The Mars Volta: Deloused in the Comatorium

I bought this CD based on a review in the Los Angeles Times—usually not a good idea, but one that paid off this time. I've been listening to it again lately because Susana and I saw them live at a music festival a couple of weeks ago and they ROCKED.

Their music is old style rock, definitely influenced by 70's bands like Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Rush, but they don't make music that sounds like they are just imitating their music heroes. I usually don't like rock music that takes itself too seriously, but this album does, and it pulls it off. Here's their own description of the album which was inspired by the death of a close friend:
"Based on a story written by Cedric, it is a concept album in which the hero tries to commit suicide by overdosing on morphine. Instead of dying, he falls into a coma for a week, and experiences fantastic adventures in his dreams, elemental battles between the good and bad aspects of his conscience. At the end, he emerges from the coma, but chooses to die."

They played the "PersonalFest" here in Buenos Aires and really stole the show. (By the way, for 80's music fans, other acts included The Pet Shop Boys, Morissey, and Blondie.) The core of the band are two long-time friends. Lead guitar Omar Rodriguez-Lopez looks like the scrawny, kind of weird guy who got bullied a lot in high school and retreated to his garage to find solace in perfecting guitar solos ... and now—glorious revenge on all those high school jocks who picked on him!—he's a fuckin' guitar god. Seriously, without going into long, self-indulgent guitar solos, this guy plays some great guitar.

Lead singer Cedric Bixler Zavala's voice fits well with the first album's otherworldly battle of good vs. evil themes. His singing is variously screeching and haunting.

Oh yeah, it was also cool that the drummer was wearing a "Fuck Bush" t-shirt during the show.

I think that their CD is one of those things that you have to be in the right mood to listen to, but it really hits the spot when you are in that mood. If you have iTunes, you can check out their music here.