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Echoes |
Topic: [Music] - "Frances The Mute" - The Mars Volta
Posted: 2004-12-16 @ 03:10:17
Well, we may not know who At THe Drive In were, but suffice it to say they broke up. Half of them formed the straightforward modern rock band Sparta, while the more, shall we say, inventive half formed The Mars Volta. De-Loused In The Comatorium garnered many a good review, and was a decent alt rock album in its own right. It was obvious right from the get-go that the Mars Volta wasn't going to be your prototypical rock band, as they ventured into more experimental territory than most rock fans are used to. With the upcoming release of their new album, however, it is fairly plain to see that the Cedric Bixler and company have dove haed-first into the ocean that is Progressive rock. Frances The Mute ventures into relatively untrodden territory for bands nowadays, areas that have not been active since being graced by the likes of Rush, Pink Floyd, and Yes. This is not a prog metal project, such as Liquid Tension Experiment, yet it carries more force than more traditional prog rock.
Everything about these albums screams "different" The shortest song clocks in at just under 6 minutes, the average track will run a good 13 minutes, and the closing opus clocks in at at floydian 31:47. The songs are dominated by agressive drumbeats, chaotic solos, and that staple of progressive rock, the ambient interlude, provided a much desired break in the franticness. Dissonent strings highten the effect, and the songs seamlessly flow into one another. Yes, this song is quintessential progressive rock. Song by Song
1) Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus (13:08)
This hits hard off the blocks, and is absolutely FILLED with excellent psychadelia and guitar work. Sets the mood, and that mood is just plain spaced out. Intensity pervades this composition, and any downtime is welcomed, as The MArs Volta prevent a sonic wash, saturating the atmosphere with sound of all sorts. It ends on a slow rising action, rolling into the second song.
2)The Widow (5:57)
At the shortest running length on the entire album, this has the most possiblity of being made a single. It adopts a slower pace, and could almost be called a ballad, and ends abruptly about 3 minutes in, disentegrating to another ambient sound session, one which segues into
3)L'via L'Viasquez (12:27)
A very latin piece, with almost solely spanish lyrics, barring the chorus alone. The vibe is distinctly salsaesque, and The Mars Volta somehow finds a way to prog it out. Guitar solos are interwoven in the most apt of places, and the song rises and falls perfectly, taking you on a sonic journey, complete with catchy chorus and finally, collapses into a heap of sound and the trademark Volta distored voice effects at the very end, paving the way for.....
4)Miranda, That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore(13:18)
It takes a good 4 minutes of white noise for this song to start, but once it does, its swelling horns instantlyendeared it to me. This is a slower pace than the first or third epic songs, yet it fills you with the distinct impression that it is building to a grandiose climax. The song itself peaks at around 7-8 minutes, and rom then on, it is an exercise in ambient noise, background sounds that keep your attention, and have you anticipating what's to come. Almost reminiscent of the horn infatuation with some indie bands, except these are actually well done, In my view. The stage is now set for the second half of the album, the monstorous...
5) Cassandra Gemini (31:47)
The undeniably magnum opus, and almost an album to itself. It contains pure space rock, spoken interludes, dissonant stringwork, and an impressive range of vocals. Many parts would make excellent songs unto themselves, but can get bogged down in the extended length of the song. However, they manage to keep the pace fairly upbeat and keep your attention well into the 15-20 minute range, which is a testament to the quality of the song. The latter instrumental/bringdown section seems to drain energy from the song, and in the remaining time, they do not seem to be able to wrap up such a fine work. The final sung portion of the song leaves me wanting more, strangely enough, even though it has been half an hour. This song is epic in any way you look at it. I personally find it amazing they can keep one song so cohesive for this long
And there you have it. As you may have noticed, the songs seem to flow genuinely into one another without so much as a bat of an eye. However, most songs end in such a long pleasing outro, its almost a shame that the next song starts. Especially when its a song like the Widow, which I feel is one of the weakest on the album. The final 3 songs provide you with an amazing array of prog-rock talent, infused with a latin beat, sensuous rising action, and the all out sonic experience that is Cassandra Gemini. This is my vote for album of 2005 (mainly because it isn't officially out yet), and until something better proves itself, it may just stay that way.
If you like prog rock, or want to experiment in new genres, I highly reccommend this. If, however, you prefer your songs in small, easily digestable packets, this album may not be for you. I hope it sells well, because it damn well deserves to.(19)Comments
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