XENOPHANES

First off, I'm going to say this is definitely in my top five favorite albums of all time. This album is that missing link between At the Drive In simplicity and Mars Volta craziness. This holds up to anything Volta has done.

The album begins with noises. Well expected from Omar... and then we're OFF. Punk energy kicks into gear and suddenly seconds later you hear cool little piano melodies in the background. And then Omar's voice comes in. He obviously is running plenty of effects. I'm not sure how good his voice would be raw. Most of the time I have heard his voice masked in effects. But I don't mind the effects. But if you hear the first 3 tracks you get a feel for what this album entails. Noises, solid melody, catchiness within craziness, and a few perfect moments of beauty. Those points where you're listening and you get goosebumps and if you have a cold your cold kinda clears up, adrenaline starts pumping, and you for those few seconds have uncontrollable bliss and and understanding that the person that made this music has felt the same emotions that you have felt.

The last 3 tracks of the album were meant to run as one track. But this is how I prefer long tracks. There are repeating themes but they build and build into more elaborate pieces. Also, I am told that Omar does not understand theory. I want to know his writing process then. Because I feel as though it would take an understanding of it to write the kind of layers that he does.

Well, hopefully that review wasn't too fanboyish. :-D

Five stizzars.