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The Mars Volta

August 24, 2023

For their self-titled studio album, see The Mars Volta (album).

The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band's only constant members are Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (guitar, producer, direction) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), whose partnership forms the core of the band. The band's current line-up also includes founding member Eva Gardner (bass), Omar's brother Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez (keyboards, synths, percussion), Leo Genovese (piano, keyboard) and Linda-Philomène Tsoungui (drums).

The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta performing in 2023
Background information
OriginEl Paso, Texas, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 2001–2012
  • 2019–present
Labels
Spinoff of
Members
Past members

Known for their energetic live shows and concept albums, The Mars Volta formed following the break-up of Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala's previous band, At the Drive-In. Seeking to experiment and expand their sound, Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala recruited Gardner, Isaiah "Ikey" Owens (keyboards), Jon Theodore (drums) and Jeremy Ward (sound manipulation) to form The Mars Volta. The band released their debut EP, Tremulant, in 2002, with Gardner leaving the band prior to recording their debut album, De-Loused in the Comatorium. She was replaced by Red Hot Chili Peppers' bass guitarist Flea for the sessions. The Rick Rubin-produced album received widespread critical acclaim upon its release in 2003.

The band's second studio album, Frances the Mute (2005), was self-produced by Rodríguez-López and was the first to feature longterm members Juan Alderete (bass) and Marcel Rodríguez-López. The album debuted at #4 on the US Billboard 200 and became the band's biggest commercial success, selling over 500,000 copies in the US and achieving Gold certification from the RIAA. The band's third studio album, Amputechture, was released in 2006 and was the last album to feature Theodore. In 2008, the band released The Bedlam in Goliath, a concept album inspired by the band's turbulent experiences with a ouija-type talking board. The album's first single, "Wax Simulacra" was awarded a Grammy Award in 2009 for Best Hard Rock Performance.[1] The band released its fifth album, Octahedron, in June 2009.

Following the release of their sixth album, Noctourniquet (2012), and a run of reunion shows with At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta entered a hiatus in September 2012. Rodríguez-López subsequently formed a new project, Bosnian Rainbows,[2] and the band formally broke up after disagreements between Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala.[3] The duo repaired their friendship and reunited in 2014 for a new project, Antemasque, and further At the Drive-In tours and recording sessions.

Reuniting in secret in 2019, Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala recorded a new studio album, The Mars Volta, with Gardner, Marcel Rodríguez-López and drummer Willy Rodriguez Quiñones. The band announced their reunion – after ten years of public inactivity – with an art installation called L'ytome Hodorxí Telesterion, in June 2022.[4] For the band's live return, jazz pianist Leo Genovese and drummer Linda-Philomène Tsoungui were added to the line-up.

Band name

Cedric Bixler-Zavala stated in an interview:

The Volta is taken from a Federico Fellini book about his films, what he characterizes as a changing of scene, or a turnaround; a new scene to him is called Volta. Y'know, changing of time and the changeover. And Mars, we're just fascinated by science fiction so and it's something that ultimately looked as in anything I write, its meaning is always up to the listener. As the way we write songs and words, if it looks great on paper then to us it's like painting, so if it looks good meaning the second then people usually have a better interpretation than we ever would.[citation needed]

History

Formation and beginning (2001–2002)

Main articles: At the Drive-In and De Facto (band)

The roots of The Mars Volta are found in the band At the Drive-In.[5] ATDI imploded on the verge of a commercial breakthrough, partly due to boredom, partly to musical differences.[6] Members Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López began to further explore their experimental, dub-influenced side project called De Facto, which featured Bixler-Zavala on drums, Rodríguez-López on bass, Isaiah "Ikey" Owens on keyboards, and Jeremy Ward on vocals, loops and sound effects.

During 2001 Eva Gardner joined the members of De Facto on bass, and they recorded two songs with drummer Blake Fleming and producer Alex Newport, which became the first demo by The Mars Volta. The lineup for their first public show at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California was Rodríguez-López, Bixler-Zavala, Owens, Gardner, Ward, and drummer Jon Theodore. This lineup recorded three more tracks with Alex Newport, which became the EP Tremulant, released in early 2002 by Gold Standard Laboratories.

After the demise of At the Drive-In, Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala found themselves once again starting from the ground up, touring and performing in smaller venues. In their early years The Mars Volta were characterized by chaotic live shows and heavy drug use.[7]

De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003–2004)

Main article: De-Loused in the Comatorium

Following Tremulant, The Mars Volta continued touring with a fluid line-up while preparing to record their debut full-length album De-Loused in the Comatorium, produced with Rick Rubin and released on June 24, 2003. Whereas Tremulant had no general theme (except the prophetic mentioning) De-Loused was a unified work of speculative fiction telling the first-person story of someone in a drug-induced coma, battling the evil side of his mind. Though lyrically obscure, The Mars Volta stated in interviews that the album's protagonist is based on their late friend Julio Venegas, or "Cerpin Taxt", an El Paso poet and artist who went into a coma for several years after a deliberate drug overdose, recovered and later committed suicide.[6] He died jumping from the Mesa Street overpass onto Interstate-10 in El Paso during afternoon rush-hour traffic.[citation needed] (Venegas' death was also referenced in the At the Drive-In song "Embroglio" from their album Acrobatic Tenement.)

In an interview with The Aquarian Weekly in 2008, Bixler-Zavala said about working with Rubin, "Rick really over-simplified some of the parts that we thought were unique, and just made them very digestible. He's got this thing about representing the common man's ears—I'd rather jab the common man's ears. If we don't, we'll never get to a place where future music exists."[8]

The Mars Volta had no official bassist during the recording session, but Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) played bass on nine of the album's ten songs, with Justin Meldal-Johnsen playing double bass on "Televators". Flea's bandmate John Frusciante also contributed additional guitar, synthesizer and backing vocals to "Cicatriz ESP". After several temporary replacements, a permanent bassist for the band was found in Juan Alderete (formerly of Racer X).

Despite limited promotion, De-Loused earned strong reviews, and appeared on several 'year-end best-of' lists. The album remains The Mars Volta's best-seller, with over 500,000 copies sold. Rolling Stone ranked a track from De-Loused, "Drunkship of Lanterns", the 91st Best Guitar Song Ever. The band later released a limited-edition storybook version of the album, available by download from the Gold Standard Laboratories website. The book speaks of Cerpin Taxt (Julio Venegas) and his suicide.

While on tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in support of the album, founding member Jeremy Ward died of a heroin overdose.[5][6] The band had canceled the tour's second leg, and the first single from De-Loused was later dedicated to Ward. It was this event which finally convinced band leaders Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala to purportedly quit using opioids.[7] Bixler-Zavala recalled: "One day, we were all getting high, and Jeremy asked me if I could see he had worms in his head. I never touched the stuff again. His passing was the final nail in the coffin. We never went back."[6]

Frances the Mute (2005)

Main article: Frances the Mute

As the band resumed touring to support De-Loused, they added Marcel Rodríguez-López (Omar's brother) on percussion. Work on their second album began in 2004. That year the band received the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Vanguard Award.[9]

 
Live at Paradiso – Amsterdam October 16, 2005

In 2005, the band released Frances the Mute. The story given by the band on the album's concept concerns a diary that had been found in a repossessed car by late sound technician Jeremy Ward, while working as a repo-man. The author of the diary is unknown but appeared to be someone who was adopted and was searching for their birth parents, and who may have suffered from mental illness caused by the death of a loved one. The lyrics for each track on the album are loosely based on characters and life events described in this person's diary.

