17 years ago, I went to go see System Of A Down blow the fucking roof off of Denvers Pepsi Center, now called Ball Arena. It was my first big boy concert, I went with a few friends, it was great. Opening for them was a band I had only cursorily heard of before. When they took the stage, it was just a whirlwind of noise and colors the lead singer was dancing his ass off with luxurious hair that would become #goals for me for years up to now (I cant pull it off, but I do my own thing), never missing a beat. I was absolutely enamored. It was that moment alone I can attribute to opening the doors to me becoming much more exploratory and weirder in my tastes. That band was The Mars Volta.
Its hard to put into words how much the band means to me. Even during a time where Im done with idolatry and only want to see artists for who they are people, who are inherently, unquestionably flawed its hard not to see Cedric Bixler-Zavala as the cool dude he seems to be. Omar Rodriguez-Lpez, though more private, is equally deserving of that accolade just knowing that hes a primary force behind The Mars Voltas music. Its also why it was devastating seeing them break up and fall out after 2012s Noctourniquet, an admittedly divisive album to follow the acid-trip concepts and progression of past work.
The Mars Volta, the album, is Cedric and Omar punching the reset button in unison, though not leaving behind all they built up to now. Yes, this albums different, but to say there isnt common themes or approaches is disingenuous. This is Cedric and Omar grown up, made up, and still showing a fiery purpose with their art. The first taste we got of this album, Blacklight Shine, was a short film steeped in Puerto Rican culture and life. The thumbnail emblazoned with the flag of Puerto Rico, people dancing Bomba, wearing more traditional clothing, playing traditional music thats very much ingrained in the song itself its life, for a lot of people. Its the perseverance of historical and native culture, seeing older generations bring younger into the fold to learn and, hopefully, retain what makes them them. Its beautiful, and seeing people of all related origins Dominican, Taino, Aboriginal, African in the comments of the video lighting up with appreciation is too.
Omar is Boricua, born in Puerto Rico, so him going so hard as to take this direction with the visuals for the band makes perfect sense. Cedric, though Mexican in heritage mi gente surely didnt have to be swayed much to get on board with that. This is where the themes of The Mars Volta begin to take shape in a layered and multi-angled fashion. Its an album of resistance, of revolution, easily read as a defiant sword against the throat of colonialism and erasure that many people have had to fight for generations and centuries, especially Afro-Latin people. Personally, Cedric wove his own personal life in the least cryptic way hes ever done, writing lyrics that reference his very antagonistic history with the Church of Scientology (he was a member of the church around the time The Mars Volta broke up, which was also at least a partial cause of said break-up), seething with revenge for what the church and its members have done to him and his wife, actress Chrissie Bixler (fuck Danny Masterson forever).
The intersection of all of these elements is the music itself, a fair number of steps calmer and more considered than the delectable chaos of past albums. Instrumentation retains Latin flair, but otherwise form poppy and restrained structures to help guide the dance of lyrical blades on many songs. Equus 3 is an electro-rock punctuation toward the end of the record, but the lyrics are laced with vengeance seemingly referencing an ongoing lawsuit the Bixler family are complainants of.
Dont you let the spurs dig inWill the deepest pockets win?Will it only matter when it comesAnd it happens to you?You can try and blind them allYou can claim your god as faultBut Ill make him shatter whenIll take an eye for an eye
Another key difference, but a welcomed one at that, is that theres some genuine hooks on this thing. The Requisition has a groovy hook after an already groovy verse melody with bold bass. Blacklight Shine was a very strong single to lead with and introduce this newer sound to old fans guitars are washed out with some reverb, the Latin percussion calls back to classics like Drunkship of Lanterns or LVia LViaquez. You just want to sing along to much of it, the mark of a good pop record for sure, but also shows how far The Mars Volta are removed from their past on purpose. Vigil is haunting for as clean as it is with its surf rock-styled guitar lead toward the end, the ascending and descending grating hums of noise (also generated by a guitar?) feel almost occult in nature.
