The Mars VoltaÃÂ ÃÂ ‘Noctourniquet’ (Warner Brthers)
CD/Ltd LP/DL
Available 26th March
8/10
The Mars Volta have a legacy that continues to grow and grow. The project spawned from the El Paso post-hardcore punk band, At The Drive-In, who have reformed this year to play a series of Summer festivals. It’s a busy year for Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar RodrÃÂguez-López, with thoughts still well and truly on their creative future whilst dipping into the past for a short while to revive the nostalgia of their youth, the band that defined their legacy,àand future asàThe Mars Volta.
TheàGrammy award-winningàMars Volta have always been a step upwards and outwards compared to the raw poweràand simplicityàof At The Drive-In. Their music can’t always be described as accessible,àor even coherent. They’re renowned forpushingàthe boundaries as far as prog-rock andàexperimentalism is concerned.RodrÃÂguez-Lópezàand Bixler-Zavala are truly the creative forces within the band, with other members coming and going following various fall-outsàand quarrels with the two leaders. It seems that withà”ËNoctourniquet‘, as they get to a certain stage of their career, they have almost mellowed to a degree. Now, compared to the complexity and elaborateness of their previous efforts,à”ËThe Bedlam In Goliath‘àfor example, they’reexperimentingàmore with the idea of accessibility as was evident with their effort on 2009’s success,à”ËOctahedron‘.à”ËOctahedron‘àwas an album that delved in the idea of more acoustic influences, although still showing multi-instrumentalism in parts. The lead singer even admitted himself “All along we’ve threatened people that we’d make a pop record, and now we have.” This changed the format of the band altogether. They were no longer known as the band that made music only music students could appreciate. They actually made an album that anybody could enjoy, changing the scaffolding for future audiences that may not only be interested their future work, but even their previous records.
In 2012, however, they still have thatàpower;àCedric’s screaming,àRush-esque vocals are the driving force of the album,àOmar’sàskill with a guitar thatàis still evidentàto be out of this world. Omar is one guitarist, along with his regular collaborator, John Frusciante, who I consider to be up there with the greats, Hendrix, Page, Beck, White, Frusciante, andàRodrÃÂguez-López. His consistent drive to do things that no others have done isàsomething that sells the band, he distorts and wails alongside Cedric’s devilish shrieksàand screams. They really are the perfect creative duo. I sometimes think that if Robert Plant and Jimmy Page were making music together in the current climate, they would probably be nearer to The Mars Voltaàthan any other musician today.
A highlight of this album isàthe clear progression into more pop formula structures. Leading track (made availableàprior to album’s release),à”ËThe Malkin Jewel‘àis like a waltz with a bumbling verse I could imagine supporting a Victorianàdisease-ridden, Londonàstreet. Distortion and electronics supportàBixler-Zavala’s powerful anthemic vocals. The Mars Volta’s sixth album is a triumph as far asàpopàprogressionàisconcerned. But then again, did anybodyàexpect them to ever do anything twice?
Another thing that’s quite understated is Cedric’s strive to limit the high notes. On previous albums he could be heard to reach the maximum notes on tracks such as”ËCassandra Gemini‘, almost showing off his ability. On this album it’s clear he’s proved what he needs to and he’s at the stage where he can use his vocal range to his advantage and dictate when and where the high notes need to be applied, and where they don’t.àThe title track, on the other hand shows him straining his vocals on the chorus, sounding like he is shreddingàhis throatàand tearing his vocal chords to give the right effect, a true effort from aàpowerfulàvocal experimentalist.
Lyrically, Cedric has always explored both fiction and reality and combined the two, creating truly sensational poetic imagery.à”ËTrinkets of Pale Moon‘àis a more acoustic effort, with Cedric singing in his high tenor vocal range “And every time you hear thescreamàof lullabies collapsingàwalk towards the echo and let it hold you trembling”Â. Cedric has always cleverly incorporated abstract imagery and transfusedàit with the reality and it is refreshing to see his poetic style is still prevalent throughout the latest LP.
Despite their announcement of the ATD-I reunion later this year, I find it quite a surprise that their sound is such a long way from the band of their youth. They claimed there would be no new material fromàAt The Drive-In. Well,àthey’re going to have to adjust prettyàwell, all luck and credit to them for that.à”ËNoctourniquet‘àis an album of subtle complexity, only using certain formulas when needed, but exploringmultipleàinfluences and distortion nonetheless. They demonstrate they still have the skills that won them their Grammy in the first place. The skills of orchestrating and composing multiple instruments and making them fit into their melody where best suited. Cedric Bixler-Zavala and OmaràRodrÃÂguez-Lópezàare two of the most productive and creative musicians in the music industry.à”ËNoctourniquet‘àis amarvellousàeffort, pushing those boundaries and expectations yet again.
The creative future for The Mars Volta has never been written, and it cannot be predicted, especially not foràtheir latest success,à”ËNoctourniquet‘.
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