Frances the Mute started as a bigger commercial hit than De-Loused, moving 123,000 copies in its first week, and debuting at No. 4 on the Billboard album charts.[10] Reviews of Frances were generally positive (with a 75 on Metacritic) if somewhat polarized; Rolling Stone called it "a feverish and baroque search for self that conjures up the same majesty and gravity as Led Zeppelin three decades before", and even the detractors of Frances the Mute generally praised the band's musical abilities.[11] "L'Via L'Viaquez" was later released as the 12 minute B-side to "The Bible And The Breathalyzer" single, a song which did not appear on the album. Frances the Mute has sold nearly 465,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan ratings.[12]

Rodríguez-López wrote all of the instrumental parts as well as arranging and producing the recording sessions himself. He used a method that Miles Davis used to evoke great performances from bandmates: refusing to let the other members hear each other's parts, or the context of their own part, thereby forcing them to play each part as if it were a self-sufficient song. In order to accomplish this, the musicians recorded to the pulse of a metronome.[citation needed] While in the studio, Rodríguez-López recruited Adrián Terrazas-González to play saxophone, flute, and additional wind instruments for the album. Terrazas-González was added as a permanent member to The Mars Volta while touring in support of Frances the Mute.

Several songs written during the original recording sessions for the album never made the final cut. Notably, the self-titled 14-minute epic "Frances the Mute", which was originally to open the album and was ultimately supposed to decode the album's concept, was not included due to time constraints. Instead the track was featured as a b-side to the single release for "The Widow".

 
Live at Birmingham Academy November 30, 2005 with drummer Jon Theodore

On May 21, 2005, instead of playing a traditional set at KROQ's Weenie Roast Festival, the band played a 50-minute improvisation jam that was jokingly named on-the-spot as "Abortion, The Other White Meat" by Rodríguez-López. In keeping with The Mars Volta's tradition of testing and developing new work live, parts of "Abortion" later appeared on "Population Council's Wet Dream" from Rodríguez-López's 2009 album Old Money.

Midway through their headlining U.S. tour, former At the Drive-In member Paul Hinojos left the band Sparta to join The Mars Volta, claiming, "My time with Sparta has run its course, and simply wasn't fun anymore." Hinojos joined as live rhythm guitarist and became the band's sound manipulator, the position previously held by the late Ward. Hinojos had previously toured with The Mars Volta in 2003 and 2004.

During mid-2005, the band toured in support of the album with System of a Down and curated the All Tomorrow's Parties festival at Camber Sands in England.[13] In addition, a full-length live album named Scabdates was released on November 8, 2005.

Amputechture (2006–2007)

Main article: Amputechture

Upon finishing the majority of touring for Frances the Mute in fall 2005, Rodríguez-López traveled to Amsterdam and wrote what became Amputechture, which was released on September 8, 2006, in Europe, on September 9, 2006, in Australia and on September 12, 2006, in the U.S. Rodríguez-López spent much of his time in Amsterdam working on and performing various solo projects most notably under the name "Omar Rodriguez Quintet". During this time Rodríguez-López also composed the score to the film El Búfalo de la Noche, which was written and directed by Guillermo Arriaga and Jorge Hernandez Aldana respectively. The Mars Volta as a whole performed the score.

Amputechture was produced by Rodríguez-López and mixed by Rich Costey. Jeff Jordan provided the artwork, making it their first album not to feature the work of Storm Thorgerson. It was once again a concept album, but rather than telling a story, the album was a series of vignettes, with each song telling a different story. It became the last album with drummer Jon Theodore, whom Rodríguez-López fired before touring in support of the album. Rodríguez-López said in an interview with an Italian fan site that Theodore was the only member in the band who was not happy playing live and brought down the moods of the rest.[citation needed]

 
The Mars Volta playing with John Frusciante in Toronto on September 25, 2006

John Frusciante was featured on every track on Amputechture, except for "Asilos Magdalena". Rodríguez-López contributed the solos and riffs where the guitar work needed to be doubled. Bixler-Zavala said in an interview, "...he taught Frusciante all the new songs and Frusciante tracked guitars for us so Omar could sit back and listen to the songs objectively. It's great that he wants to help us and do that."[citation needed]

On July 28, 2006, the drummer's spot was filled by Blake Fleming, formerly of Laddio Bolocko, Dazzling Killmen, and the very first Mars Volta demos. A new song titled "Rapid Fire Tollbooth" was debuted live on September 22, 2006, in Chicago, Illinois, as reported by fans and attendees of the show who had received set lists from the stage. The song originally appears on Rodríguez-López's solo album Se Dice Bisonte, No Búfalo. The song eventually evolved into the track "Goliath" from the band's fourth studio album.

On September 25, 2006, The Mars Volta played a unique set on the opening night of a double-header in Toronto, Ontario. Cedric Bixler-Zavala fell ill and could not perform, so The Mars Volta played with John Frusciante on third guitar. The set consisted of over 47 minutes of instrumental material, including a lengthy cover of the Pink Floyd composition "Interstellar Overdrive". On October 17, 2006, while opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the band played with drummer Deantoni Parks as Rodríguez-López had fired Fleming because of complications within the band. Parks remained with the band only until the conclusion of the Japanese tour because of his prior commitments with other bands. On October 31, 2006, in Cleveland, Ohio, as Parks could not perform, The Mars Volta played an approximately 40-minute improvisation set as a rehearsal for another drummer, Thomas Pridgen.

On a 2006 episode of The Henry Rollins Show, The Mars Volta performed "Tetragrammaton" and "Day of the Baphomets" in a rare television performance. Afterwards, they did an interview with Rollins about the creation of Amputechture.

The Bedlam in Goliath (2008)

Main article: The Bedlam in Goliath
 
Thomas Pridgen playing at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul, Minnesota on April 21, 2008

In 2007, Thomas Pridgen became the new permanent drummer for the band. Pridgen's first full-time appearance was at the March 12 show in New Zealand, where the band debuted the song "Idle Tooth" which was later renamed "Wax Simulacra" for the forthcoming album. After shows in New Zealand and Australia, The Mars Volta toured a few West Coast venues as the headliner, then entered the studio to record their fourth LP, The Bedlam in Goliath.[14] One of these performances was captured in a live concert DVD (which remains unreleased) shot by director Jorge Hernandez Aldana.[15]

Despite finding a permanent drummer and getting the band back on track, the recording and production of the album was reportedly plagued by difficulties related to a bad experience with a Ouija board purchased in a curio shop in Jerusalem.[16] According to Rodríguez-López, their original engineer experienced a nervous breakdown, his studio flooded twice, and both he and mixer Rich Costey claimed that various tracks would disappear at random.

On November 5, 2007, The Mars Volta released a document by Jeremy Robert Johnson titled, "The Mars Volta's Descent into Bedlam: A Rhapsody in Three Parts".[17][18] The document includes a history of the band and describes the obstacles and inspirations they encountered in the creation of The Bedlam in Goliath. On November 20, 2007 "Wax Simulacra", the first single from the forthcoming album, was released with a cover of "Pulled to Bits" by Siouxsie and the Banshees as the b-side.

The band kicked off their supporting tour with a December 29, 2007 "secret show" at the Echoplex in Los Angeles, California, followed by a special New Year's Eve performance at San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.[19] That night they played their first ever acoustic set, which included six songs and a live performance of "Miranda, That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore". The band then departed on a club tour of the U.S. east coast throughout January, with an album release show at San Diego's Soma, followed by another month's worth of European dates from mid-February to mid-March.

On January 2, 2008, The Mars Volta released an online game called "Goliath: The Soothsayer", based on a true story that inspired their forthcoming album The Bedlam In Goliath. The album chronicles the band's purported experience with the "Soothsayer", a Ouija board owned by vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and its transition from a source of fun on tour to a psycho-spiritual force that almost tore the band apart. The game was available for a limited time exclusively via Amazon.com.[20]

On January 17, 2008, the band made their U.S. network television debut, performing "Wax Simulacra" on the Late Show with David Letterman (Rodríguez-López, Bixler-Zavala and Hinojos had appeared on the show with At the Drive-In in 2000). On January 22, they made a surprise appearance at Toronto, Ontario, Canada's MTV Live studios, where they performed "Wax Simulacra" and an extended version of "Goliath". In late January, the new album debuted at a career-best No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

 
Omar Rodríguez-López playing at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul, Minnesota on April 21, 2008

The song "Wax Simulacra" won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. It was the band's first nomination and win.[21] The band members thanked their families and Bixler urged people not to forget the memories of the recently departed Lux Interior and Ron Asheton.

