The Mars Volta – Amputechture

I’ve never understood the appeal of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez or Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and I mean never. I could never get into At The Drive-In; and while I knew they were an influential band in the whole screamo trend, I could never sit and listen to a whole CD of theirs. I just didn’t like it. Then, they broke up, split ways and formed two bands.Two members formed Sparta while Omar and Cedric went on to form the now hugely popular The Mars Volta; and they are, yet another band, that I fail to understand their mass appeal.

Amputechture is the band’s third studio album, and I can’t compare this to its predecessors based on the sole fact that I didn’t listen to them. I could never get into the band, their atmospheric, experimental sound just wasn’t my cup of tea – and Amputechture is no different. This eight track CD clocks in at a astonishing 76 minutes and 23 seconds, meaning that each of those eight songs are very long- ranging from 4:15 to 16:41 in length. This simple piece of information can give you an idea of the band right away. It means they don’t follow any structure, they don’t confine themselves to the right timeframe for a hit single. Instead, it is just them, in a studio, doing what they want to do. Playing crazy and exaggerated riffs over and over again, mixing in some pianos, flute, saxophone and more at certain elements too. Then, of course, it’s top of with Cedric’s signature melancholic vocal delivery. It is a sound that only The Mars Volta can deliver; and while there’s no denying whatsoever that these two men are spectacular musicians – because they are – I still find it hard to get into.

The album is too experimental, too grandiose to really grab my attention. It drags on, and on, and on, and on. I mean, what do you expect when they put a 16-minute long song second? You just can’t get into it and it becomes just background music in a very short time. The only song that really sticks out is the six minute Asilos Magdalena. This acoustically led, spanish sung ballad is nice, smooth and down to earth. It’s not quite as experimental as the rest of the album, but still keeps the sam Mars Volta vibe and that’s why it stands out so much. Sadly, the rest tends to blend together with only a few moments popping out to make an impression. The rest just drags.

When it comes down to it, it’s quite simple: if you liked any of the Mars Volta previous efforts, then you’ll love Amputechture as it once again shows the band’s musical genius and lyrical power. But for those,like me, who just never understood or could appreciate the band, Amputechture won’t change your mind. I still find that it drags and it just too far out there for me. Maybe it’s just my musical taste, but for now, I’ll just pass.