The Apparatus - The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath

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The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath

Thursday, 06 March 2008

Editor's rating

9.1

out of 10

Reviewed by:
Chad Coup
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Thursday, 06 March 2008
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Music Information

Track Listing:
01. Aberinkula
02. Metatron
03. Ilyena
04. Wax Simulacra
05. Goliath
06. Tourniquet Man
07. Cavalettas
08. Agadez
09. Askepios
10. Ouroboros
11. Soothsayer
12. Conjugal Burns

Artist: The Mars Volta
Title: The Bedlam In Goliath
Genre: Alternative • Jazz Fusion • Progressive Rock
Release Date: 29 January 2008
Record Label: Universal Records
Format: Full-length
Country: United States of America
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Editor review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful


Overall rating (weighted)		9.1
Musicianship		9.0
Composition		9.0
Experimentation		9.0
Production		9.0
Value		10.0

This band is an act to take very seriously. Having members sprung out of two previously-successful acts - At The Drive-In and De Facto - prog rock savior The Mars Volta has delivered their finest album to date. The most serious, aggressive and heavy album, the songwriting skills have come a long way and have even managed to work in a ton of jazz fusion and wild experimental tactics for such widely-marketed music.

At a packed 70+ minutes, this record doesn't give itself time to slow down. Gone are the lengthy jams of 'De-Loused In The Comatorium' and the slow soundscapes of 'Frances The Mute.' 'The Bedlam In Goliath' has the most amount of sheer music ever heard from this band. For instance, the transition from tracks one to two comes so abruptly, yet is very natural and organic. If I wasn't looking at the track number, I'd assume they were the same song. The musical progressions in flow and different songwriting textures happen sporadically, but don't lose sight of what's important.

That being said, this is not the easiest TMV album to get into. Stick with the first two albums if you want a relatively safe, easy ride. The album-in-question personifies its story: a possessed Ouija board cause great misfortune and torment and seems to take on an id of its own. It's not light material, and this is not light listening. The band is at its most experimental, not only improving upon their previously-employed trademarks, but adding new ground. Sax playing is a major character, as is the insane drumming by Pridgen. Keyboards swirl around the equally-as-insane guitar. Guitarist/band director Rodriguez-Lopez is as interested in bridging a bunch of bizarre tempo changes as he is in creating a feeling that matches the emotions of the story. The creepy Ouija board thing happened for real and almost broke the band up from the inside, according to early reports. That feeling seems to be replicated here.

The imagery of this record -both lyrically and visually- are almost worth the purchase price. The brilliant sleeve art matches the sound of the album perfectly. For example, there is a theme of things appearing normal but are proportioned wrong. The fruits on the back of the case are unnaturally huge, while a giant walks among smaller-sized humans in a pseudo-visual illusion. Note the strange bits of technology strewn around a biblical landscape. Lyrics are also made up of various sounds and ideas that do not come from any language I'm familiar with. Many song titles and lyrics are gibberish that reportedly materialized during various seances with the board, and that disorienting construct takes hold in both rhythmic and tonal vocal lines.

It's easy to get lost in this album. I don't pay attention to what track this thing is on, nor do I skip around. It's meant to be one cohesive listen, and it achieves that beautifully. As a fan of this act for many years, I have to lend a big sign of support here. TMV are making progressive music that's not necessarily accessible to everyone, but a lot of people seem to be enjoying it for one reason or another. The music sounds like nothing else on the market from past or present. It's completely unfettered progressive rock music that goes in directions that humans should have been getting around to a long time ago. I am glad this band exists, and you should, too. Buy this album and support a vision that's been a long time in the making.

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