Octahedron (2009–2010)

Main article: Octahedron (album)

Omar Rodríguez-López had discussed the band's next album as early as January 2008, the month that The Bedlam in Goliath was released,[22] claiming "I consider it to be our acoustic album."[23] Cedric Bixler-Zavala had expressed an urge for the album to not be released on a major label.[24] In February 2009, Rodríguez-López claimed "the next two Mars Volta records are already recorded and waiting for a release date."[25]

On April 14, 2009, The Mars Volta announced their fifth studio album, entitled Octahedron. It was released June 23 in the United States and June 22 in the rest of the world. A vinyl version was released on July 21 in a limited edition of 500 LPs.[22][26] In the spirit of distillation of the band's sound, Rodríguez-López asked woodwind player/percussionist Adrián Terrazas-González and live rhythm guitarist/sound manipulator Paul Hinojos to leave.[27][28] Regarding their departure, percussionist Marcel Rodríguez-López noted that: "it's like we got a whole new band. It's two less members – we got to play differently."[29]

The first single released in North America was "Since We've Been Wrong". The first European single was "Cotopaxi".

An excerpt from The Mars Volta's performance at the All Tomorrow's Parties, UK 2005 A Nightmare Before Christmas festival was featured in the All Tomorrow's Parties film, which was released in cinemas during October 2009.

During the Octahedron tour, the show on October 23 in Raleigh, NC was unexpectedly cancelled. It was supposed to be the final show of the North American leg of the tour, but was cancelled due to an argument between Bixler-Zavala and Thomas Pridgen, the drummer at the time, which ended with Pridgen abruptly leaving the venue. A month later, Pridgen confirmed his departure from The Mars Volta via Facebook stating he was "not in TMV anymore".[30] In a February 2011 interview, Pridgen said he left the group "because the singer had a jealous ego trip. There's nothing more to elaborate on";[31] however, Juan Alderete stated in 2013 that "Thomas got really drunk, did some bad things and did some real damage to the trust we all had with him."[32] The band later completed the tour with drummer Dave Elitch.[30] They played throughout Europe and Australia until the end of January 2010.

In October 2010, The Mars Volta played two shows in Brazil and Chile.[33][34] Long-time keyboardist, Ikey Owens, was absent during these dates due to touring commitments with his own project, Free Moral Agents.

Noctourniquet (2011–2012)

Main article: Noctourniquet

Shortly after Octahedron's release, Rodríguez-López claimed to have put the supposed follow-up "on hold" and was starting work on a completely new album. In an April 2010 interview with Rolling Stone, Rodríguez-López talked about trying to loosen his grip in the studio. He claimed to have finished writing the album, and was awaiting lyrics and vocals from Bixler-Zavala.[35] Rodríguez-López spent most of 2010 focusing on his solo career, and little information regarding the sixth Mars Volta album was released. During this year drummer Deantoni Parks began touring with Rodríguez-López as well as appearing on several solo records, and Cathy Pellow of Sargent House Records confirmed that Parks was in talks to become the next drummer for The Mars Volta.

In 2011, Rodríguez-López spoke about the band's new album in several interviews, saying that it would feature thirteen songs which, "[are] a simplified version of what we've done before",[36] and would be released "Whenever the record label decides to put it out".[37] Bixler-Zavala took the opportunity to make a few remarks on the sound of the album, indicating a drastic change in sound for the band, referring to the new sound as "future punk".[38]

On March 19, 2011, the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group performed at SXSW. Bixler-Zavala joined the group as a vocalist, performing entirely new material with the band, which led to speculations of the show being a secret Mars Volta show under the Omar Rodríguez-López Group moniker. The Group continued to tour throughout April with the same lineup of Bixler-Zavala, Omar and Marcel Rodríguez-López, Juan Alderete, Deantoni Parks and (previously offstage) keyboardist/sound manipulator Lars Stalfors.[38] An official Mars Volta tour began in summer of 2011, consisting of them opening for Soundgarden on select dates. This was in addition to their opening slot for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in their one-off gig in Hong Kong on August 9, 2011.[39] During these shows the band (featuring the same six members) continued to play the new material premiered during the Omar Rodríguez-López Group tour earlier in the year, with Bixler-Zavala telling the crowd at one show that he was "inviting them to a private rehearsal for their new album," confirming the material was off the band's upcoming album.

Keyboardist Ikey Owens, who had played with the band since its inception, was noticeably absent from all 2011 dates. When asked in an interview, Owens stated that he knew "Absolutely nothing [of the upcoming album]. I haven't heard one note of it; I haven't played on it. I don't know if I am going to play on it; I have no idea".[40] Bassist Juan Alderete later revealed via his Twitter page that Owens was no longer playing with The Mars Volta as he was busy "producing bands".[41] Marcel Rodríguez-López and Lars Stalfors took over keyboard and synth duties with the band in lieu of Owens.

On January 5, 2012, a new song titled "Zed and Two Naughts", a song revealed to be from the band's upcoming album, was confirmed to be included on the MLB 12: The Show Soundtrack.[42]

On January 12, it was revealed that the upcoming album would be called Noctourniquet.[43] Later that week, an official page went up confirming Noctourniquet as the album title along with unveiling the album art and a full track listing and announcing March 27, 2012 as the release date.[44][45] The album's first single, "The Malkin Jewel," was first broadcast on February 13 and subsequently released on February 14.[46]

Hiatus, breakup, and reunion rumors (2013–2021)

After the conclusion of the Noctourniquet tour, Omar Rodríguez-López decided to put The Mars Volta on hold to fully concentrate on his new project, Bosnian Rainbows, which also features Deantoni Parks. When asked in an interview if the band will reunite, he stated:

I don't know, and I'm not insecure enough to have to ask myself that. It's like, we've done that for ten years, eleven years. Now we're all doing different things, and everything that we're doing informs how we express ourselves, and so if that happens then it happens and if it doesn't it doesn't. It's not something to be worried about. It shouldn't occupy a space in the mind. There's way too many things that are much too important to occupy space in the mind.[2]

On January 23, 2013, Cedric Bixler-Zavala revealed that he was no longer a part of The Mars Volta on Twitter and that the band had broken up.[47]

Bixler-Zavala subsequently focused on his solo music and eventually formed a new band, Zavalaz, which also includes Juan Alderete. He stated shortly after that he was "currently not on speaking terms" with Rodríguez-López and that "the falling out had been four years in the making, so the final announcement on my part was really just to let the children know that Mom and Dad were splitting up".[48]

Rodríguez-López, meanwhile, did not rule out the possibility of The Mars Volta reuniting in the future: "Because of all my anger and how I dealt with people, I spent so much of my life just closing doors left and right. At this point, I refuse to close any, only to open new ones. Whatever comes my way - as long as it's filled with joy and positivity - I want to give my talents to it. [...] I'm not interested in throwing tantrums any more."[49] He elaborated further on an article with Billboard, acknowledging Bixler-Zavala's decision to depart TMV, effectively ending the over 20 year musical partnership between Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala for the foreseeable future. Rodríguez-López stated, "I was making a film and heard about it hours later; people were like, 'Are you OK?' I understand where he's coming from; I've known the guy for 22 years. I'll always respect and support any decision he makes. If that's how he wants it, I totally get it and I support it."[50]

In August 2013, a collection of unreleased songs, demos, alternate versions, and in-studio jams roughly spanning from 2005 until the Noctourniquet sessions was leaked online. The source of these recordings still remains unknown.[51]

In February 2014, several posts on the Comatorium message board by sources close to the band revealed that Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López had been meeting and speaking again, hinting at a possible Mars Volta reunion.[citation needed] The rumors were further fueled when Bixler-Zavala's wife Chrissie posted a picture on Instagram of her husband and Rodríguez-López holding Bixler's twin boys at a California beach. On April 9, a new project featuring Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala, Antemasque was announced; Antemasque also featured Flea on bass and Dave Elitch on drums.[52]

On October 14, 2014, founding member Isaiah "Ikey" Owens was found dead in his hotel room while on tour in Mexico with Jack White. According to a representative, Owens died of a heart attack.[53]

In an interview with Rolling Stone on July 11, 2016, when asked about a potential return of The Mars Volta, Rodriguez-Lopez stated, "At some point, we'd love to do [Mars Volta] again too, you know what I mean? There's so much to do there as well."[54] In February 2018, Bixler-Zavala confirmed on Twitter that The Mars Volta will "be back soon",[55] but later clarified that At the Drive-In activity will take precedence for the immediate future.[56] In May 2019, further tweeting from Bixler-Zavala suggested he and Rodríguez-López had been experimenting with new material.[57]

On February 23, 2021, Hamburg based label Clouds Hill Group announced[58] they had acquired rights to handle the band's discography, as well as Omar Rodriguez-Lopez' entire back catalogue, with official reissues of both discographies expected.

