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Progland was founded by John Gabbard in 2005. It's purpose has been to provide you, the music community with the latest music and dvd reviews. It will continue to be your link to the most popular music reviews in the progressive world.

 

The Mars Volta - "Amputechture"

Label - GSL
Reviewed by: Kevin Cloe
Genre: Prog Rock
Country: USA
Language: English
Length: 76:23
Release Date: September 12, 2006
Band Members: Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez / guitars, synthesizers Cedric Bixler Zavala / vocals
  Jon Theodore / drums Juan Alderte / bass
  Isaiah Ikey Owens / keyboards Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez / percussion, synthesizers
  Pablo Hinojos-Gonzalez / sound manipulation
Track Listing: 1.)- Vicarious Atonement (7:21) 8.)-El Ciervo Vulnerado (8:59)
  2.)- Tetragrammaton (16:43)  
  3.)- Vermicide (4:17)  
  4.)-Meccamputechture (11:04)  
  5.)- Asilos Magdalena (6:36)  
  6.)-Viscera Eyes (9:25)  
  7.)-Day of the Baphomets (11:58)
     
The Review

The Mars Volta return with their 3rd studio release - less than 2 years since the last one, Frances the Mute. In my review of that album, I noted how the band had promise when they were actually playing, but had developed an irritating quality of inserting random noises for 4-5 minute spans in their songs, making listening to that album very difficult. For those concerned - that problem does not exist nearly as much with this release. Amputechture is a good album, but unfortunately, it has other faults.

Mars Volta are definitely an unusual band. They take complicated and often angular guitar riffs, very interesting and busy drum beats, and overlay them with high-pitched vocals that are quite good (I'm a sucker for the high-pitched singer). Their first album was fantastic, and re-defined what bands could accomplish in this new prog-influenced era. Amputechture takes a bit of "De-Loused" and a bit of"Frances the Mute" and throws them together along with some serious ambience. The first track, for instance, is little more than 7 plus minutes of a slow guitar riff (no drums or bass) and vocals. Not bad, but certainly not the busy band we all have become used to. The last track (El Ciervo Vulnerado) duplicates this formula, but is horrible in my opinion as it has no melody to speak of and is ambient noodling. (Note - musical instruments are actually being played for this noodling, unlike the random noise noodling consisting of whirring, bleeping, static stuff on Frances). So - that is roughly 16 minutes of the album that isn't that great. Add another 6 minute track (Asilos Magdalena) that is simply acoustic guitar and spanish singing (actually gets quite boring and repetitive) and we now have 22 minutes of not so good stuff.

The remaining 54 minutes are actually quite good. This is the more traditional Mars Volta that we all know and love. They have added some synths here and there and a good amount of organ. To me - the highlight is the 16 minute Tetragrammaton, which has little filler and rocks throughout. The vocals are of course the best part about the album and you can tell a lot of effort was put into the melodies. Overall a good album, but skip the last track for sure and you will find yourself not listening to tracks 1 and 5 often as they are simply "OK".

Rating: 3.5 stars

 

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