The Mars Volta, led by former At the Drive-In members Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, have long been divisive in the critical world. Their spastic progressive rock has won them as many detractors as fans, and that’s not likely to change with their fourth album, The Bedlam in Goliath. Still, the album is an exciting development for the band’s sound, which is faster and more focused than on their previous albums.
The album’s excellent penultimate track, “Soothsayer,” is a reference to the album’s (probably drug-influenced) origins. In an MTV interview, Bixler-Zavala said that after playing a show in Jerusalem, Rodriguez-Lopez purchased an ancient ouija board-type artifact and the band began conversing with it. After it told a rash of ominous stories, the band decided to bury it and keep its location secret. Much of Bedlam’s musical progressions relate to the strange, vaguely Judeo-Christian messages, which the band believe harken back to ancient Jewish hymns.
Of course, because this is the Mars Volta, you wouldn’t know those origins from the album’s lyrical content alone. After coming up with ridiculous phrases like “exoskeletal junction at the railroad delayed” on their debut, the band has continued to pump out gawky ‘poetry’ with bizarre imagery and plenty of non sequiturs. But fans flock to the Mars Volta with little regard for lyrical precision: the band’s mathematical approach to song construction forms the basis of their appeal, which is on full display here.
Bedlam is notable because it features legitimate pop hooks—the first time the band has seemed interested in hooks since their 2003 debut. “Goliath” and “Agadez” are particularly effective, serving as examples of the band’s quicker and more vicious style. This must be due in part to new drummer Thomas Pridgen, a renowned child prodigy who brings remarkable energy and power to this record, attributes largely missing on their previous stale venture, Amputechture.
Although Bedlam is the band’s best album since their debut, it will do little to win them new fans. Still most accurately described as an emo/Latin-influenced Rush, it is likely that the Mars Volta’s legacy has already been cemented regardless of what they produce next.