On March 4, 2021, Clouds Hill posted a video on Twitter[59] titled 'Coming Soon', featuring audio from De-Loused in the Comatorium, as well as alternate artwork of the album cover. This was later confirmed as the 18-LP box set of the band's entire discography titled La Realidad de Los Sueños (The Reality of Dreams), including unreleased material from the De-Loused in the Comatorium sessions titled Landscape Tantrums. The set was released on April 23, 2021.[60]

Reunion, The Mars Volta and Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazón (2022–present)

On June 18, 2022, the band revealed the coordinates to a location in Los Angeles, California, where fans were allowed to preview new music from the band via an art installation called "L'ytome Hodorxí Telesterion".[61] This was followed up by the release of the single "Blacklight Shine" and a tour announcement, marking both their first new music and first live shows in ten years.[62][63] The band released a follow-up single "Graveyard Love" on July 8.[64] The band subsequently announced their first album in 10 years, The Mars Volta, which was released on September 16.[65] On March 10, 2023, the band announced an acoustic version of their self-titled album titled Qué Dios Te Maldiga Mí Corazón, which released on April 21.[66]

Musical style and influences

The band's music has been described as progressive rock,[67][68][69] experimental rock[5][70][71] and progressive metal.[72]

The band's music includes elements from a wide variety of genres, including hardcore, psychedelic rock, and free jazz.[5] Omar Rodríguez-López commented, "Progressive is not a dirty word for people to use about us. If you're not moving forward, you're stagnant. And that's no way to live." Almost the entire band's output was composed solely by Rodríguez-López, with lyrics and vocal melodies written by Cedric Bixler-Zavala. They cited artists/bands such as King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Can, Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, Larry Harlow, Miles Davis, Fela Kuti, Ennio Morricone, Throbbing Gristle, Talk Talk, Black Flag, Brainiac, Björk, Roni Size, Jaga Jazzist and Aphex Twin as their influences.[73] According to Rodríguez-López, cinema also largely influences his songwriting: "Creating tension, creating flow, creating scenes, creating fast-paced scenes, creating minimal dialogue – it's one of our biggest influences".[74]

Legacy

Many artists and bands have cited The Mars Volta as an influence, including Mastodon,[75] Lizzo,[76] Protest the Hero,[77][78] Nick Hipa of As I Lay Dying,[79] The Fall of Troy,[80] Danny Marino of The Agonist,[81] Tor Oddmund Suhrke of Leprous,[82] Jonathan Nido of The Ocean,[83][84] Mutiny on the Bounty,[85] The Old Dead Tree,[86] Canvas Solaris[87][88] and Syriak of Unexpect.[89]

A number of other artists have been quoted expressing admiration for their work such as Neil Peart of Rush,[90] Tool,[91] Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree,[92] James Hetfield of Metallica,[93] Holger Czukay of Can[94] Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, [95] and Kanye West.[96]

In 2008, they were named Best Prog-Rock Band by Rolling Stone magazine.[97]

Band members

According to the liner notes for Amputechture, The Bedlam in Goliath, Octahedron, Noctourniquet and The Mars Volta: "The partnership between Omar Rodríguez-López & Cedric Bixler-Zavala is The Mars Volta. These compositions are then performed by The Mars Volta Group."

Current line-up

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
 
 Omar Rodríguez-López
  • 2001–2012
  • 2019–present
  • guitar
  • direction
  • backing vocals
  • synthesizers
  • keyboards
 all releases
 
 Cedric Bixler-Zavala lead vocals
 
 Eva Gardner
  • 2001–2002
  • 2019–present
  • bass guitar
  • double bass
 
 Marcel Rodríguez-López
  • October 2003–2012
  • 2019–present
  • percussion (October 2003–2010, 2019–present)
  • synthesizers and keyboards (2005–2012, 2019–present)
 all releases from Frances the Mute (2005) onwards
 
 Leo Genovese 2022–present
  • keyboards
  • piano
  • saxophone
  • The Mars Volta (2022)
  • Qué Dios Te Maldiga Mí Corazón (2023)
 
 Linda-Philomène Tsoungui drums none to date

Touring members

  • Josh Moreau - bass guitar (September–October 2022, 2023; filling in for Eva Gardner)

Former contributors

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
 
 Isaiah "Ikey" Owens 2001–2010 (died 2014) keyboards all releases from Tremulant (2002) to Octahedron (2009) credit only
Jeremy Ward 2001–2003 (until his death) sound manipulation
Blake Fleming
  • March–August 2001
  • July–October 2006
 drums none
 
 Jon Theodore August 2001–July 2006 all releases from Tremulant (2002) to Amputechture (2006)
 
 John Frusciante 2002–2009 (in studio) (2003–2006 occasional live performances) guitars
  • De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
  • Frances the Mute (2005)
  • Amputechture (2006)
  • The Bedlam in Goliath (2008)
  • Octahedron (2009)
Ralph Jasso 2002 bass none
Linda Good keyboards
 
 Flea 2002 (in studio for De-Loused in the Comatorium sessions, also recorded trumpet in 2004 for Frances the Mute) bass
  • De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
  • Frances the Mute (2005)
Jason Lader January–April 2003 none
 
 Juan Alderete April 2003–2012 all releases from Live (2003) to Noctourniquet (2012)
 
 Paul Hinojos
  • 2005–2008
  • 2003 (live offstage)
  • sound manipulation
  • live guitar (2006–2008)
  • Scabdates (2005)
  • Amputechture (2006)
  • The Bedlam in Goliath (2008)
 
 Adrián Terrazas-González 2005–2008 (2004 in studio for Frances the Mute sessions)
  • woodwind
  • percussion
  • Frances the Mute (2005)
  • Scabdates (2005)
  • Amputechture (2006)
  • The Bedlam in Goliath (2008)
 
 Deantoni Parks
  • September–November 2006
  • 2010–2012
 drums Noctourniquet (2012)
 
 Thomas Pridgen
  • October 2006
  • December 2006–October 2009
Dave Elitch November 2009 – October 2010 none
Lars Stalfors 2011
  • keyboards
  • sound manipulation
  • Octahedron (2009) engineering
  • Noctourniquet (2012) production
Willy Rodriguez Quiñones 2021 (in studio for The Mars Volta sessions) drums The Mars Volta (2022)
Daniel Diaz 2023 (in studio) percussion
  • The Mars Volta (2022)
  • Qué Dios Te Maldiga Mí Corazón (2023)

Timeline

Discography

Main article: The Mars Volta discography

References

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External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Mars Volta.
  • Official Band Website
  • Omar Rodríguez-López Official Website
  • The Mars Volta Live Concert Repository

