Some of you might have heard of The Mars Volta. For those who are unacquainted, the band’s music can be described best as a psychedelic maelstrom, replete with frenetic melodies, driving rhythms and cryptic lyrics. It is experimental rock in the most ideal sense: it follows no conventions. However, the angular, avant-garde nature of The Mars Volta often requires some patience on the listener’s part. It sometimes takes several listens to appreciate a particular album. The band’s latest release, The Bedlam in Goliath, is no exception.
The album’s lyrical content revolves around a ouija-style board that fascinated the band while on tour in 2006. “The Soothsayer,” as the band named it, revealed several stories and messages which found their way into Bedlam‘s lyrics. Interestingly, the board proved to be a curse as several misfortunes struck the band, including the loss of their drummer and audio engineer. During production, they finally decided to bury The Soothsayer in order to stop its curse. At the same time, replacement drummer Thomas Pridgen joined the band, new engineers were found and final production went smoothly.
The end result is a dense and engaging sonic experience. Bedlam gets straight to the point with the explosive opener “Aberinkula,” which erupts with a descending riff augmented by outlandish guitar effects (think of a dentist’s drill). “Metatron” follows seamlessly, continuing the percussion fusillade while Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s blistering guitar solos and Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s distinct voice compete to fill the high register. A haunting, effects-laden section kicks off “Ilyena,” a notably groove-heavy number that showcases the band’s new drummer. The fourth track, released as a single, is “Wax Simulacra,” another maniacally driving track.
“Goliath” follows next, featuring a bluesy swagger and mind-numbing guitar solos from outer space.
A change of pace occurs with the slow and foggy “Tourniquet Man,” but the band quickly reverts to the album’s characteristic heaviness with “Cavalettas” and “Agadez,” the former incorporating wind instruments and the latter twinkling with cosmic sound effects. The next two tracks, “Askepios” and “Ouroboros” both contain shifting dynamics, with eye-of-the-storm moments between heavier sections. However, the sustained intensity in the second half of the album results in some parts running together.
The album’s definitive track, “Soothsayer,” is a dark melange of psychedelic guitars, lurking strings and Eastern melodies. If the Ouija board had a soundtrack, it would be this song. Bedlam comes to a close with “Conjugal Burns,” which builds up to an intense climax, complete with distorted sound effects and a high-octane riff that ends with the same energy as the album’s opening.
As a whole, The Bedlam in Goliath is an intense thrill ride that pushes the envelope. The Mars Volta’s unique brand of experimental — or esoteric, depending on how you see it — music requires some getting used to, and Bedlam‘s intensity might be hard to stomach. However, for those who can tap their feet to it, this album is classic Mars Volta.
