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ZECHS MARQUISE

Eclectic Prog • United States


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Zechs Marquise biography
ZECHS MARQUISE are an Art Rock band from El Paso, TX, formed in 2003. brothers Two brothers, Marfred and Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez joined Matthew Wilkson and Marcos Smith and formed a band (Michael Ferraro was a member for a certain period too), which was called MONOLITH at the beginning, but after they realized there's already quite a number of metal bands with the same name, decided to change it to after a manga character.

The band has been heavily touring from their very beginnings; as far as their discography-story goes, they released live EP '34:26' (guess the length) in 2006, and a full-album in 2008. The album is titled 'Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare', it was entirely done in home-production; it was meant to be an EP but it turned out the guys had enough material for an album. First it was released only as a download; it's physical counterpart saw the light of the day in 2008, for Rodriguez-Lopez Productions.

If a reader assumes ZECHS MARQUISE sounds like THE MARS VOLTA, AT THE DRIVE-IN or THE OMAR RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ GROUP, that's not far from the truth. DNA-sharing band is showing it's full furiousness and eclecticism on their sophomore debut album. They're less 'heavy' than THE MARS VOLTA, but equally capable of producing a melting pot with anything-goes thrown in, not avoiding the trademark 'noodlings'. Their progressive kettle is spiced with psychedelia, math rock, experimental music, funk, jazz (I'm simply re-typing these genres from various web sources). I would like to add a good amount of ska-reggae-punk thrown in. Check it, it's highly recommended for more adventurous audience.


Moris Mateljan, 2010. (sources: band's official site and MySpace page; inflightatnight.com; blogcritics.org (a good review by Scott Deitche);Wikipedia)


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ZECHS MARQUISE discography


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ZECHS MARQUISE top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.32 | 13 ratings
Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare
2008
3.80 | 11 ratings
Getting Paid
2011

ZECHS MARQUISE Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

ZECHS MARQUISE Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

ZECHS MARQUISE Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

ZECHS MARQUISE Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.05 | 2 ratings
34:26
2006

ZECHS MARQUISE Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare by ZECHS MARQUISE album cover Studio Album, 2008
3.32 | 13 ratings

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Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare
Zechs Marquise Eclectic Prog

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars ZECHS MARQUIS are from El Paso, Texas and they've released two studio albums and one live record. This is the debut from 2008 while the followup is "Getting Paid" from 2011 and they could not be any different. This is more soundscape music with several energetic pieces while "Getting Paid" has a lot of variety and took me a while to get into it. This was love at first listen. Something about the mellotron maybe? I just love how this sounds and if it didn't sort of tail off late in my opinion this would be a 4.5 star album. A four piece band here with two of Omar Rodriguez- Lopez brothers on it. Yes THE MARS VOLTA guitarist isn't the only talented musician in the family in fact we get a third Rikardo guesting on trumpet here as well on 4 tracks. The other two brothers play bass(Marfred) and keyboards(Marcel) respectively. The other two members are guitarists. What no drummer? Yes we have a drummer labeled as a guest. Interesting that Marcel the keyboardist plays drums on the next album. And we get another guest adding sax and bass clarinet.

So we get 15 tracks over about 63 minutes and this is headphone music 101. So much going on at any given moment and many are adding percussion sounds and voices besides their usual stuff. Synths add atmosphere and much more along with the mellotron and it's often dark. The horns are adventerous, I mean this is one entertaining record. The first four tracks are what I just described, very much soundscape music then we get "Chase Scene" where one of the guitarists starts to light it up right away while the second plays in a different style while drums and bass support in this energetic piece. Some organ ripping it up too. Of the first five songs the second one "Magmar" is my favourite. Amazing track.

