The quality songwriting at the core of TMV is squandered by the band's drabbest sound palettes to date.
the mars volta
The Mars Volta- Noctourniquet
Reviews3 CommentsWith an emphasis on synths, edits, and effects, the Mars Volta makes the more accessible direction its been going in a lot more interesting, making this new record a colorful approach to progressive rock songwriting.
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Stream the New Mars Volta LP
New TracksCommentStream: The Mars Volta- Noctourniquet If you have never been able to get into The Mars Volta's past work, now might be the time to give them another chance. Rolling Stone has a full stream of the band's new album, which can be found above. It’s The Mars Volta with a new concise focus. The Texas band is still experimental and progressive; however, the song lengths seem to be cut down a bit, and the song structures are clearer, too. These guys are still far from predictable, though-especially with the added synthesizers and incredibly dense jams they have put together. Give the album a shot. Even if it's only to witness what seems to be another chapter in the story of a consistently interesting band.
Noctourniquet will be in stores March 26th.
The Mars Volta- "Zed And Two Naughts"
New Tracks2 CommentsThe Mars Volta has released another new song from its upcoming LP. With the tracks released so far, this one included, they seem to have found a new focus, and that focus seems is far less self-indulgent. There is something immediately accessible about this song, but it still maintains the progressive and experimental edge that The Mars Volta is known for. The vocals keep their emotion, but this time around the lyrics are at least somewhat decipherable. Musically, they do a fantastic job of building with steady, kick-heavy drumming and bright synthesizers. It builds wonderfully into the chorus where the guitars and keys combine to create an interesting sonic swirl.
The jam at the climax shows just how much the band has tightened up its sound. The forthcoming Mars Volta album, Noctourniquet, is set to release on March 27th.