The New Mars Volta CD: 10/10
 

If you're into creativity and poetry in an audio format, check it out.

I put a link to their video for "The Widow" in this thread. If you haven't seen it yet man you should check it out! Personally I think it's awesome...the song that is.

Asta!!

I'll give it a 2/10. It's not that I don't like the music, the music is alright, not as good as De-Loused In The Comatorium, and definately not as good as ATDI, but a solid album, if they'd cut the crap from it.

Take 'Miranda, The Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore', I think it's a great song. But it's 13 minutes long. 4:20 is crappy intro that isn't even really music that adds nothing to the song. Then there's a 4:30 outtro that is equally as stupid.
And The Widow, it's a good song. For the 3:10 it's actually a song, before it get's into the 1:50 outtro where they just dick around with some electronic effects that sound stupid.
And Cassandra Gemini. They could easy cut the song down from 32 minutes to like 5. Is TMV trying to become like Godspeed (whom I adore) or something? Because they really can't pull it off.

ive read alot about them, but never heard them. IM gonna check it out, thanks!

A friend of mine advised me that when one is listening to Frances The Mute, the experience is heightened by getting stoned, turning off all the lights and listening to the album on repeat with a sound-sensitive lightning globe in the centre of the room. But then, I suppose that would heighten most listening experiences...

^^ Haha, yeah that would pretty much heighten any listening experience. Where do I find a sound-sensitive lightning globe?

I like the CD, but I like De-loused more. I'd give it an 8/10. I like that they got all trippy, and the longer songs, but they can get a bit boring. Going from De-loused to this is just a huge leap musically IMO.

I actually prefer Frances the Mute over De-loused. There were just so many songs on De-loused that didn't add up for me. Frances the Mute, on the other hand, does somehow. I think Frances the Mute is the album that actually made me enjoy the Mars Volta. Listening to them is like looking at abstract art; getting it is a hit or miss proposition. You may get one piece but not another.

agreed. some structure would've been nice. and this is coming from someone who LIKES Tool, Zeppelin, Dream Theater, Allman Bros, and other "long winded" bands.

I just bought it and have listened through just once. I think they are best when they're trying to rock, and worst when they are trying to be Brian Eno. The long ambient sequences are self-indulgent and unnecessary. I would have taken a 45 minute album without the drones instead of a 77 minute album with all the studio gimickry.

I was gonna get it the other day at Borders for $7.99 but I put it down and decided to get it when we left. When we came back down someone had ripped off all the $7.99 sale tags and it went back to being $9.99 regular price. I was pissed :mad:

Asta!!

I listened to it a second time through, and it's WAYYYY better. You don't mind all the ambience and stuff anymore (doesn't seem as long). I like it a lot

It is definitely one of those albums that the more you listen to it the better you like it.

However, I do not recommend using it to time your showers. Bad idea.

well put. Also, not a huge fan of them anyways, enjoyed at the drive in much more and i also like Sparta more. This part of the post-ATDI project just doesn't do it for me.

You're one of the few people who I've heard say they like Sparta more than Mars Volta. I was actually the same way initially, but have since grown to like The Mars Volta more. Sparta is great, but they're basically just ATDI2. Mars Volta experimented with their sound and went beyond the boundaries of ATDI, and did it very very well, imo.


As for Frances the Mute, I really love the album, particularly L'Via L'Viaquez. However, the ambient filler kind of bugs me as well and I wish they would have just cut the album time in half and just rocked all the way through. But, as great as this album is, I still like Deloused slightly more.

I don't really feel like sparta is ATDI 2. I don't really think they sound similar at all. Sparta is just kinda generic pop-punk-rock type thing to me. I find sparta to be very 1 dimensional, where ATDI was all over the place. As for the volta... just never was able to get into it.

hello, and greetings. I saw Sparta live last summer in Edmonton, and I am going to see TMV in may in montreal...and i have listened to ATDI for a long time. neither Sparta, nor TMV are mirror images, or anything close to ATDI, imo. I find sparta (wiretap scars) to have a more synthetic edge and TMV a more bluesy/jazz edge, and i think that both bands are the perfect offspring of ATDI. Sparta doesnt rock my boat live, thats for sure. and even though i dont happen to be a huge fan of sparta, its probably really hard to even offshoot from a band such as ATDI simply because of the standards of die-hard ATDI fans, and what they would expect. Frances the Mute is apprently the musical equivilant of the diary or notebook or their former soundster (deceased), and is intended to be a 'concept album'. same goes with deloused..i believe there is a book you can buy or get online deciphering the contents of the lyrics of deloused. interesting stuff.

I just bought this cd just for The Window. Thought I'd give a try after all the good things said here. Wow! At first it was strange to me. But I keep playing it in the background and I would catch a melody here and there. And it's true, the more you listen to it the more you can appriciate it!! The music is just amazing. I haven't paid attention to the lyrics yet but I can tell this is some heavy stuff.

I give is album a 9/10

http://www.thecomatorium.com/media/b..._storybook.pdf

Trippy stuff, I can't make it all the way through, because I keep getting confused and lost and bored :)

De-Loused > Frances the Mute, for me. Too much filler noise. I like experiental stuff and 10 minute guitar solos as much as the next guy, but some of the stuff is just noise (the noise after the widow..). Still, I love Frances The Mute. The parts that rock, rock really hard.

I just listened to the song "the widow" I donno, only heard it once, but I don't really enjoy it.. maybe it will grow on me

doesnt seem like a bad band though, just not really my type

I sampled through some At The Drive In at the music store the other day, and I don't get what the big deal is. Nor do I hear the similarities to The Mars Volta. What am I missing?

I've listened to a lot of the new disc and while it is long winded at times I appreciate a band who isn't afraid to experiment. I prefer de-loused over frances the mute but I wouldn't call frances the mute garbage. De-loused = 9/10 frances = 7/10

Love the new album. Their single off it is absolutely mind blowing.

wow dude, thats cool. thnx for that link! the concert is in one week and counting!! i am totally fucking stoked. i think radiohead will be the only topper for this one...