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The Mars Volta - Amputechture
Message Board > Album Reviews > The Mars Volta - Amputechture
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alain
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Amazing.
I know many will jump in and say "everything after De-Loused is a let down," but I think that's crap.
A lot more focused than Frances, but not near De-loused at all. Though there are definitely a few good chorus/hooks. Less only-noise parts than Frances.
Omar wrote/produced all the music, and had Frusciante do a lot of the guitar, though it's not as blatantly obvious that it's Frusciante as it was on Frances. A lot of solos, but better than the previous solos.
I think they brough back the bass player from ATDI, and there's some pretty smokin' bass on this one. Not ususally a bass solo fan, but Day of the Baphomets starts with a fantastic bass solo.
Although JTheo left, he drummed on this, and it's fantastic drumming, as expected.
I much enjoyed Ike's keys on this one, more so than previously.
A lot of horns and such added into the lineup, and they add a lot to the album.
Cedric's vocals are great. A lot of octaved up stuff has his voice sounding extra high. Tasteful effects, in my opinion. I love the pitch-shift madness in Tetragrammaton.
The CD ends quite abruptly, in mid-bar and mid-note, making a few people wonder if there'll be a second half to this, just like they wondered if there'd be a sync'd album to Frances for songs during the noise, but I stronly doubt it. There seems to be a big emphasis on the fact that this one is not a concept album like the previous two, and it stretches into the songs: they tend to not flow into eachother as they did previously. A lot of the songs are abruptly cut.
I can see some people skipping a few songs, like Vicarious Atonement, Asilos Magdalena, and El Ciervo Vulnerado, seeing as they are drawn out and have no drums, but they're great songs to me.
I will say that Tetragrammaton, Meccamputechture, and Day of the Baphomets stand out as the best songs to me. Make me want to shake my white ass.
Fantastic production. A lot of unique atmostpheres set.
A favourite part worth noting is one second of huge vocal harmony on Day of the Baphomets. That and the pitchy vocals Tetragrammaton, which feels like a choppy squarewave modulating his pitch, or like a trumpet would waver the pitch.

Pick up this album. It makes other CDs sound like a half-assed attempt at music. Definitely a favourite with other Volta stuff. - Fri, 15 Sep 2006 2:54am
tyler
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dude

nothing is better than the mars volta live they played
on thursday they played 3 tracks from the new album
tetragrammaton(holy shit this was epic and sooo amazing)
viscera eyes(extended noise jam)
day of of the baphomets(HUGE FUCKING BASS SOLO)
and yes...this is their best album yet
and another one is coming out early next year..sweet - Sat, 16 Sep 2006 9:41am
darcy
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This album just didn't click with me overall as much as the other two. To me, the first half just sounds like a half-assed/watered-down version of Floyd/Zappa/Free-jazz/Ambient stuff that does sound like them, but on a bad day. The second half of the album is some of their best work yet though. It's panic and manic, and makes you feel like bouncing off the walls in a paranoid way. Definatly a great disc, but not my favourite. - Sun, 17 Sep 2006 12:44am
Tyler
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darcy: did you prefer the acquired taste performance at the vic event center? - Sat, 30 Sep 2006 4:50pm
darcy
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No, I don't think we had the talent to pull off a half-assed Floyd, Zappa, or Ambient, perhaps Free Jazz though. - Sun, 1 Oct 2006 3:51pm
Trican
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bring back jon.
bring back rick.
bring back jeremy! even though he's dead.
bring back acid. - Mon, 23 Oct 2006 11:38am
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