`De-loused' unlike anything you've probably heard before

"De-loused in the Comatarium"

The Mars Volta

One thing can surely be said for The Mars Volta's album, "De- loused in the Comatorium."

It sounds unlike anything you've ever heard. In it's own little progressive/rock/punk genre, "De-loused" baffles the mind.

The Mars Volta has had it pretty rough over the years. Within the last few years, the group has had to deal with the breakup of the previous band, At the Drive-In, and the death of band member Jeremy Ward.

After the breakup of "ATDI," lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez formed The Mars Volta with several other musicians, including the incredibly talented Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"De-loused" is a concept album that tells a fictionalized story of a man who tries to commit suicide, but instead falls into a coma where he experiences fantastic dreams. The story is told in unusual riddles and lyrics like "half mass commute through umbilical blisters." The songs aren't easy to figure out, which leaves a lot of the CD open to interpretation.

"TMV" has some of the most skilled musicians around. Bixler has an absolutely amazing voice with unmatched versatility that he bends to fit the music. Rodriguez mixes a roomful of effects pedals and creative genius to make wonderful guitar riffs that fill the record. In the song "Take the Vail Cerpin Taxt," Rodriguez has a truly awesome three-minute guitar interlude. The album focuses mostly on sound manipulation and the results are stunning new sounds from Rodriguez's guitar.

After countless listens, I find something new every time. In a musical age where many records sound just the same as the last, The Mars Volta shines. Any music fan that has an open mind and is looking for something new, "De-loused" is the album you've been waiting for.

Grade: A

Copyright 2003 Cowles Publishing Company
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