August 24, 2023
mars, volta, their, self, titled, studio, album, album, american, progressive, rock, band, from, paso, texas, formed, 2001, band, only, constant, members, omar, rodriguez, lopez, guitar, producer, direction, cedric, bixler, zavala, vocals, lyrics, whose, partn. For their self titled studio album see The Mars Volta album The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band from El Paso Texas formed in 2001 The band s only constant members are Omar Rodriguez Lopez guitar producer direction and Cedric Bixler Zavala vocals lyrics whose partnership forms the core of the band The band s current line up also includes founding member Eva Gardner bass Omar s brother Marcel Rodriguez Lopez keyboards synths percussion Leo Genovese piano keyboard and Linda Philomene Tsoungui drums The Mars VoltaThe Mars Volta performing in 2023Background informationOriginEl Paso Texas U S GenresProgressive rock experimental rock progressive metalYears active2001 2012 2019 presentLabelsUniversal GSL Warner Bros Clouds HillSpinoff ofAt the Drive InDe FactoMembersOmar Rodriguez Lopez Cedric Bixler Zavala Eva Gardner Marcel Rodriguez Lopez Leo Genovese Linda Philomene TsounguiPast membersIkey Owens Jeremy Ward Blake Fleming Jon Theodore Ralph Jasso Linda Good Flea Jason Lader Juan Alderete Adrian Terrazas Gonzalez Deantoni Parks John Frusciante Paul Hinojos Thomas Pridgen Dave Elitch Lars Stalfors Willy Rodriguez Quinones Gael Jimenez The KB sKnown for their energetic live shows and concept albums The Mars Volta formed following the break up of Rodriguez Lopez and Bixler Zavala s previous band At the Drive In Seeking to experiment and expand their sound Rodriguez Lopez and Bixler Zavala recruited Gardner Isaiah Ikey Owens keyboards Jon Theodore drums and Jeremy Ward sound manipulation to form The Mars Volta The band released their debut EP Tremulant in 2002 with Gardner leaving the band prior to recording their debut album De Loused in the Comatorium She was replaced by Red Hot Chili Peppers bass guitarist Flea for the sessions The Rick Rubin produced album received widespread critical acclaim upon its release in 2003 The band s second studio album Frances the Mute 2005 was self produced by Rodriguez Lopez and was the first to feature longterm members Juan Alderete bass and Marcel Rodriguez Lopez The album debuted at 4 on the US Billboard 200 and became the band s biggest commercial success selling over 500 000 copies in the US and achieving Gold certification from the RIAA The band s third studio album Amputechture was released in 2006 and was the last album to feature Theodore In 2008 the band released The Bedlam in Goliath a concept album inspired by the band s turbulent experiences with a ouija type talking board The album s first single Wax Simulacra was awarded a Grammy Award in 2009 for Best Hard Rock Performance 1 The band released its fifth album Octahedron in June 2009 Following the release of their sixth album Noctourniquet 2012 and a run of reunion shows with At the Drive In The Mars Volta entered a hiatus in September 2012 Rodriguez Lopez subsequently formed a new project Bosnian Rainbows 2 and the band formally broke up after disagreements between Rodriguez Lopez and Bixler Zavala 3 The duo repaired their friendship and reunited in 2014 for a new project Antemasque and further At the Drive In tours and recording sessions Reuniting in secret in 2019 Rodriguez Lopez and Bixler Zavala recorded a new studio album The Mars Volta with Gardner Marcel Rodriguez Lopez and drummer Willy Rodriguez Quinones The band announced their reunion after ten years of public inactivity with an art installation called L ytome Hodorxi Telesterion in June 2022 4 For the band s live return jazz pianist Leo Genovese and drummer Linda Philomene Tsoungui were added to the line up Contents 1 Band name 2 History 2 1 Formation and beginning 2001 2002 2 2 De Loused in the Comatorium 2003 2004 2 3 Frances the Mute 2005 2 4 Amputechture 2006 2007 2 5 The Bedlam in Goliath 2008 2 6 Octahedron 2009 2010 2 7 Noctourniquet 2011 2012 2 8 Hiatus breakup and reunion rumors 2013 2021 2 9 Reunion The Mars Volta and Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon 2022 present 3 Musical style and influences 4 Legacy 5 Band members 5 1 Current line up 5 2 Touring members 5 3 Former contributors 5 3 1 Timeline 6 Discography 7 References 8 External linksBand name EditCedric Bixler Zavala stated in an interview The Volta is taken from a Federico Fellini book about his films what he characterizes as a changing of scene or a turnaround a new scene to him is called Volta Y know changing of time and the changeover And Mars we re just fascinated by science fiction so and it s something that ultimately looked as in anything I write its meaning is always up to the listener As the way we write songs and words if it looks great on paper then to us it s like painting so if it looks good meaning the second then people usually have a better interpretation than we ever would citation needed History EditFormation and beginning 2001 2002 Edit Main articles At the Drive In and De Facto band The roots of The Mars Volta are found in the band At the Drive In 5 ATDI imploded on the verge of a commercial breakthrough partly due to boredom partly to musical differences 6 Members Cedric Bixler Zavala and Omar Rodriguez Lopez began to further explore their experimental dub influenced side project called De Facto which featured Bixler Zavala on drums Rodriguez Lopez on bass Isaiah Ikey Owens on keyboards and Jeremy Ward on vocals loops and sound effects During 2001 Eva Gardner joined the members of De Facto on bass and they recorded two songs with drummer Blake Fleming and producer Alex Newport which became the first demo by The Mars Volta The lineup for their first public show at Chain Reaction in Anaheim California was Rodriguez Lopez Bixler Zavala Owens Gardner Ward and drummer Jon Theodore This lineup recorded three more tracks with Alex Newport which became the EP Tremulant released in early 2002 by Gold Standard Laboratories After the demise of At the Drive In Rodriguez Lopez and Bixler Zavala found themselves once again starting from the ground up touring and performing in smaller venues In their early years The Mars Volta were characterized by chaotic live shows and heavy drug use 7 De Loused in the Comatorium 2003 2004 Edit Main article De Loused in the Comatorium Following Tremulant The Mars Volta continued touring with a fluid line up while preparing to record their debut full length album De Loused in the Comatorium produced with Rick Rubin and released on June 24 2003 Whereas Tremulant had no general theme except the prophetic mentioning De Loused was a unified work of speculative fiction telling the first person story of someone in a drug induced coma battling the evil side of his mind Though lyrically obscure The Mars Volta stated in interviews that the album s protagonist is based on their late friend Julio Venegas or Cerpin Taxt an El Paso poet and artist who went into a coma for several years after a deliberate drug overdose recovered and later committed suicide 6 He died jumping from the Mesa Street overpass onto Interstate 10 in El Paso during afternoon rush hour traffic citation needed Venegas death was also referenced in the At the Drive In song Embroglio from their album Acrobatic Tenement In an interview with The Aquarian Weekly in 2008 Bixler Zavala said about working with Rubin Rick really over simplified some of the parts that we thought were unique and just made them very digestible He s got this thing about representing the common man s ears I d rather jab the common man s ears If we don t we ll never get to a place where future music exists 8 The Mars Volta had no official bassist during the recording session but Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers played bass on nine of the album s ten songs with Justin Meldal Johnsen playing double bass on Televators Flea s bandmate John Frusciante also contributed additional guitar synthesizer and backing vocals to Cicatriz ESP After several temporary replacements a permanent bassist for the band was found in Juan Alderete formerly of Racer X Despite limited promotion De Loused earned strong reviews and appeared on several year end best of lists The album remains The Mars Volta s best seller with over 500 000 copies sold Rolling Stone ranked a track from De Loused Drunkship of Lanterns the 91st Best Guitar Song Ever The band later released a limited edition storybook version of the album available by download from the Gold Standard Laboratories website The book speaks of Cerpin Taxt Julio Venegas and his suicide While on tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in support of the album founding member Jeremy Ward died of a heroin overdose 5 6 The band had canceled the tour s second leg and the first single from De Loused was later dedicated to Ward It was this event which finally convinced band leaders Rodriguez Lopez and Bixler Zavala to purportedly quit using opioids 7 Bixler Zavala recalled One day we were all getting high and Jeremy asked me if I could see he had worms in his head I never touched the stuff again His passing was the final nail in the coffin We never went back 6 Frances the Mute 2005 Edit Main article Frances the Mute As the band resumed touring to support De Loused they added Marcel Rodriguez Lopez Omar s brother on percussion Work on their second