SCAB DATES

This one really is a mixed bag! On the other hand the music is of course great, The Mars Volta delivers an energetic and experimental live appearance. The songs take off in every possible direction, yet somehow still stay recognizable. "Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt" is one of TMV's best songs and I like this live version a lot. The musicianship is stellar and Cedric's high-pitched vocals sound pretty good too. However I really think this kind of gig should be seen and heard as a complete audio-visual experience. In those circumstances it would be mindblowing; to see Jon play the drums and watch Omar and Cedric totally freak out on the stage. But as an album this seems a bit incomplete, especially with the strange sound effects taking a lot of space on the album. 3+ stars, really.