Herald rating: * * * *
When singer Cedric Bixler Zavala and guitarist Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez parted ways with their former band At the Drive In, in 2001, it was a sad day. What a band.
When De-Loused in the Comatorium, their debut album as the Mars Volta came out in 2003 all was forgiven. They bashed down musical barriers with searing guitars and musical flamboyance.
Although their third album Amputechture is not as scintillating as Deloused and last year's Frances the Mute, it's different. Deloused was based on the life of an artist friend and Frances was inspired by a diary they found.
This album is made up of individual songs, not that you'd know it - the eight tracks over 70 demanding minutes sound like they're all part of the same crazed symphony.
Amputechture is less funky (Asilos Magdalena is entirely acoustic) but makes up for it with seething tunes like Viscera Eyes and the tense and macabre Tetragrammaton. Not as riveting as past efforts but still revolutionary.
Verdict: Not-so-funky third album from prog-metal-rockers, but still an ear-splitting achievement.
Label: Universal
<i>The Mars Volta:</i> Amputechture
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.