album began in 2004 That year the band received the American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers Vanguard Award 9 Live at Paradiso Amsterdam October 16 2005In 2005 the band released Frances the Mute The story given by the band on the album s concept concerns a diary that had been found in a repossessed car by late sound technician Jeremy Ward while working as a repo man The author of the diary is unknown but appeared to be someone who was adopted and was searching for their birth parents and who may have suffered from mental illness caused by the death of a loved one The lyrics for each track on the album are loosely based on characters and life events described in this person s diary Frances the Mute started as a bigger commercial hit than De Loused moving 123 000 copies in its first week and debuting at No 4 on the Billboard album charts 10 Reviews of Frances were generally positive with a 75 on Metacritic if somewhat polarized Rolling Stone called it a feverish and baroque search for self that conjures up the same majesty and gravity as Led Zeppelin three decades before and even the detractors of Frances the Mute generally praised the band s musical abilities 11 L Via L Viaquez was later released as the 12 minute B side to The Bible And The Breathalyzer single a song which did not appear on the album Frances the Mute has sold nearly 465 000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan ratings 12 Rodriguez Lopez wrote all of the instrumental parts as well as arranging and producing the recording sessions himself He used a method that Miles Davis used to evoke great performances from bandmates refusing to let the other members hear each other s parts or the context of their own part thereby forcing them to play each part as if it were a self sufficient song In order to accomplish this the musicians recorded to the pulse of a metronome citation needed While in the studio Rodriguez Lopez recruited Adrian Terrazas Gonzalez to play saxophone flute and additional wind instruments for the album Terrazas Gonzalez was added as a permanent member to The Mars Volta while touring in support of Frances the Mute Several songs written during the original recording sessions for the album never made the final cut Notably the self titled 14 minute epic Frances the Mute which was originally to open the album and was ultimately supposed to decode the album s concept was not included due to time constraints Instead the track was featured as a b side to the single release for The Widow Live at Birmingham Academy November 30 2005 with drummer Jon TheodoreOn May 21 2005 instead of playing a traditional set at KROQ s Weenie Roast Festival the band played a 50 minute improvisation jam that was jokingly named on the spot as Abortion The Other White Meat by Rodriguez Lopez In keeping with The Mars Volta s tradition of testing and developing new work live parts of Abortion later appeared on Population Council s Wet Dream from Rodriguez Lopez s 2009 album Old Money Midway through their headlining U S tour former At the Drive In member Paul Hinojos left the band Sparta to join The Mars Volta claiming My time with Sparta has run its course and simply wasn t fun anymore Hinojos joined as live rhythm guitarist and became the band s sound manipulator the position previously held by the late Ward Hinojos had previously toured with The Mars Volta in 2003 and 2004 During mid 2005 the band toured in support of the album with System of a Down and curated the All Tomorrow s Parties festival at Camber Sands in England 13 In addition a full length live album named Scabdates was released on November 8 2005 Amputechture 2006 2007 Edit Main article Amputechture Upon finishing the majority of touring for Frances the Mute in fall 2005 Rodriguez Lopez traveled to Amsterdam and wrote what became Amputechture which was released on September 8 2006 in Europe on September 9 2006 in Australia and on September 12 2006 in the U S Rodriguez Lopez spent much of his time in Amsterdam working on and performing various solo projects most notably under the name Omar Rodriguez Quintet During this time Rodriguez Lopez also composed the score to the film El Bufalo de la Noche which was written and directed by Guillermo Arriaga and Jorge Hernandez Aldana respectively The Mars Volta as a whole performed the score Amputechture was produced by Rodriguez Lopez and mixed by Rich Costey Jeff Jordan provided the artwork making it their first album not to feature the work of Storm Thorgerson It was once again a concept album but rather than telling a story the album was a series of vignettes with each song telling a different story It became the last album with drummer Jon Theodore whom Rodriguez Lopez fired before touring in support of the album Rodriguez Lopez said in an interview with an Italian fan site that Theodore was the only member in the band who was not happy playing live and brought down the moods of the rest citation needed The Mars Volta playing with John Frusciante in Toronto on September 25 2006John Frusciante was featured on every track on Amputechture except for Asilos Magdalena Rodriguez Lopez contributed the solos and riffs where the guitar work needed to be doubled Bixler Zavala said in an interview he taught Frusciante all the new songs and Frusciante tracked guitars for us so Omar could sit back and listen to the songs objectively It s great that he wants to help us and do that citation needed On July 28 2006 the drummer s spot was filled by Blake Fleming formerly of Laddio Bolocko Dazzling Killmen and the very first Mars Volta demos A new song titled Rapid Fire Tollbooth was debuted live on September 22 2006 in Chicago Illinois as reported by fans and attendees of the show who had received set lists from the stage The song originally appears on Rodriguez Lopez s solo album Se Dice Bisonte No Bufalo The song eventually evolved into the track Goliath from the band s fourth studio album On September 25 2006 The Mars Volta played a unique set on the opening night of a double header in Toronto Ontario Cedric Bixler Zavala fell ill and could not perform so The Mars Volta played with John Frusciante on third guitar The set consisted of over 47 minutes of instrumental material including a lengthy cover of the Pink Floyd composition Interstellar Overdrive On October 17 2006 while opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in East Rutherford New Jersey the band played with drummer Deantoni Parks as Rodriguez Lopez had fired Fleming because of complications within the band Parks remained with the band only until the conclusion of the Japanese tour because of his prior commitments with other bands On October 31 2006 in Cleveland Ohio as Parks could not perform The Mars Volta played an approximately 40 minute improvisation set as a rehearsal for another drummer Thomas Pridgen On a 2006 episode of The Henry Rollins Show The Mars Volta performed Tetragrammaton and Day of the Baphomets in a rare television performance Afterwards they did an interview with Rollins about the creation of Amputechture The Bedlam in Goliath 2008 Edit Main article The Bedlam in Goliath Thomas Pridgen playing at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul Minnesota on April 21 2008In 2007 Thomas Pridgen became the new permanent drummer for the band Pridgen s first full time appearance was at the March 12 show in New Zealand where the band debuted the song Idle Tooth which was later renamed Wax Simulacra for the forthcoming album After shows in New Zealand and Australia The Mars Volta toured a few West Coast venues as the headliner then entered the studio to record their fourth LP The Bedlam in Goliath 14 One of these performances was captured in a live concert DVD which remains unreleased shot by director Jorge Hernandez Aldana 15 Despite finding a permanent drummer and getting the band back on track the recording and production of the album was reportedly plagued by difficulties related to a bad experience with a Ouija board purchased in a curio shop in Jerusalem 16 According to Rodriguez Lopez their original engineer experienced a nervous breakdown his studio flooded twice and both he and mixer Rich Costey claimed that various tracks would disappear at random On November 5 2007 The Mars Volta released a document by Jeremy Robert Johnson titled The Mars Volta s Descent into Bedlam A Rhapsody in Three Parts 17 18 The document includes a history of the band and describes the obstacles and inspirations they encountered in the creation of The Bedlam in Goliath On November 20 2007 Wax Simulacra the first single from the forthcoming album was released with a cover of Pulled to Bits by Siouxsie and the Banshees as the b side The band kicked off their supporting tour with a December 29 2007 secret show at the Echoplex in Los Angeles California followed by a special New Year s Eve performance at San Francisco s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 19 That night they played their first ever acoustic set which included six songs and a live performance of Miranda That Ghost Just Isn t Holy Anymore The band then departed on a club tour of the U S east coast throughout January with an album release show at San Diego s Soma followed by another month s worth of European dates from mid February to mid March On January 2 2008 The Mars Volta released an online game called Goliath The Soothsayer based on a true story that inspired their