Track six is more in the electronic vein but the guitar is on fire at one point while the next one "Attack Of The 40 Ft-Wave" just kills. Headphone music and the longest at 8 minutes. How about the mellotron early coming out of the darkness then the trumpet! More mellotron and trumpet late to end it. Next is "Pigeon Shit" with that slow rhythm as distorted keys join in and other sounds that echo as it builds. Unique sounds and guitar expressions. How about that old school sounding trumpet on "Lady Endless". Some energy on "Strapped To The Mast" plus trumpet and sax. My favourite has to be "Sirenum Scopuli" which is more of a powerful rock tune but some great contrasts here and man the sax is screaming at one point. Organ too. An experimental guitar solo as well. "The Sounds Of El Morra" is just so interesting with those sounds to start and this goes on for a couple of minutes then it kicks in. This is crazy with all that is going on. Inventive with sax and trumpet later. The next two tracks are okay with the closer being an improvement over those.

I've had this at the front of my listening list for months but kept changing my mind but keeping it around after that initial spin. Finally got to spend some time with it and I am so impressed with what these guys created here.

 34:26 by ZECHS MARQUISE album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2006
3.05 | 2 ratings

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34:26
Zechs Marquise Eclectic Prog

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

3 stars This was ZECHS MARQUISE very first recording a Live EP from 2006. It comes across as being an improv as the tracks blend into each other here in this all instrumental affair. We get two guitarists, a bassist, drummer and synths/keys player. And as I mentioned in my review of their latest "Getting Paid" there are a couple of brothers here of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez(THE MARS VOLTA) which is pretty cool. The music here sounds nothing like THE MARS VOLTA by the way. I didn't really enjoy this nearly as much as "Getting Paid" but it's worth checking out in my opinion. I'm guessing they divided this 34:26 EP into four parts just for convenience for the listener.

"Part I" opens with barley audible sounds and it's either turn it up then turn it down gradually as it slowly builds or strain your ears. It's experimental.

"Part II" is the longest at over 12 minutes. A catchy rhythm of guitar, bass and drums as a second guitar comes in over top. It stays repetitive until that rhythm disappears after 5 minutes as the focus turns towards the guitar as bass and piano help out. The guitar starts to get more aggressive after 9 minutes, especially before 10 minutes. I like this. It starts to wind down until all that's left is bass.

"Part III" continues with that bass but soon the organ comes in over top along with guitar and drums. The guitar again becomes more of the focus but the organ does continue. It calms right down before 3 1/2 minutes as the bass continues with faint guitar only. Drums are back but distant. That familiar bass line that started towards the end of the previous section ends before 6 minutes. It's still there but a different melody. The guitar starts to light it up after 7 minutes.

"Part IV" continues from the previous section but the organ joins in but it will step aside quickly as the guitar takes the spotlight. Some keys before 2 minutes then it starts to calm right down before 3 minutes to an experimental section right to the end as we get atmosphere, synths and electronics I believe. Some organ floats in as well.

A good album but nothing close to being essential in my opinion.

 Getting Paid by ZECHS MARQUISE album cover Studio Album, 2011
3.80 | 11 ratings

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Getting Paid
Zechs Marquise Eclectic Prog

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars ZECHS MARQUISE is perhaps most famous for having two brothers of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez(THE MARS VOLTA) on board, heck their debut even has a third brother guesting on it. This one really won me over after several spins and I'm not big on variety(which this has lots of) but this is a really interesting album where they've tried some adventerous things. The guitar and synths seem to be the instruments that lead the way here and there are some guest female vocal on a couple of tracks.

"Getting Paid" is a track that reminds me of John Paul Jones "Zooma" album. Man this grooves with a killer rhythm section, so catchy. Actually I'm reminded of a lot of different bands as I listen to this album. There are some crazy synths at one point and check out the guitar after 5 1/2 minutes. This is a top three track along with the next one "Lock Jaw Night Vision" which opens with atmosphere but it kicks in quickly. Love the guitar expressions. It then settles with synths and percussion and the contrasts will continue. Check out the mellotron around 3 1/2 minutes then the tempo picks up as they rip it up. A calm 4 1/2 minutes in as it ends like it began. "Static Lovers" opens with experimental sounds then it kicks in after a minute with the guitar lighting it up. Vocals after 3 minutes but they are brief.

