The Mars Volta – Octahedron Review
Though most would say one should know what they’re getting into when listening to the Mars Volta, and there may be some truth to that, they are a relatively unpredictable band. Usually when I say that I’d mean it in a good way, but the Mars Volta essentially have two settings – fun and boring. As ironic as it may be for a band like the Mars Volta, it feels to me like they’re always listening to their fans and critics. When fans praised Deloused in the Comatorium ’s marked departure from the style of At the Drive-In, they took it further in Frances the Mute. When that brought them even greater fame they took it too far in Amputechture, noodling away for what seemed like hours in some songs. The Bedlam in Goliath cut away the fat and brought back the energy of their first two albums, and their latest release seems to strip down their sound just enough to appeal to fringe fans and critics tired of Omar’s noodling, the over indulgence in prog rock wonder, and disregard for songwriting.
So the good news about Ochtahedron is the song writing is probably better than it has been in much of their past material. It comes out best in songs like Teflon , a song with a unifying melodic theme, modest bass line, and a drum beat that adds momentum, rather than short exhibitionist bursts of energy. Cedric sticks to a vocal line that could realistically be reproduced live (I’ve personally found his live performances of Bedlam’s material immensely disappointing). Even Omar seems to hold back in that song, sticking to guitar parts that are exciting rather than a demo of how great his pedal board is or how much fun a wah pedal is.
Were all the songs of this caliber, this would be their best album in years. Unfortunately, while a lot of the noodling that TMV are notorious for is absent (save the thoroughly annoying guitar solo in the last track and “With Twilight as My Guide”), this album has a problem I never thought the Mars Volta would ever have. Proclaimed by Cedric as their “acoustic album” (Drowned in Sound), out of the astoshingly short (by TMV standards) 50 minute length of the album, over 20 minutes are slow, largely acoustic ballads. It’s every band’s right to explore new territory. Just as Radiohead vehemently defended their change in direction after Kid A it’s clear that TMV just felt the need to take it down a notch in this album. But the difference is that I don’t think most Mars Volta fans are ready to accept this kind of change. It doesn’t bring any new kind of excitement, and frankly, I don’t think it’s something the band does well.
Though the song itself isn’t bad, between Omar’s distant, heavily processed lead guitar and Cedric’s alien-like vocal presence, “Since We’ve Been Wrong” is an awkward experiment in a place that should have probably been reserved for a B side or side project. “Copernicus” is no better, a track that will always make me wonder how rushed this album really was (it was reportedly recorded in about a month). It seems as if the electronic drums were an afterthought, and never considered how awkward they would mix with Cedric’s voice. I’d even go so far to say it comes off more like a remix than an original song.
The record reaches a low point in “With Twilight as My Guide,” an ambient, experimental journey to nowhere. This one in particular makes me think of the point in Cedric’s interview with Drowned in Sound when he says, “All along we’ve threatened people that we’d make a pop record, and now we have.”
No you didn’t. You just made a really subpar prog record. But it’s okay, I still love you.
Ed. note Yes we don’t have a great relationship with Warner Bros. Records but it’s more of a hate vs RR and not WB.
Here’s a stream of Since We’ve Been Wrong.
Tags: album
