Octahedron

Do you hear that? Its the collective crying that occurs after the release of yet another Mars Volta album. You would figure that at this point fans would understand what the Mars Volta are all about. Do they really not yet understand that the band will never give fans what they want but instead will follow their own creative instincts? You never hear a Bjork fan complain when she goes off and does something really strange like on Medulla or Volta and yet the Mars Volta, a band that is clearly hell bent on being abstract and artistic, gets a lip full every time they go in a different direction. Get over it and get used to it.

I guess its customary to bring up the bands past records when speaking of the most current release and the easiest comparison is that this record is 99% ballads. If "Asilos Magdalena", "Miranda that ghost", and "Televators" were some of your favorite songs than you should be right at home with this album.

My number one complaint (and there were very few of them) about The Bedlam in Goliath is that the band never took a moment to relax on that album. With every song being fast paced and loud I longed for those moments on a Volta record where I could take a breather before the next relentless thirteen minute prog rock latin jazz head bopping track would begin. Octahedron is the Ying to that albums Yang. I for one welcome a much slower album that builds to a more meaningful and impactful conclusion.

Cedric's lyrics are more heartfelt and the emphasis he's allowed to give every line really helps a lot. Where this record will truly shine is when they mix these beautiful songs with their other material in their live show. Otherwise its a more mellow but also a more meaningful experience when listened to from beginning to end. To complain is to not "get" what this band is all about. If you are listening to them you should be more than happy to be surprised on every album. They challenge their fans and it just seems like some fans don't want to be challenged. For them their are plenty of other bland offerings out there. I for one am glad that sometimes it takes a couple of spins to enjoy a track or two.

OK, this album is going to be tough for people looking for that nostalgic feeling those of us have for albums such as De-loused or even Frances the Mute. The last couple of albums have represented a specific groove in my opinion that has lacked some progression from a "feel" standpoint. I personally found that I was almost tired after listening to Bedlam from the onslaught (which I adore about the album). I mention this only to set the stage for this album.

The time signatures are a much more straight- forward as compared to previous albums. However, this doesn't mean that there what can be known as the Mars Volta time signatures/riffs aren't here. The album contains a great psychedelic edge that traverses the soundscape quite well. Vocals represent a format that is more fluid, less manic, than previous albums, which may be difficult for the first-album fans to buy into. This, coupled with more breaks in the song structure (fade out guitar riffs for guitar effects over a bass/drum/vocal combo for instance), over a slower BPM, can come as somewhat of a shock for fans.

The soundscapes Mars has provided here are fantastic. The grooves are no less powerful as well, and in many ways it contains little more edge in its directness (referencing Cotopaxi here, and for those who got picked up the iTune pre-order with the live version have a REAL treat!). I found the nod to Pink Floyd's "time" awesome personally. I haven't seen reviews that picked up on the similarities between Halo and Time. It also is a great metaphor for the feel that they are trying to incorporate into the music, as well as the influence this style of psychedeia has had on their music.

In summary, I totally disagree with the poor reviews. This album does not sound like any other album out there, by other bands or Mars Volta themselves. That's a very good thing, since what secures a bands longevity is whether it can progress as a band. People tend to get stuck in a form of nostalgia, always looking for that "same experience," yet these same people tend to be unable to break out of this old-school vs. new-school paradigm. If this album was Mars Volta's first album, it would absolutely be recognized as a hit. Obviously there's a disconnect between what some people expect Mars Volta to produce vs. what Mars Volta (obviously) expects themselves to produce. This contention has been ongoing since Francis.

For those who are able to appreciate Mars Volta's earlier albums for what they were, and who are interested in hearing how Mars Volta is trying to change up the in-your-face aggressive styling that they have been producing the last couple of albums, I think you will really enjoy this album. For those who are looking for counter-culture rock and roll will also enjoy this. However, for those who are looking for a De-loused or Francis the Mute, you may very well find yourself disappointed again.

I was a little skeptical when I first picked up this CD. The Mars Volta is one of those bands that one can easily classify as "all over the place" or "crazy." They're a not-so-accessible tour de force of maniacal percussion, guitars, and screaming vocals. They take a long time to appreciate, but eventually, after your brain manages to sift through the layers of complexity of chaos, a beautiful and impressive scenery often emerges that was previously invisible and unrelatable.

This album is far more subdued, hence the skepticism. It's difficult to call any territory "familiar" to the Mars Volta, but this album surely treads into calmer and more unfamiliar waters than ever before. Sure, it's a bit more poppy and classically-structured (often with the verse-chorus-verse, etc.)--but man, are these tunes awesome. The opener, "Since We've Been Wrong" is laid back, emotional, and gives such an adrenaline rush when the drums finally kick in at the 5-minute mark that you know you're in for a ride. Teflon kicks in with a radio-friendly up-tempo beat with all around great singing and energy. Halo of Nembuttals is one that slowly grew on me as the time passed--I'd call it one of my favorites now. The melody is one that I first found slightly annoying, yet soon realized I couldn't get it out of my head--and now I love it.

The next tune, With Twilight As My Guide, introduces how good The Mars Volta is at writing slow songs. The two standouts on the album--this tune and the later Copernicus--are very slow but so full of emotion and build so well that you'll be playing it on repeat for days. Juxtaposed with the accessible "Desparate Graves" and the album closer Luciforms--this album really holds a pleasing mix of slow, fast, and medium-paced songs. The more I've listened, the more each tune continues to impress me.

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