There is just something about this band that I cannot seem to get enough of. ‘De-loused in the Comatorium’ was one of the only albums I eagerly anticipated and hand purchased in the last 5 years, and to this day, still listen to. I cannot begin to describe the amount of excitement I endured awaiting for the releases of ‘Frances the Mute’, ‘Amputechture’, and now of course, ‘The Bedlam in Goliath’. One thing I have noticed with other blogs and critiques, is the habit to rate such an album by comparison to its predecessors. As natural as it may seem to do so, we’re throwing that idea out the window, and focusing on its differences. With an album of this magnitude, I had to ring up my local witch-doctor and purchase myself an herbal remedy. The vibe was set, thoughts were clear, and I, was all ears.
The album kicks off with ‘Aberinkula’ (type of african drum), which at first, caught me off guard and made me fumble around for the volume settings. I was instantly shrouded in excessive guitar flanging, distorted reverb, and an abundance of different percussives. Nothing new. In true ‘Volta’ form, every piece of the pie was harmonious. The first few tracks had me completely enthralled, though my attention soon after began to sway.
It seems the band have decided to shift their structure of song-writing into one that is more concise. The gaps in between songs are no longer filled with noisy city streets and old radio-box chatter, but rather, with the next continuing song. Towards the middle of this odyssey, my attention is gradually brought back down to Earth. Seems like Cedric’s a capella sections were thrown in merely as filler, and completely derail the continuity of a classic ‘Rock’ album. With a handful of old rehashed effects, similar drumming patterns, and an insane amount of vocal dubbing, ‘Bedlam’ comes off sketchy and displaced.
‘The Bedlam in Goliath’ is everything ‘Amputechture’ failed to be. Aside from the familiarity in sound and production, we still have a very worthy rock album, with just a enough ‘prog’ to mitigate the ringing in our ears. ‘Frances’ opened our eyes and imagination to what an innovative sophomore release should be. ‘Amputechture’ was an ambitious attempt to staple the bands technical prowess, but was left flawed with its overwhelming sense of flow. To this day, ‘De-loused in the Comatorium’ continues to reign over its recent brethren. Perhaps it was the breath of fresh space dust, or maybe, the hype of this generations Led-Zeppelin that made us hold the album so dear to our hearts.
The Mars Volta are definitely out there, but with this fourth installment we finally get to see a range of the band’s potential. Its difficult to guesstimate future endeavors, but with the band’s history going as far back as ‘At the Drive-in’, I certainly have not lost any of my enthusiasm whenever the band is brought up in conversation. All that is left for me now is to hold my Volta ticket for April 2nd and count down the days until I get to see a spectacle of a generation. My father still talks about when he first witnessed the ‘Stones’ in his hay-day, and I am hoping to have the same lasting impression.
