The Grammy-winning prog-rock act The Mars Volta shows a softer side but still rocks hard on its fifth studio outing, "Octahedron.''
The Grammy-winning prog-rock act The Mars Volta shows a softer side but still rocks hard on its fifth studio outing, “Octahedron.”
A creative partnership between guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala — who breathe life into their collaborations with the help of various musicians — The Mars Volta soars just as high with acoustic guitars and piano arrangements as they do with blazing riffs and space-rock atmosphere.
The prolific Rodriguez-Lopez effortlessly weaves elements of punk, funk, psychedelia, jazz fusion, and Latin grooves into the mix, while Bixler-Zavala teams a scorching falsetto with an impressive vocabulary on his abstract, metaphorical vocals.
They kick off with a light touch on “Since We’ve Been Wrong” and bring some serious spaced-out funk-rock on “Teflon” and the dynamic “Halo of Nembutals.” “With Twilight As My Guide” sounds just like its title with gloomy acoustics and haunting guitar effects, and “Desperate Graves” is a dose of post-hardcore aggression.
The disc closes with the manic one-two punch of “Copernicus,” which floats into deep electronics, and the cryptic “Luciforms,” with a trippy opening that builds into wah-wah euphoria.
And euphoric is exactly what “Octahedron” is — yet another indispensable entry in The Mars Volta’s already impressive catalogue.
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