The Mars Volta

The whole album is about abandonment and family. It's based loosely on a diary that Jeremy once found about someone who was searching for their natural parents and then Jeremy finished it. The last movment of the album (that is, Cassandra) is about realising that none of that really matters, that your family aren't necessarily the people who are related to you by blood. Hence the imagery of death, the main character (namely cygnus) allows his search and his family to die, within him, for want of a better way of putting it.

Most certainly isn't about gay rape.

A shame. There aren't nearly enough gay rape songs being made these days.

I can't think of a single one, now you mention it!

So I listened to Amputechture last night, I caved in..

I am so disappointed, it's like they've forgotten how to structure a song, and they're using far too many effects on Cedric's perfect voice, and it's just a reason for Omar to show off the fact that he can play guitar really fast.

It's not all bad, there are some beautiful shining moments, which they quickly manage to **** up by making it sound like Steve Vai is guest starring.. blugh!

In other horribly sad news too, Jon Theodore has officially left the band, and it would seem for good. The beast is no longer with them, I'm not sure of the reasons yet

cheers

So...no gay rape?

I bought Amputechture...Wow this album is NOT GOOD.

I've tried really hard to get into it. Not even my good friend Mary Jane can make this interesting...

The lyrics are boring. The whole thing is boring. It just kind of drones on.
It's like that haven't advanced one bit.
I really hope they can redeem themselves of this...but I have a feeling they won't.

i'm kinda dissapointed like you folks.

This is the only place I've read negative things about the new album. Hmm.

The album definatley takes a lot of listens to get into, it's probably not as good as Frances the Mute, but then again there is much more ideas in it, so it has a greater chance to have some bad parts.
The best songs I reckon are Day of the Baphomets, Viscera Eyes, Tetragrammaton and Vermicide.
Vicarious Atonement isn't bad, but i'm not such a fan of the two with spanish titles, and Meccamputechture is alright, but kind of repetitive.

i read an interview with michael sipe a few years ago commenting on natalie merchant's 1st solo album... he said "when I listen to any new album it takes about 8 times thru the album before I can evaluate it"...

I think eight is a bit excessive for most artists, but the mars volta definatley need more listens than most others to understand.

Eight sounds about right. Somewhere around there, anyway.

It always takes many listens for me to absorb and grasp any new album.

Usually not more than 4 for me. But more times than not I can tell that I'll be able to enjoy an album eventually after a couple listens.

George...Why?
Check that out, so much subtle pain. Check out the album: Dropped Soap 2.

Well, I've sort of changed my tune..

Once I got the real thing with lyrics etc, it REALLY grew on me. It's not on par with the first two, but I think the boys are really just having fun now, enjoying playing music together etc.
The lyrics, whilst not as cohesive as the others, are really interesting to me, quite passive aggressive but also quite humourous.

The highlights for me are Vicarious Atonement, Asilos Magdalena and Day of the Baphomets. The start of Meccamputechture still drives me bonkers but the rest of that song is pretty sweet too. Vermicide is, I'm sad to say, just a bad song. It could get away with being decent if it wasn't for the *yawn* chorus. Blugh..

Cedric saves the album