October 18, 2006 - The dictionary defines the word hubris as excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance. I describe it with one word - Amputecture. The new album from The Mars Volta is an ambitious record that is eclectic, experimental and full of jazz fusion elements that may well appeal to the avant garde of the music world.
But to the rest of us, this album is pieces and parts of enjoyable music mixed in with large doses of self-gratification and musical masturbation. Let me be perfectly clear here - the members of the Mars Volta Group are talented musicians, one and all. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the two full-time songwriters and directors of the Mars Volta, have assembled a group of musicians who definitely fit their roles well and who help advance the cause of the Mars Volta.
I really want to love this album. I am a fan of At the Drive-In, the past incarnation that involved both Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala, and I heard a lot of promise in De-Loused in the Comatorium (the band's first full-length release after breaking from ATDI). But the band seems to have gotten lost in pursuit of the perfect jam, the ultimate experimental riff, the greatest fusion element to ever be laid down on tape.
At times, most notably in "Meccamputecture" and "Asilos Magdalena," the band seems to harness some of the early edgier, blues-filled Led Zeppelin vibe and capture it very well. Other times, the jazz fusion seems to come through with striking clarity. But those elements of clarity and musical inspiration get lost in the mix and leave the listener on the outside wondering what just happened.
One of these days, the creative inspiration behind the Mars Volta is going to figure that out as well.
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