[Aman]

Raif:

I agree with you. It is one thing to say that you don't like the band because they are hard to like (this is true - they are self-indulgent, the vocalist has a very Geddy-like voice, etc.) It's another, uninformed, thing to say that they aren't good - because they are just phenomenal musicians!

I am a huge fan, personally. I think they represent a very small group of people that fit the category of TALLENTED contemporary popular musicians. I also believe that their albums are very emotional, even if there is no way to understand them with the lack of lyrical clarity. They play the MUSIC, with such intensity and complexity, that it speaks louder than any words they may portray.

Oh yeah, and their albums sound like crap all the time - they deserve a better record engineer!

 

[enjoi_rootbeer]

alright, just picked up the scabs dates and listening to it right now...wonder how it's going to compare to the guerilla bootlegs... ooh

...
not too bad in 320kbps LAME in foobar with simple surround on.

 

[dulath]

Listening through Frances the Mute right now. One thing I noticed being said, which I agree with, is that the vocalist can kinda get on your nerves. It sounds like he has a solid tenor voice that I might enjoy, like Chris Martin's (Coldplay), but the styling he applies to the lyrics just doesn't sit right with me. I'll try to get De-loused soon and spend a bit more time on this.

 

[periurban]

I had one of their albums and thought the download must be *****ed. The first couple of minutes of the album sounded like it was being filtered through cow manure.

Some of the rest of it was interesting, but what drugs are those guys on? Is there some sort of spiky Mexican concoction that makes prickly music attractive?

I like all kinds of music, from industrial noise to Bach, but Mars Volta gave me a headache.

Which is a shame, because (like Imilhan) I really, really wanted to love them.

 

[Jahn]

"Interstatic ESP" ranks up there with the thrashiest rock stuff out there, it's great. It's also the track that my wife used to judge it as "the worst music i've ever heard" but horses for courses, y'know?

 

[MrCookie989]

I saw The Mars Volta live in Santa Barbara a few weeks ago and they were simply amazing. They played a non-stop 2 hour set with so much energy and depth it was really surprising. They were all miked and mixed very well, you could even make out the guy hamering away at the random percussion. Cedric was hitting notes so high I wondered if the man actually has a pair of testicles. And as for the sax solos...to freaking die to for. They seriously sounded so good live I can hardly listen to their records now! If they ever come to anywhere near you, dont hesitiate to check em out in concert, I promise you wont regret it.

 

[lmilhan]

A slight segue...

As mentioned before, I don't quite think TMV is my cup of tea, however there is another band I would like to suggest to TMV fans out there. They have a similar vibe going on as TMV, but they are *much* more pleasing to my ears.

The band is named Muse, and as a good start for newbies, I would suggest checking out their CD named 'Origin Of Symmetry'.

 

[enjoi_rootbeer]

muse is quality stuff. not too much like the mars volta, muse is more rock oriented. still, quality.

 

[Nuks]

The drummer, Jon Theodore, is a madman. So good. I love this band, but the mixing is really starting to get on my nerves. De-Loused was well mixed (Rick Rubin did it), but then the guitar player took over, and Frances The Mute came out sounding not that great (Mind blowing music, but it would have had more of an impact with better mixing). Their live album is out now, and that has terrible mixing as well.

As for the person who asked about the Comatorium members.... I'm one (Nuks), PM me sometime, I'd like to see what set-up you find sounds the best with Volta. (I'm about to enter the world of high quality audio).

 

[enjoi_rootbeer]

deloused was mixed really really good, imho. felt alittle ripped off with the scabs dates album. i've heard better mixing on bootlegs.

 

[GuffMorgan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn "Interstatic ESP" ranks up there with the thrashiest rock stuff out there, it's great. It's also the track that my wife used to judge it as "the worst music i've ever heard" but horses for courses, y'know?

I knew you had good taste, Jahn.

I've really really been digging Frances the Mute the past week or two, it definitely took me longer to get into than De-Loused. However, now that I'm into it I'm loving every bit of it.

 

[dulath]

De-Loused was starting to grow on me, but then I started listening to Muse and I much perfer their falsetto vocalist

 

[Decadence]

The Mars Volta opened up a world of music for me. It got me into prog, jazz, folk and classic rock.

Thanks to the Volta, I now listen to mahavishnu orchestra, led zep, rush and pink floyd! TMV: the gateway to audio nirvana. Cassandra Geminni did it for me.

 

[DobsOnly]

In a time were it seems you can listen to 20 bands and they all sound alike because they are doing what the promoters and record labels want them to. IMO - TMV is a refreshing change.

They are unique in style, mix of instruments, musical delivery and vocals. They grabbed parts and pieces of bands like YES, RUSH, Emerson Lake and Palmer. Threw it in a pot with some steroids, mixed it up a little and Wa La. The Mars Volta

It's that uniqueness that I enjoy.

I find their lyrics a little to abstract to follow the story line. If they refine that peice I think they will really have something.

Here's a link to their Web site that provides some insight to the music’s meaning. The Mars Volta

I have pretty good luck with TMV and my HD600’s. The HF-1’s are just a little too much.

 

[Volta]

What does everyone think of the new album, Amputechture?