THE BEDLAM IN GOLIATH

This is one of TMV's good efforts. However, I feel like they've almost sold out a little bit with this album. It feels much less experimental than the others. That isn't to say it's still really out there, it's just not the type of thing I've come to like about The Mars Volta. Anyway, enough of my gripes here's what I think of the actual sound and music.

The sound itself is distinctly Volta. However, while they've never been shy about vocal effects and all of that, it feels like it's more contrived this time. The high-pitch of Cedric's voice is very intelligent in some places, but at other times it's obnoxious to the point where you really wish you had the strange ambient white noise back.

Also, I feel like the removal of the ambient noise means Omar is listening more to the complaints of his fans. While there's really nothing wrong with this, I wish he still had that self-indulgent and avant-garde approach and attitude from previous albums. Pandering, to me, even at a very slight degree, is a compromise to the true inner art of a piece.

I know this is a crap review, I just don't have it in me right now to do my ideas justice. However, I think the so-called curse may not be as bunk as I'm sure many people think it is. I know a kid who got into a car accident, one who broke several bones. Maybe I'm just noticing this retrospectively, but I get the feeling that it's not just all in my head.

Share this THE MARS VOLTA review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to kickflipthecat
• Report this review (#169618)
• Buy THE MARS VOLTA music online with PA partners
• Show all THE MARS VOLTA MP3/Stream
• Go to THE MARS VOLTA page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to The Bedlam in Goliath page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for THE MARS VOLTA related discussions