forthcoming album The Bedlam In Goliath The album chronicles the band s purported experience with the Soothsayer a Ouija board owned by vocalist Cedric Bixler Zavala and its transition from a source of fun on tour to a psycho spiritual force that almost tore the band apart The game was available for a limited time exclusively via Amazon com 20 On January 17 2008 the band made their U S network television debut performing Wax Simulacra on the Late Show with David Letterman Rodriguez Lopez Bixler Zavala and Hinojos had appeared on the show with At the Drive In in 2000 On January 22 they made a surprise appearance at Toronto Ontario Canada s MTV Live studios where they performed Wax Simulacra and an extended version of Goliath In late January the new album debuted at a career best No 3 on the Billboard 200 Omar Rodriguez Lopez playing at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul Minnesota on April 21 2008The song Wax Simulacra won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance It was the band s first nomination and win 21 The band members thanked their families and Bixler urged people not to forget the memories of the recently departed Lux Interior and Ron Asheton Octahedron 2009 2010 Edit Main article Octahedron album Omar Rodriguez Lopez had discussed the band s next album as early as January 2008 the month that The Bedlam in Goliath was released 22 claiming I consider it to be our acoustic album 23 Cedric Bixler Zavala had expressed an urge for the album to not be released on a major label 24 In February 2009 Rodriguez Lopez claimed the next two Mars Volta records are already recorded and waiting for a release date 25 On April 14 2009 The Mars Volta announced their fifth studio album entitled Octahedron It was released June 23 in the United States and June 22 in the rest of the world A vinyl version was released on July 21 in a limited edition of 500 LPs 22 26 In the spirit of distillation of the band s sound Rodriguez Lopez asked woodwind player percussionist Adrian Terrazas Gonzalez and live rhythm guitarist sound manipulator Paul Hinojos to leave 27 28 Regarding their departure percussionist Marcel Rodriguez Lopez noted that it s like we got a whole new band It s two less members we got to play differently 29 The first single released in North America was Since We ve Been Wrong The first European single was Cotopaxi An excerpt from The Mars Volta s performance at the All Tomorrow s Parties UK 2005 A Nightmare Before Christmas festival was featured in the All Tomorrow s Parties film which was released in cinemas during October 2009 During the Octahedron tour the show on October 23 in Raleigh NC was unexpectedly cancelled It was supposed to be the final show of the North American leg of the tour but was cancelled due to an argument between Bixler Zavala and Thomas Pridgen the drummer at the time which ended with Pridgen abruptly leaving the venue A month later Pridgen confirmed his departure from The Mars Volta via Facebook stating he was not in TMV anymore 30 In a February 2011 interview Pridgen said he left the group because the singer had a jealous ego trip There s nothing more to elaborate on 31 however Juan Alderete stated in 2013 that Thomas got really drunk did some bad things and did some real damage to the trust we all had with him 32 The band later completed the tour with drummer Dave Elitch 30 They played throughout Europe and Australia until the end of January 2010 In October 2010 The Mars Volta played two shows in Brazil and Chile 33 34 Long time keyboardist Ikey Owens was absent during these dates due to touring commitments with his own project Free Moral Agents Noctourniquet 2011 2012 Edit Main article Noctourniquet Shortly after Octahedron s release Rodriguez Lopez claimed to have put the supposed follow up on hold and was starting work on a completely new album In an April 2010 interview with Rolling Stone Rodriguez Lopez talked about trying to loosen his grip in the studio He claimed to have finished writing the album and was awaiting lyrics and vocals from Bixler Zavala 35 Rodriguez Lopez spent most of 2010 focusing on his solo career and little information regarding the sixth Mars Volta album was released During this year drummer Deantoni Parks began touring with Rodriguez Lopez as well as appearing on several solo records and Cathy Pellow of Sargent House Records confirmed that Parks was in talks to become the next drummer for The Mars Volta In 2011 Rodriguez Lopez spoke about the band s new album in several interviews saying that it would feature thirteen songs which are a simplified version of what we ve done before 36 and would be released Whenever the record label decides to put it out 37 Bixler Zavala took the opportunity to make a few remarks on the sound of the album indicating a drastic change in sound for the band referring to the new sound as future punk 38 On March 19 2011 the Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group performed at SXSW Bixler Zavala joined the group as a vocalist performing entirely new material with the band which led to speculations of the show being a secret Mars Volta show under the Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group moniker The Group continued to tour throughout April with the same lineup of Bixler Zavala Omar and Marcel Rodriguez Lopez Juan Alderete Deantoni Parks and previously offstage keyboardist sound manipulator Lars Stalfors 38 An official Mars Volta tour began in summer of 2011 consisting of them opening for Soundgarden on select dates This was in addition to their opening slot for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in their one off gig in Hong Kong on August 9 2011 39 During these shows the band featuring the same six members continued to play the new material premiered during the Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group tour earlier in the year with Bixler Zavala telling the crowd at one show that he was inviting them to a private rehearsal for their new album confirming the material was off the band s upcoming album Keyboardist Ikey Owens who had played with the band since its inception was noticeably absent from all 2011 dates When asked in an interview Owens stated that he knew Absolutely nothing of the upcoming album I haven t heard one note of it I haven t played on it I don t know if I am going to play on it I have no idea 40 Bassist Juan Alderete later revealed via his Twitter page that Owens was no longer playing with The Mars Volta as he was busy producing bands 41 Marcel Rodriguez Lopez and Lars Stalfors took over keyboard and synth duties with the band in lieu of Owens On January 5 2012 a new song titled Zed and Two Naughts a song revealed to be from the band s upcoming album was confirmed to be included on the MLB 12 The Show Soundtrack 42 On January 12 it was revealed that the upcoming album would be called Noctourniquet 43 Later that week an official page went up confirming Noctourniquet as the album title along with unveiling the album art and a full track listing and announcing March 27 2012 as the release date 44 45 The album s first single The Malkin Jewel was first broadcast on February 13 and subsequently released on February 14 46 Hiatus breakup and reunion rumors 2013 2021 Edit After the conclusion of the Noctourniquet tour Omar Rodriguez Lopez decided to put The Mars Volta on hold to fully concentrate on his new project Bosnian Rainbows which also features Deantoni Parks When asked in an interview if the band will reunite he stated I don t know and I m not insecure enough to have to ask myself that It s like we ve done that for ten years eleven years Now we re all doing different things and everything that we re doing informs how we express ourselves and so if that happens then it happens and if it doesn t it doesn t It s not something to be worried about It shouldn t occupy a space in the mind There s way too many things that are much too important to occupy space in the mind 2 On January 23 2013 Cedric Bixler Zavala revealed that he was no longer a part of The Mars Volta on Twitter and that the band had broken up 47 Bixler Zavala subsequently focused on his solo music and eventually formed a new band Zavalaz which also includes Juan Alderete He stated shortly after that he was currently not on speaking terms with Rodriguez Lopez and that the falling out had been four years in the making so the final announcement on my part was really just to let the children know that Mom and Dad were splitting up 48 Rodriguez Lopez meanwhile did not rule out the possibility of The Mars Volta reuniting in the future Because of all my anger and how I dealt with people I spent so much of my life just closing doors left and right At this point I refuse to close any only to open new ones Whatever comes my way as long as it s filled with joy and positivity I want to give my talents to it I m not interested in throwing tantrums any more 49 He elaborated further on an article with Billboard acknowledging Bixler Zavala s decision to depart TMV effectively ending the over 20 year musical partnership between Rodriguez Lopez and Bixler Zavala for the foreseeable future Rodriguez Lopez stated I was making a film and heard about it hours later people were like Are you OK I understand where he s coming from I ve known the guy for 22 years I ll always respect and support any decision he makes If that s how he wants it I totally get it and I support it 50 In