The Mars Volta

[JKL2000]

I have to admit I'm way behind in my TMV listening.

If you like TMV and Coheed and Cambria, I heartily recommend Thank You Scientist, who to me seem a bit like a cross between those two bands but with trumpet, sax, and electric violin, fronted by Chris Elliot. A nightmare to some, but to me it means supper's ready!

Seriously, I saw them twice on CTTE and loved the hell out of them. The singer was seriously funny, IMO, and I had a nice chat with him and the guitar player at one point, and they were really nice guys. I'm hoping for some NYC shows in the near future.

[SteveSly]

Genuine and honest question: Why do prog fans like The Mars Volta?
.

I don’t know that I have a good answer, but I got hooked by The Mars Volta and enjoy them. I don’t have all of their albums, but the ones I have I really like most of them.

[SteveSly]

I have to admit I'm way behind in my TMV listening.

If you like TMV and Coheed and Cambria, I heartily recommend Thank You Scientist, who to me seem a bit like a cross between those two bands but with trumpet, sax, and electric violin, fronted by Chris Elliot. A nightmare to some, but to me it means supper's ready!

Seriously, I saw them twice on CTTE and loved the hell out of them. The singer was seriously funny, IMO, and I had a nice chat with him and the guitar player at one point, and they were really nice guys. I'm hoping for some NYC shows in the near future.

Agree TYS are a great band, especially live.

[Liquid Tension]

For those of you who like the full on Mars Volta... Maybe this band will appeal to you...

http://wildthrone.bandcamp.com/

[Cats On Glue]

Genuine and honest question: Why do prog fans like The Mars Volta?
I'm as baffled over prog fans liking them as I'm sure many prog fans are over the love some prog fans have for Cardiacs.

What is it in Mars Volta music that appeals to prog fans? Is it the odd instrumentation, the tempos, (is it math rock?), the herky jerky feel or what?

I tried to like them and had the De-L in the C album, but I just couldn't get into them, I just got irritated when listening to them. For me they sound like a mix between a noisy, angular version of Muse and a less heavy version of System of a Down.

i know they don't use mellotron regularily but if not prog fans then who? they are the most briliant of the new progressive bands.

[profusion]

Their set at Bonnaroo in 2009 was one of the best concerts I've ever seen. However, I saw them play a horrible, boring set a few months later in Baltimore.

I kind of come and go on their albums. I always feel like they tried to cram too much intensity into every single second of their records.

[Just Eric]

Genuine and honest question: Why do prog fans like The Mars Volta?
I'm as baffled over prog fans liking them as I'm sure many prog fans are over the love some prog fans have for Cardiacs.

What is it in Mars Volta music that appeals to prog fans? Is it the odd instrumentation, the tempos, (is it math rock?), the herky jerky feel or what?

I tried to like them and had the De-L in the C album, but I just couldn't get into them, I just got irritated when listening to them. For me they sound like a mix between a noisy, angular version of Muse and a less heavy version of System of a Down.

First off, while I'm a Prog fan, I am primarily a fan of interesting music, be it Prog, Rock, Metal, Jazz, Classical, Gospel, Hip-Hop, R&B, and all. Second, I am a huge fan of SOAD, Muse and TMV.

I know why I'm a fan, intense emotional music performed by some of the best musicians in the biz. Anyone who has seen them live can attest to the energy and emotion of their shows. My hypothesis as to why Prog fans enjoy TMV is that the music is creative, intelligent and unconventional, all characteristics of Prog.

[mozo-pg]

First off, while I'm a Prog fan, I am primarily a fan of interesting music, be it Prog, Rock, Metal, Jazz, Classical, Gospel, Hip-Hop, R&B, and all. Second, I am a huge fan of SOAD, Muse and TMV.

I know why I'm a fan, intense emotional music performed by some of the best musicians in the biz. Anyone who has seen them live can attest to the energy and emotion of their shows. My hypothesis as to why Prog fans enjoy TMV is that the music is creative, intelligent and unconventional, all characteristics of Prog.

[Gerardo]

First off, while I'm a Prog fan, I am primarily a fan of interesting music, be it Prog, Rock, Metal, Jazz, Classical, Gospel, Hip-Hop, R&B, and all. Second, I am a huge fan of SOAD, Muse and TMV.

