viscera Eyes, which is not a bad thing.

"Metatron" almost resembles Tetragrammton yet being shorter by 7 minutes (phew!) and has a killer bass line!

"Ileyna" is a pleasantly funky tune perhaps inspired by the Red Hot Chili peppers.

"Tourniquet Man" is an odd track that seems to fit well in it's short 2 and a half minute span. Perhaps the most mellow track, a kind of oasis.

"Cavalettas" has a lot going on, more focus on form, and interesting sound manipulations that do not become overdone.

"Agadez" rekindles ideas from "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" and could have also served well as an ending track. Hey I can hear Ikey on this one!

"Askepios" is an interesting song which feels like two songs.

"Ourboros" has moments that seemed influenced by System of A Down. With its soaring chorus, and heavy syncopation, this tune contrasts well between smoother and more intense sections.

"Conjugal Burns" has an almost humorist, Halloweenish bass guitar sound from Juan Alderete. The scream near the end has to be Cedric's most intense ever!

Hearing this album the first time was like reading a novel that you couldn't put down. The intensity and creativity of this album keeps me captivated for the duration, which few albums as a whole can do. One can read about the storyline/concept of this album elsewhere. Keep in mind that Cedric and Omar have repeatedly stated that the message of their music is meant to be obscure, you are free to interpret it any way you want! But go ahead and blow your mind by researching and investigating the meanings of the song titles, words, and artwork. For every answer you find a new question emerges. Less is more, and more is less at the same time. This is music that almost defies description with words, you just have to hear it. And if your open minded, and like De-Loused you will not be disappointed that you did.

I usually allow an album a few weeks to settle into my realm before I give a proper critique on it, but considering listening to "The Bedlam In Goliath" has mostly taken up the majority of days lately, I deemed it appropriate to write a review. I am a very big Mars Volta fan, loving every album they have put out almost equally. So, this album is no different in that matter. This is musically TMV's most complex and challenging album. They range in everything from psychadelia, jazz-fusion, salsa, metal, classic-rock, funk & everything in between. It is a huge 75 minute blast of genre crushing music, and with the exception of "Tourniquet Man", does not let up for the duration. Considering the first two tracks do sound like they could have easily fit on Amputechture, the rest of the album veers off into a totally new world for Cedric, Omar & Co. This is quite the treat.

1.Aberinkula 9/10...Wastes absolutely no time in getting down to business with the chorus crashing through the speakers from second one. A tremendous hard rocking opener with an amazing 2 minute jam for an outro.

2.Metatron 8.5/10...More or less in the same vein as the first track and at times reminds me of the madness that occurs on "Tetragrammaton" from the previous record. There is alot going on in this song and it can be a little much, but the soft bridge in the middle that leads right back into mayhem is priceless.

3.Ilyena 10/10...After about a minute of disortion drenched vocals, Cedric's crisp near falsetto voice greets us with "if you could see..where i've been.." with a slinky guitar riff and a funky bassline, makes this the most danceable TMV song since the salsa section in L'Via. Such an amazingly melodic song.

4.Wax Simulacra 8.5/10...This song nearly comes across as an anti-single, more or less a jab at their record company for craving singles. A two minute song (!) that crams more instrumentation into itself than most bands do on entire records. Pure mayhem.

5.Goliath 10/10...A rework of "Rapid Fire Tollbooth" off of Omar's last solo offering, and what a rework it is. A more or less sped up version of the previous, with insane rapid soloing, and a 3 minute outro jam that brings to mind the "Drunkship Of Lanterns" outro and will surely put a smile on your face.

6.Tourniquet Man 8/10...A very soft melodic piece that I personally feel serves as an intro to Cavalettas, as opposed to most saying it is an "obvious attempt at a single." Cedric's vocals are nearly indistinguishable, and I agree that yes the last 40 seconds or so are completely unecessary, but I think it actually assists the flow in contrast to disrupting it.

7.Cavalettas 9.5/10...Another track that has been taking quite the lashing for no good reason. I can understand that people would like a little more variation out of a nine and a half minute song, but once the song keeps fading in and out trading off with a stellar staccato riff and Cedric crooning oh so melodically, I can't help but love this song.

8.Agadez 10/10...A prime example of their aforementioned departure of their old sound. The verses consist of a very funky/jazzy vocal delivery while the chorus pummels you with Thomas Pridgen making his cymbals his slaves. The song gradually leads to an amazing climax.

9.Askepios 8/10...Enter the most interesting track probably in the Volta catalogue. A very hard to track to describe, but the inital verses drag by with Omar's slow strumming accompanied by Priden's insane echoed drumming. And right when you're about to hit the skip button, the song transoforms into a whole nother beast. The last 2 minutes with Cedric desperately crying out "help me..come alive!" confirms that the record wouldn't be the same without this strange bird.

