THE BEDLAM IN GOLIATH

After Amputechture, I was no longer concerned about The Mars Volta. It typically takes 3 very good records for me to simply just accept a certain band for being great. I believe this album raises this band to legendary status. After 4 records of this calibur, TMV have more than proved themselves. While I would agree that some of the vocals are simply ridiculous, this record should hardly be scrutinized for being experimental and original in so many ways.

This record is relentlessly intense from beginning to end for nearly 80min. There are only three songs pushing the 8min mark, but the album is as progressive as anything you are likely to hear. The album is like the zenith of TMV's punk rock meets progressive rock meets jazz fusion. I saw them on this tour and to this day is by far the best show I have ever seen. This is a bold statement seeings that I saw King Crimson (my favorite band) on August 7th 2008 at a warm-up show for their 40th anniversary tour which ended up never happening. These guys live are like a modern 1970 era miles davis band with a level of agression, intensity, and raw energy that no band can match. The first and only live album from this band Scab Dates does not do this band justice as it was their first tour and although not a bad album, is nothing like this band was when I saw them. They played 8 songs for 3 1/2 hours and the majority of it was improvised. I believe some who have reviewed this album are confused. This record is screaming of the crossbreeding of the likes of 70's era King Crimson and Miles Davis, yet in a compleatly original and modern context. Simply put, this band is the most innovative rock band playing today who is charting near the top of the Billboard top 100. The music may be erratic, and trying much of the time but this is supposed to be. This is challanging music not for the faint of heart but for those who are looking for something they have yet to hear. THERE IS NO OTHER RECORD THAT SOUNDS ANYTHING LIKE THIS BY ANY ARTIST!!!

If some are interested in hearing another De-loused, then listen to De-loused. Bands like this should be praised for constantly pushing the envelope unlike acts such as Dream Theater. Dream theater has gradually regressed quite a bit since Train of Thought. Although Black Clouds and Silver Linings is a fairly good album, it is not really innovative in any way (comparative to DT's back catalogue). It is my belief that The Mars Volta will possibly never experience this because they are constantly trying to break new ground, not appeal to peoples best interests. There is a DVD that came with my copy of Systematic Chaos that explains how they talor there albums to their negative criticism from fans. The reason The Mars Volta are so great, has a lot to do with the fact that they make music with absolutely no consideration to adhere to critics or the publics intrests. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's main goal is to find new methods of expression that are musically challenging as well as energizing.

If you are awed by early King Crimson, Vandergraff Generator, or the likes this stuff is no different in quality. Do yourself a favor and pick this album up because you will never here anything else quite like it. We are lucky to have The Mars Volta in this day and age, where popular music is at it's lowest point in history. With each new album, they are constantly breaking the top 10 with absolutely no singles other than The Widow to mention. The Bedlam In Goliath debuted at #3, their highest charting album ever. There is no other band this innovative today who is also popular to the general public (yes, I hear the Tool fans crying foul). I don't know how they are doing it but lets hope they keep doing it for a long time and maybe, just maybe popular music will be influenced by them enough to get us out of this horrible slump that began in the late 90's. They're our only saving grace.