"The Heat, The Drought, The Thirst And The Insanity" is my other top three tune. Female vocals sounding like Petronella from PAATOS doing a RIO album. We get a slow grind instrumentally when she stops and the guitar comes in. An interesting track to say the least. The female vocals are back again 2 1/2 minutes in and I like the keyboard sounds 4 1/2 minutes in. Love when the guitar returns later. "Time Masters" is surprising in that it's an electronic tune. It blends into "Guajiro" where percussion starts to dominate the sound quickly before the bass and guitar help out. Some nice guitar work 3 minutes in followed by a calm with lots of atmosphere. "Everlasting Beacon Of Light" is laid back but catchy as processed male vocals arrive before 1 1/2 minutes and they will come and go. The guitar comes to the fore around 4 1/2 minutes. "Crushin' It!" has a nice heavy sound to it to start but then it settles back some. I like the main melody. it's heavy again before 2 1/2 minutes. "Mega Slap" features electronics and mellotron. Nice! It kicks into an uptempo drum driven sound before a minute though. The mellotron is back! The synths late really impress.

It took some time but I really appreciate this album. A talented group.

 Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare by ZECHS MARQUISE album cover Studio Album, 2008
3.32 | 13 ratings

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Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare
Zechs Marquise Eclectic Prog

Review by The Willow Farmer

2 stars My first experience with El Paso based instrumentalists Zechs Marquise came when they opened a show for the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group I attended a few months back. Having only heard a few clips of their music through ITunes, I was a relative stranger to ZM's work going to the concert. However, I was familiar with the fact that two of the band's members were brothers of Omar himself, a tidbit that left me both intrigued and hesitant. On one hand, I was excited to hear music from blood relatives of the man behind modern prog masterpieces like De-loused in the Comatorium and Frances the Mute, but on the other, the family ties between the two acts left little question in my mind as to how Zechs managed to nab the opening slot on Omar's tour.

I am pleased to say that I was more than pleasantly surprised with the band's performance. Their adventurous songs, played with keen precision, showed a clear influence of brother Omar's work while maintaining a unique identity all their own. Compositionally, Zechs avoided the pitfalls of needless repetition and lack of originality that many instrumental groups fall victim to. Instead, their songs were diligently crafted; built around strong melodies, smooth transitions, and impressive musicianship while still maintaining a jam band vibe. Being so impressed with what I had heard, I immediately went to ZM's merchandise table after their set to buy a copy of their debut (and for the time being, only) CD: Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare.

This record, however, is not a representation of the live performance I heard. Absent is fiery intensity, gone the sense of focus and drive. Left is a piece of music without a clear direction that suffers from a noticeable lack of variety. Many of the CD's tracks follow a similar pattern. Subtle bass and percussion lines will start a song off and remain relatively unchanged and unadorned for the duration of the track. While often interesting at first, the rhythms are repeated the point of becoming dull, and in some cases, downright monotonous. As these tracks go forward, noodleing guitar lines, waves of noisy synths, and the occasional horn gradually enter and exit the mix. Although this is a nifty way to construct a song, having so many tracks that adhere to this template on one disc makes ODSN seem a tad one-dimensional. Other tracks like the opener, "In Strange Love," or the seventh track, an eight minute sound collage titled, "Attack of the 40FT Wave," lack almost any sense of structure and drag on longer than they need to.

With all that being said, Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare does have a few standout songs, namely "Magmar," "Chase Scene," "Strapped to the Mast/Sirenum Scopuli," "The Sounds of El Morro" and "Black Ark Dub". These tunes have enough movement and individual character to catch and keep the listener's interest. However, moments like these are a rare find and too infrequently heard on this disc to warrant a higher rating.

Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare can be an interesting listen. Many of the sounds produced by the synthesizers and guitars create very eerie atmospheres that could work very well in a soundtrack setting. However, at sixty-three minutes, the album is longer than it should be and often feels bogged down by the repetitive psychedelic experiments that fill the majority of the disc. ZM's choice to sideline actual songwriting for discordant and often jarring soundscapes doesn't help matters either. This is a fair debut from a band who I believe have much more potential than can be detected from this release. I would recommend fans of The Mars Volta, instrumental music, and dissonant sounds to check out ODSN. There are definitely some enjoyable spots on this disc, I'm just hoping for a more consistent (and lively) record the next time through.

Thanks to clarke2001 for the artist addition. and to NotAProghead for the last updates

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