I know why I'm a fan, intense emotional music performed by some of the best musicians in the biz. Anyone who has seen them live can attest to the energy and emotion of their shows. My hypothesis as to why Prog fans enjoy TMV is that the music is creative, intelligent and unconventional, all characteristics of Prog.

Very well said. I saw them at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando in 2006 and they put a great show!

[at least 100 dead]

Genuine and honest question: Why do prog fans like The Mars Volta?

I kind of understand why proggers would like them (long songs, complex time signatures etc.), but what's really baffling is that they cracked the top five in the US repeatedly.

[Trane]

Are these guys still together?
It seems ages since their last album.



Comatorium and Octahedron are the ones I remember being the better one

[zravkapt]

^They disbanded in 2012.

[Scrotum Scissor]

i know they don't use mellotron regularily but if not prog fans then who? they are the most briliant of the new progressive bands.

Er, just how many of 'the new progressive bands' are you relating them to?

[Trane]

^They disbanded in 2012.

thx

[Haruspex Carnage]

thx

And have gone on, Cedric and Omar, separately or otherwise to produce far inferior product IMO.

[Facelift]

And have gone on, Cedric and Omar, separately or otherwise to produce far inferior product IMO.

Perhaps so, but making less-interesting music once the artist gets into his late 30s and beyond would distinguish these guys from almost everyone else in rock/prog... how?

[Haruspex Carnage]

Perhaps so, but making less-interesting music once the artist gets into his late 30s and beyond would distinguish these guys from almost everyone else in rock/prog... how?

Touche!

[PeterG]

Thanks for those genuine answers guys.

[znpnine]

They have new band called Antemasque.
http://antemasque.com

[SteveSly]

I kind of understand why proggers would like them (long songs, complex time signatures etc.), but what's really baffling is that they cracked the top five in the US repeatedly.

Agreed, but actually this is one of those bands that somewhat restored my faith in younger people seeking out adventurous music. Most of their stuff is far from commercial, but yea they ended up getting pretty big.

[Nijinsky Hind]

Wow, same here... Deloused in the Comatorium was awesome and dark, and that was all for me... Didn't feel they progressed much from there. But a triumph nonetheless.

[mnprogger]

bump.

they may be coming back down the road

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...0160711?page=9

You mentioned Mars Volta earlier in your list of projects you'd like to revive. Do you have plans to put out another Volta album eventually?
At some point, we'd love to do [Mars Volta] again too, you know what I mean? There's so much to do there as well. Obviously now we're focused on At the Drive-In and making this record great and touring. Jon Theodore is doing Queens of the Stone Age right now. There are only four surviving members of the real Mars Volta, which is Eva Gardner, the original bass player who gave us all our soul but unfortunately had to leave the band because her father died on the second tour; Ikey Owens, who, of course, isn't with us anymore; Jeremy Ward, who isn't with us anymore; and Jon Theodore. Jon and Eva are still alive, and we're so grateful for that. And any true fan of the band knows that's the real chemistry right there. Whenever we get to that time, we hope that it all lines up with whatever Jon's doing and whatever Eva's doing, because she's been touring with Gwen Stefani. I just have a feeling it will. Life has a funny way of working out that way.

[Haruspex Carnage]

bump.

they may be coming back down the road

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...0160711?page=9

i'd have to disagree with him; if the pinnacle of TMV to Omar is the Tremulant EP, expect, sadly, more garage-band indie punk as opposed to what they did and i know they do 10x better.

Pridgin, any aerophonist, or even Theodore and i'm there...fuck he's friendly with the Ipecac/Zorn crew now, the possibilities are SO much better and open now! At least ideally.

[MudShark22]

I still play tremulant EP more than any other TMV disc. Its better than Deloused and much better to these ears than everyhing after (though I do have a soft spot for Amputechture).

So if that's where they want to go, I will be there.

[dropforge]

De-loused is where it's at for me. FTM isn't quite as good, but still better than anything else they recorded.

If Omar thinks Tremulant's their peak, maybe the dude needs to exhale.