My favorite track is without a doubt Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon (May God Curse You My Heart/Love), which steps up the Latin influence to its highest danceable point on the album. The piano is absolutely exquisite. If I had any sort of complaint about The Mars Volta, its simply that I wanted more of this, but it makes me appreciate what we got from it even more. I commend it for what it is. Some fans will be disappointed, but well always have the youthful energy of Deloused in the Comatorium or The Bedlam in Goliath. The Mars Volta are unapologetically on their grown man shit now, freed from any possible constraints ironically enough, and its more beautiful than I could have ever imagined, leagues better than their short-lived excursion as Antemasque or their reunion as At the Drive-In.
The Mars Volta is a Trojan horse of sorts, sneaking its way back into the hearts of fans, sneaking its way past the oppressive pat-downs and censures it rallies against, on all levels. Ive never heard the band like this, and neither have you. Its only possible after years of reconciliation, honestly, and hardship, chronicled in a number of talks Omar and Cedric have had, though my favorite is their sit-down with Zane Lowe, which is unflinching and human as hell. I cant help it I love The Mars Volta, and now with more self-awareness, kindness, and focusing their vitriol at institutions that well and truly deserve it, its nigh impossible not to see them as folk heroes of sorts, prime examples of how to grow in mind and spirit, and maybe this new album is the start of something even greater than before.
Before I go, I want to send a shoutout to Puerto Rico itself, from which I have a number of friends, one who writes for this very site. The island has once again been ravaged by a hurricane which knocked out their entire power grid, caused floods, and so much more horrendous, preventable disaster. I urge you to take a look at this abridged list of resources and ways you can provide community support as the people fight for literal survival and begin to rebuild only a handful of years after another hurricane destroyed them in very similar ways.
Artist photo by Fat Bob
Read more:
The Mars Volta - "The Mars Volta" - Everything Is Noise
- This little rover will ride shotgun on Japan's ambitious Mars moon sample-return mission - Space.com - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Lawmakers announce caucus focused on space and planetary science - NBC News - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- The science value of Mars Sample Return - The Planetary Society - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Study determines the original orientations of rocks drilled on Mars - MIT News - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- The secret history of water on Mars: What ancient climate change tells us about the future on Earth - Salon - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Bridging the cultural divide for moon to Mars - SpaceNews - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Mars was once a cradle for life, according to scientists - Earth.com - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Curiosity Rover is Climbing Through Dramatic Striped Terrain on Mars - Universe Today - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Sols 4114-4115: Bingo! It's Official Curiosity's 40th Successful Drill Hole on Mars! NASA Mars Exploration - NASA Mars Exploration - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Will NASA be able to return Mars samples to Earth? New audit raises doubts - Space.com - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- NASA Discovery Could Mean Mars Had Life-Supporting Hydrothermal Vents - Syfy - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Perseverance rover spots Ingenuity helicopter's snapped-off rotor blade on Mars (photos) - Space.com - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- NASA's Mars Sample Return Program struggles to get off the drawing board - The Register - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- NASA Eyes New Operating Plan For Mars Sample Return Mission - Aviation Week - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Scientists find unexpected biomolecule on Mars that could have triggered life on the red planet - WION - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Mythical Retellings, Mars Colonies, and Reincarnated Lovers: March's Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books - Literary Hub - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Bruno Mars adding 12 new Las Vegas performances, opens The Pinky Ring - KTNV 13 Action News Las Vegas - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Contact restored with NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter - UPI News - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Massive deposits of water ice discovered on the equator of Mars - EL PAS USA - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Do we have to go to Mars to see the Martian Mountains? - Tehran Times - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- NASA lost contact with its Mars helicopter. - The Verge - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- MICK MARS Shows Off His Guitar Collection - "I'm A Tone Guy, Even Though I'm Half Deaf Now"; Video - bravewords.com - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mars Opens Transformative $42m Snacking Research and Development Hub in Chicago - PR Newswire - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- NASA lost contact with Mars helicopter Ingenuity, then managed to find it again - The Register - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mick Mars Explains What Set Mtley Cre Apart from Other '80s Bands, Recalls Why They Decided to Tune Down - Ultimate Guitar - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Suspected Small Oceans Worth of Ice Found Under Surface of Mars - High Times - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mars Express Finds New Evidence for Ice-Rich Layered Deposits in Medusae Fossae - Sci.News - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mysterious patch on Mars appears to be enormous lump of ice - New Scientist - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Solvents may pave way for building on Mars and the moon - Futurity: Research News - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- A Massive Amount of Water Ice Has Been Found on Mars, Lurking Beneath The Equator - ScienceAlert - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- NASA says it's reestablished contact with the Ingenuity Mars helicopter - Engadget - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mars senior executive reveals his best career hack for climbing the corporate ladder: Stop fixating on that promotion. Worry about learning, not your... - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- NASA has lost communication with the Ingenuity Mars helicopter - Digital Trends - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- ESA's Mars Express orbiter discovers ice water deposits at the Red Planet's equator - Euronews - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- McLean-based Mars opens new R&D hub focused on chocolate - Washington Business Journal - The Business Journals - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mars Opens Snacking Research And Development Hub In Chicago | ESM Magazine - ESM European Supermarket Magazine - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- The Ice Sheet on Mars is Even Thicker Than Previously Believed - Universe Today - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Seas of water ice may sit underground at Mars equator - New Atlas - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Scientists Discover Enough Mars Ice to Cover Planet in Water - Futurism - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Before Their Time Vol. 3. In the NBAs history, many players have | by Mars Robinson | SportsRaid | Jan, 2024 - Medium - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Winter crops damaged by weather across Europe: MARS - AgriCensus - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Frozen Water Discovered on Mars Could Fill Red Sea - Newsweek - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Early Mars Climate was Complex, with Streams Flowing Intermittently for Millions of Years - Universe Today - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- NASA announces its reconnected with helicopter stationed on Mars - TweakTown - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- US regains contact with Ingenuity mini-helicopter on Mars - The National - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mars Spirit and Opportunity rovers celebrate 20 years of exploration - Earth.com - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Martian water reservoir changes our perception of the Red Planet - BGR - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- New map of ice on Mars could help NASA decide where to send future astronauts - Space.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Detailed Mars Water Map Shows Where to Land Future Explorers - Gizmodo - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Daily briefing: A unique layer of molten rock envelops Mars's core - Nature.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Book review: A City on Mars, by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith - The New York Times - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- WPIAL Class 4A football roundup: Late TD lifts Mars to Greater Allegheny Conference title - TribLIVE.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- NASA Is Locating Ice on Mars With This New Map - NASA - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Curiosity rover discovers new evidence Mars once had 'right ... - Space.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- NASA's Ingenuity helicopter aces longest Mars flight in 18 months - Space.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- How AI could help the hunt for life on Mars - Big Think - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Mars Hill's rally deals blow to Scottsboro's chances of being 5A ... - Jackson County Sentinel - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Breakthrough Kidney Stone Procedure Makes It Possible For ... - Slashdot - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- 'People think Gen Z are from Mars' why workplaces must reassess ... - People Management Magazine - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Graffiti mars schools and park - The Acorn - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Le Mars teen charged for OWI and eluding - nwestiowa.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Mars livestream: ESA to beam first ever live view from the red planet - Business Insider - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Mars declared unsafe for humans to live as no one can survive for longer than four years - UNILAD - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- How astronauts heading to Mars could enjoy fresh produce and grill meat - KSL.com - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Here is the first livestream from Mars a rare, almost real-time look ... - NPR - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- 20 years of Mars Express: Mars as never seen before - European Space Agency - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- See Mars buzz the dense stars of the Beehive Cluster tonight - Space.com - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Mars helicopter Ingenuity went silent for 6 'agonizing' days in April - Space.com - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Sols 3845-3847: 30 Kilometers and Counting! NASA Mars ... - NASA Mars Exploration - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- A Mighty Martian River? Latest Astonishing Discovery by NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover - SciTechDaily - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- What Created This Mini Book-Shaped Rock on Mars? - Scientific American - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Seismic Waves Help Map the Core of Mars for the First Time - Universe Today - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Life Probably Didn't Have a Hand in Creating Organic Deposits on ... - Universe Today - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Mars Has A Crust Thicker Than Earth's And A Radioactive Heat Source - IFLScience - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- UC Davis Health nurse chosen for NASA's yearlong Mars analog ... - UC Davis Health - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- How to Grow Rice on Mars - Modern Farmer - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- The Long-Awaited Mission That Could Transform Our ... - The Wire Science - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Making The Case For All-Female Exploration Missions To Mars And ... - Hackaday - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Fox Chapel baseball breaks through with playoff win over Mars - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- USAID and Mars, Incorporated Announce Donation of $4 Million to ... - USAID - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]