10.Ouroboros 10/10...Opens with a near metal riff and pounding drums and leads way for probably the best track on the album. Just amazing in all aspects, and pardon my contradiction, but this song seems like it could have came straight off of De-loused.

11.Soothsayer 8/10...The other quite unusual track on the record. It contains lush strings, minimal guitar, hold for Omar's very jazzy solo in the middle, Cedric's often distortion laced vocal, and a prayer (?) that carries out the last two minutes. This song is hugely epic and soars majestically at parts, but other times seems like it doesn't know what to do with itself.

12.Conjugal Burns 10/10...I never thought I'd see the day that TMV would make a closer that would rival the greatness of "Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt", but my worries are quickly suppressed. Begins with a simple riff and Cedric's obnoxious vocal delivery, and slowly builds out into freakout mode and then leads way for the catchiest part on the entire record. When Cedric sings "all of this time, bedsore containment, where am i now that the music has faded?" you know the Volta have done it again.

Do yourself a favor and pick this gem up, and the rest of the catalogue for the matter if you don't have them. Such an amazing record should not be missed, and along with Radiohead's "In Rainbows" gets my early vote for record of the year.

The Mars Volta are not just one of the most exciting bands to come about since the turn of the millennium, they truly show a new type of music, with intensity and focus not found in modern music since the days of Led Zeppelin. Guided by the eccentric yet brilliant duo of Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, The Bedlam in Goliath is their heaviest and most complex work to date.

Exploding out of the gates is Aberinkula, a pounding song with trademark Volta tricks, such as sudden changes, amazing solos, and intricate timing. This immediately transitions into Metatron, (meaning the voice of god, yes we've all seen Dogma). The first half of the album (Aberinkula to Goliath) is hard charging and intense. Every song is a standout, and they build upon each other until reaching the amazing climax at the end of Goliath.

The album then gives you your one and only chance to breathe, with Tourniquet Man. This song gets a lot of flack for being half-baked and sloppy. This, however, is all by design, as this track sets the tense mood that is explored through out the rest of the album.

But before we get to the second half of this amazing album, a bit of back story is needed. This album tells the story of Omar and Co.'s experiences with a Ouija-esqe board he bought from a bazaar in Jerusalem. This board let them communicate to various spirits, one of which called itself Goliath. This spirit shared its story with the band, and they were progressively mesmerized by the magic device. But as Goliath and the Volta because closer, strange things began happening to the band and people around them, such as their producer having a nervous break down, losing 3 drummers (Jon Theodore, Blake Flemming, and Deantoni Parks) before finding the phenomenal Thomas Pridgen, the master tapes of the first recording of this album were lost, and various other things happened to impede the production of the album. Simultaneously, Goliath began to become more agitated and demanding of the band, eventually threatening their lives. Omar and Cedric decided that a curse had been placed upon them by Goliath and they must get rid of this soothsayer before anything else bad happens. Omar ritualistically buried it somewhere, and Cedric asked to not be told where it was buried, in fear of him feeling it would call to him.

The Bedlam in Goliath (Bedlam meaning a Place, Scene or State of uproar and confusion) is based upon this time in the band's life and gives us, the listeners, some of the most chaotic, melodic, and beautiful music ever recorded.

The second half of this album (from Cavelatas to Conjugal Burns) gets more complex and astounding. Every song is a standout, and when Cedric is wailing "Calling me...its calling me" during Soothsayer, you feel an all too real chill crawl up your spine. Conjugal Burns makes you feel like Goliath was finally defeated and everything may end up ok...until the song plays a mad trick on you and you realize that nothing was defeated...

Sure its a bit heady and you really have to have an open mind about music while listening to this album...but then again, if you know the Volta, you know that they will challenge you, but ultimately you will be rewarded with the best music you've ever heard. If you have never heard of The Mars Volta, you would probably be better to start our with a more accessible album, either De-Loused in the Comatorium, or Amputechture.

The best part of this album is that once you listen to it, it almost sounds like something you've heard before...something you've always known, and the Volta just reveals it to you in a way you didn't think about. Its loud, its intense, and its sometimes unpleasant, but this album shows how The Mars Volta are truly doing something novel in music, and they should be respected and adored by everyone.

This is going to be short. And general. Ok. I am a Mars Volta fan and have been since their beginning. This album is the culmination of their genius up to this point. Some might dismiss them as too cryptic or whatever but when you get down to it, they are simply a group of extremely talented musicians. And I thank them and give them credit for putting Thomas Pridgen on a bigger map; he is a truly spirited musician who really does his instrument and the band's music more than justice. This group of musicians, with Cedric and Omar as the creative head, makes me excited about music today. This is not meant to be some sort of snobbery; they play with their heart and make you feel like youre somewhere or like youre going somewhere else. They are different. And different is good.

It could be said that the time of important music has passed. The Bedlam in Goliath should be listened to once- if you don't like it, you don't like it. At least you will have given a chance to something important and exciting that is happening RIGHT NOW.