The Mars Volta
Octahedron


4.0
excellent

Review

by Iluvatar USER (168 Reviews)
June 23rd, 2009 | 648 replies


Release Date: 2009 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Wait, wasn't this supposed to be an acoustic album!? Why are there drums and stuff? And why is it so good?

Here is the thing about Octahedron: it’s pretty much what EVERY PERSON WHO HATES THE MARS VOLTA HAS WANTED THEM TO MAKE FOR YEARS. The Mars Volta (and their fans by proxy) have prided themselves on being ridiculously spazzy, taking progressive music to places that while perhaps not new, that have not been fully explored. Who can forget the progression “Drunkship of Lanturns” goes through, or the freak out after the chorus of “Day of the Baphomets”? Despite this, detractors have always bitched that the songs are too long; a revolving door of guitar wanking, nonsensical lyrics and superfluous song structure that isn’t fit for human consumption. 5 songs, 77 minutes? What the hell! So, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and the gang have crafted a “pop” album of sorts, hinging about 2/3rds as long as nearly every other record they’ve done and much less prone to random bouts of ridiculous proggyness.

Hailed as their “acoustic” album, one could say its an “acoustics” album; the album is completely driven by the mood and soundscape it creates. This is a hail back to “Early era” (Deloused in the Comatorium and Frances the Mute) Volta, an album completely driven by its concept instead of ridiculous bridges and jazz freak outs. While the lyrics are as immediately indecipherable as always, Octahedron seems to revolve around murder and deceit, and it is reflected in the sound of the record. Dark and brooding, Octahedron succeeds in creating tense atmospheres throughout. “Teflon” is arguably the most dense and heavy song the group has written, with thick bass and restrained, but intense drumming from Pridgen, while “Desperate Graves” is beautifully unhinged, similar to sections of “Cicatriz ESP”.

Being their pop record, one has to assume singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala will have a major role upon its ultimate quality, and such an assumption would be true. While the last two Mars Volta records have seen Cedric overdub his voice perhaps a little bit too much (often three or more times with the same exact voice effect), here he goes back to the more natural singing styles of his earlier work. There are still the overdubs and voice effects, but much more of it is clean singing, and the heights he reaches on “Halo of Nembutals” and “With Twilight as My Guide” are on the level of “Cygnus…Vismund Cygnus” and “Cassandra Gemini”. When he does make extensive use of effects, its more than just random splattering; “Copernicus” is a sort of auto-tuned, at some points electronica-derived ballad that works incredibly well.

It’s still a Mars Volta record, so expecting some ridiculous parts is required. “Cotopaxi” is pretty much the link to their previous record “The Bedlam in Goliath”, featuring a thunderous guitar riff and insane drumming and a frantic pace. So what if they haven’t come THAT far from “Inertiatic E.S.P”, it works so well. However, generally the playing on this album is focused, and the fact that Omar “composes” all of the music himself is far more apparent than ever before. When the full band comes in on “Since We’ve Been Wrong” it is the opposite of what people would expect; an occurrence that makes complete tonal sense. Brilliant!

In the end, Octahedron will simply divide those who like The Mars Volta and those who don’t again. While there will be some side-switching, for the most part it isn’t the landmark record that will convince people who hate them to cross over to the light. It’s a pleasant listen, but perhaps not as diverse and frantic as a Mars Volta album should be, even one that is “acoustic”. However, the hooks are great and the melodies are beautiful, and while this will be the “…oh yeah, that album…” to a lot of uptight Mars Volta fans in the future, it’s an excellent change of pace for the band, and proves that they can indeed write spacey, esoteric mid-tempo songs instead of…well…spacey, esoteric breakneck songs.



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user ratings (1897)
3.5
great
other reviews of this album
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Comments:Add a Comment 
Cesar
June 24th 2009


2732 Comments


Was expecting this review...

rasputin
June 24th 2009


14968 Comments


who are you and what have you done with john hanson

feav233
June 24th 2009


1411 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

agreed, it is definitely a pleasant listen while not as wild as the previous work

McP3000
June 24th 2009


4121 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

mr john hanson why is there a 5 next to your dick

aworldofviolets
June 24th 2009


179 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I definitely don't really agree with anything in the review, i actually don't find this album any more accessible than other of their other records. I'm still forming my opinion of it, but so far its not bad but I haven't really found anything about it that grabs me. I'm hoping it will grow on me as I get to know it. I definitely don't think I'll find it better than Bedlam

Aaron
June 24th 2009


685 Comments


I think I may actually listen to this one.

Fort23
June 24th 2009


3775 Comments


album sux

iarescientists
June 24th 2009


5865 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

i give fort23 a 5

iarescientists
June 24th 2009


5865 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

ps 2+3=5 lol get it

Fort23
June 24th 2009


3775 Comments


my dad is killer

Lunarfall
June 24th 2009


3178 Comments


i want to get this but idk

iarescientists
June 24th 2009


5865 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

iluvatar is out of the loop

Fort23
June 24th 2009


3775 Comments


zach is a killer...

iarescientists
June 24th 2009


5865 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

maybe iluvatar will dress up as me for halloween

MrGlass
June 24th 2009


610 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

dexter is the best television show of all time.



& review rules. couldn't agree more.

Digging: Better Lovers - Highly Irresponsible

natey
June 24th 2009


4195 Comments


arrested development, star trek next generation, weeds, and firefly ftw

NortherlyNanook
June 24th 2009


1286 Comments


album sux


goddamnit fort we know you haven't listened to this yet

McP3000
June 24th 2009


4121 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

iluvatar did you have to sleep with a groupee to give this album a 5

cirq
June 24th 2009


9362 Comments


how can one dislike the mars volta?



Acre
June 24th 2009


847 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

http://marscosby.ytmnd.com/



I think this sums up everything about TMV that can be said.



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