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EDIT INFOThe Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath
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Album Details
- Artist: The Mars Volta
- Album: The Bedlam In Goliath
- Label: Universal
- Year of Release: 2008
- ME Rating:
- Reviewed by: digitalbath on 2008-02-12
Media
RecommendFor many bands, creativity falls to the wayside when it comes to follow-up albums. The earlier albums are always the better ones. However, for The Mars Volta the progressive rock hits just keep on a-comin'. Even though I'll attempt to describe the majesty of The Bedlam in Goliath within this review, no review could accurately depict this album. I feel, with every bone in my body, that this is the best album that The Mars Volta has put out to date. It is truly refreshing to see creative minds such as Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala persist again and again when creating their art and even more refreshing to see that they haven't compromised any artistic value to please the mainstream media. Hopefully they never will.
Though they haven't compromised anything in creating The Bedlam in Goliath, it is in my opinion one of the easiest listens of any album from The Mars Volta. They have a knack for making songs that are 7+ minutes long and still do so in The Bedlam in Goliath but every track's artistic prowess is matched completely with its aesthetic value for the casual listener. Tracks such as "Ilyena" and "Algadez" left me grinning like an idiot. "Agadez" features commanding bass lines accompanied by powerful melodies via both the guitar and vocals. Bixler-Zavala also displays a unique rhythmic quality to his singing in "Agadez." The intro in "Ilyena" contains an eerie vocal melody that leads perfectly into the body of the song which charges forth into the chorus that'll have you singing, "If you could see where I've been/You would touch the hand that's touching sin." These two songs sound like a completely evolved Mars Volta, while the rest of the album is just as good, if not better than their former discography with the same eclectic style.
As soon as the last punctuation mark of this review finds your eye's gaze, I expect you to be picking up this album and purchasing it. The Mars Volta have become the Da Vinci of the music industry in my eyes and The Bedlam in Goliath is their Mona Lisa, Last Supper, and Vitruvian Man manifested into one singular, shrink-wrapped package.
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on 2008-01-25 Trismus Said:
Its a great feeling when a band doesn\'t let you down. We often apply lofty expectations to our most favored of musicians. Whether in relation to their live performances or next release, those standards of hope are often brought to a level that cant possibly be satisfied.
But then they are.
What you hoped would be provided is granted, if not surpassed, and your musical enjoyment is taken to a height only matched by your first aural love. It doesnt happen often enough. Maybe thats why we covet it so and really appreciate it when a new album truly gets us off.
This, of course, is harder to do as we get older. Not only are the creative odds against your favorite band putting out consistently great music but, as you consume more music, your experience grows and, with it, your palate gets more and more callous.
Youre more likely to have heard it all before .
Lucky for us musically aging melody aficionados theres The Mars Voltas The Bedlam in Goliath. Even if youre already a fan of the band, youre not likely to have heard them in quite this way. Sure, the overall sound is familiar. Theres still the manic instrumentation and archaic lyrics. But this time, instead of catapulting the listener into a restless Nava painting come to life, were granted a more focused approach to the composition. The songs are almost, dare I say, radio friendly. The long winded musical interludes are reared in just enough to offer easier digestion without sacrificing artistic vision. The Mars Volta is still incredibly abstract and The Bedlam in Goliath is a further testament to their obscurity. However, as opposed to their previous releases, its now easier to comprehend them upon first listen.
Ive always felt that asking someone to sit through and appreciate Frances the Mute on the first try is like asking a child to drink a cup of coffee spiked with a Cadbury Crème Egg, then color within the lines. For all their creative prowess, the bands past albums gladly sacrificed ease of consumption for artistic expression. And I happily accepted their offerings for what they were. But they werent exactly lazy day listening material. Now, at last, I have a Mars Volta album that I can repeatedly enjoy. Not only that, but they finally have their perfect introductory album. The Bedlam in Goliath is the CD to give to those whove yet to be enlightened. And for those of you who have been clinging tightly since the beginning to the Volta carousel as it spun you around wildly like a shape shifting cyclone: consider this your just reward. The Mars Volta have found their equilibrium and The Bedlam in Goliath is them, balanced.
Rating: 9/10