August 2013 a collection of unreleased songs demos alternate versions and in studio jams roughly spanning from 2005 until the Noctourniquet sessions was leaked online The source of these recordings still remains unknown 51 In February 2014 several posts on the Comatorium message board by sources close to the band revealed that Bixler Zavala and Rodriguez Lopez had been meeting and speaking again hinting at a possible Mars Volta reunion citation needed The rumors were further fueled when Bixler Zavala s wife Chrissie posted a picture on Instagram of her husband and Rodriguez Lopez holding Bixler s twin boys at a California beach On April 9 a new project featuring Rodriguez Lopez and Bixler Zavala Antemasque was announced Antemasque also featured Flea on bass and Dave Elitch on drums 52 On October 14 2014 founding member Isaiah Ikey Owens was found dead in his hotel room while on tour in Mexico with Jack White According to a representative Owens died of a heart attack 53 In an interview with Rolling Stone on July 11 2016 when asked about a potential return of The Mars Volta Rodriguez Lopez stated At some point we d love to do Mars Volta again too you know what I mean There s so much to do there as well 54 In February 2018 Bixler Zavala confirmed on Twitter that The Mars Volta will be back soon 55 but later clarified that At the Drive In activity will take precedence for the immediate future 56 In May 2019 further tweeting from Bixler Zavala suggested he and Rodriguez Lopez had been experimenting with new material 57 On February 23 2021 Hamburg based label Clouds Hill Group announced 58 they had acquired rights to handle the band s discography as well as Omar Rodriguez Lopez entire back catalogue with official reissues of both discographies expected On March 4 2021 Clouds Hill posted a video on Twitter 59 titled Coming Soon featuring audio from De Loused in the Comatorium as well as alternate artwork of the album cover This was later confirmed as the 18 LP box set of the band s entire discography titled La Realidad de Los Suenos The Reality of Dreams including unreleased material from the De Loused in the Comatorium sessions titled Landscape Tantrums The set was released on April 23 2021 60 Reunion The Mars Volta and Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon 2022 present Edit On June 18 2022 the band revealed the coordinates to a location in Los Angeles California where fans were allowed to preview new music from the band via an art installation called L ytome Hodorxi Telesterion 61 This was followed up by the release of the single Blacklight Shine and a tour announcement marking both their first new music and first live shows in ten years 62 63 The band released a follow up single Graveyard Love on July 8 64 The band subsequently announced their first album in 10 years The Mars Volta which was released on September 16 65 On March 10 2023 the band announced an acoustic version of their self titled album titled Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon which released on April 21 66 Musical style and influences EditThe band s music has been described as progressive rock 67 68 69 experimental rock 5 70 71 and progressive metal 72 The band s music includes elements from a wide variety of genres including hardcore psychedelic rock and free jazz 5 Omar Rodriguez Lopez commented Progressive is not a dirty word for people to use about us If you re not moving forward you re stagnant And that s no way to live Almost the entire band s output was composed solely by Rodriguez Lopez with lyrics and vocal melodies written by Cedric Bixler Zavala They cited artists bands such as King Crimson Led Zeppelin Pink Floyd Can Captain Beefheart Frank Zappa Larry Harlow Miles Davis Fela Kuti Ennio Morricone Throbbing Gristle Talk Talk Black Flag Brainiac Bjork Roni Size Jaga Jazzist and Aphex Twin as their influences 73 According to Rodriguez Lopez cinema also largely influences his songwriting Creating tension creating flow creating scenes creating fast paced scenes creating minimal dialogue it s one of our biggest influences 74 Legacy EditMany artists and bands have cited The Mars Volta as an influence including Mastodon 75 Lizzo 76 Protest the Hero 77 78 Nick Hipa of As I Lay Dying 79 The Fall of Troy 80 Danny Marino of The Agonist 81 Tor Oddmund Suhrke of Leprous 82 Jonathan Nido of The Ocean 83 84 Mutiny on the Bounty 85 The Old Dead Tree 86 Canvas Solaris 87 88 and Syriak of Unexpect 89 A number of other artists have been quoted expressing admiration for their work such as Neil Peart of Rush 90 Tool 91 Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree 92 James Hetfield of Metallica 93 Holger Czukay of Can 94 Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater 95 and Kanye West 96 In 2008 they were named Best Prog Rock Band by Rolling Stone magazine 97 Band members EditAccording to the liner notes for Amputechture The Bedlam in Goliath Octahedron Noctourniquet and The Mars Volta The partnership between Omar Rodriguez Lopez amp Cedric Bixler Zavala is The Mars Volta These compositions are then performed by The Mars Volta Group Current line up Edit Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions Omar Rodriguez Lopez 2001 20122019 present guitardirectionbacking vocalssynthesizerskeyboards all releases Cedric Bixler Zavala lead vocals Eva Gardner 2001 20022019 present bass guitardouble bass Tremulant 2002 The Mars Volta 2022 Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon 2023 Marcel Rodriguez Lopez October 2003 20122019 present percussion October 2003 2010 2019 present synthesizers and keyboards 2005 2012 2019 present all releases from Frances the Mute 2005 onwards Leo Genovese 2022 present keyboardspianosaxophone The Mars Volta 2022 Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon 2023 Linda Philomene Tsoungui drums none to dateTouring members Edit Josh Moreau bass guitar September October 2022 2023 filling in for Eva Gardner Former contributors Edit Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions Isaiah Ikey Owens 2001 2010 died 2014 keyboards all releases from Tremulant 2002 to Octahedron 2009 credit onlyJeremy Ward 2001 2003 until his death sound manipulation Tremulant 2002 De Loused in the Comatorium 2003 Octahedron 2009 Blake Fleming March August 2001July October 2006 drums none Jon Theodore August 2001 July 2006 all releases from Tremulant 2002 to Amputechture 2006 John Frusciante 2002 2009 in studio 2003 2006 occasional live performances guitars De Loused in the Comatorium 2003 Frances the Mute 2005 Amputechture 2006 The Bedlam in Goliath 2008 Octahedron 2009 Ralph Jasso 2002 bass noneLinda Good keyboards Flea 2002 in studio for De Loused in the Comatorium sessions also recorded trumpet in 2004 for Frances the Mute bass De Loused in the Comatorium 2003 Frances the Mute 2005 Jason Lader January April 2003 none Juan Alderete April 2003 2012 all releases from Live 2003 to Noctourniquet 2012 Paul Hinojos 2005 20082003 live offstage sound manipulationlive guitar 2006 2008 Scabdates 2005 Amputechture 2006 The Bedlam in Goliath 2008 Adrian Terrazas Gonzalez 2005 2008 2004 in studio for Frances the Mute sessions woodwindpercussion Frances the Mute 2005 Scabdates 2005 Amputechture 2006 The Bedlam in Goliath 2008 Deantoni Parks September November 20062010 2012 drums Noctourniquet 2012 Thomas Pridgen October 2006December 2006 October 2009 The Bedlam in Goliath 2008 Octahedron 2009 Dave Elitch November 2009 October 2010 noneLars Stalfors 2011 keyboardssound manipulation Octahedron 2009 engineering Noctourniquet 2012 productionWilly Rodriguez Quinones 2021 in studio for The Mars Volta sessions drums The Mars Volta 2022 Daniel Diaz 2023 in studio percussion The Mars Volta 2022 Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon 2023 Timeline EditDiscography EditMain article The Mars Volta discography De Loused in the Comatorium 2003 Frances the Mute 2005 Amputechture 2006 The Bedlam in Goliath 2008 Octahedron 2009 Noctourniquet 2012 The Mars Volta 2022 Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon 2023 References Edit The Mars Volta Wins Best Hard Rock Grammy for Wax Simulacra Blabbermouth net Roadrunner Records February 8 2009 Retrieved February 9 2009 a b Kirby Jeff October 19 2012 Going Deep with Omar Rodriguez Lopez cityartsonline com Archived from the original on October 22 2012 Retrieved October 20 2012 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Mars Volta Break Up as Omar Rodriguez Lopez Unveils Bosnian Rainbows Spin January 24 2013 Retrieved March 9 2018 The Mars Volta Returns With First New Single In Over A Decade Announces Fall 2022 North American Tour Blabbermouth net June 21 2022 Retrieved September 18 2022 a b c d Fink Matt The Mars Volta Biography AllMusic Retrieved July 28 2008 a b c d Eggar Robin June 21 2009 The Mars Volta s unveil Octahedron The Sunday Times Retrieved March 25 2011 a b Kelley Trevor The Mars Volta Spaced Out Harp Archived from the original on October 31 2006 Retrieved July 28 2008 The Happy Pastors by Daniel Alleva The Aquarian Weekly January 30 2008 ASCAP Vanguard Award ascap com Retrieved October 15 2011 Whitmire Margo March 9 2005 50 Cent Massacres Album Chart Competition Billboard Archived from the original on October 1 2014 Retrieved April 18 2009 Gill Jaime February 28 2005 The Mars Volta Frances the Mute Reviews Yahoo Music Archived from the original on April 5 2005 Retrieved July 28 2008 Cohen Jonathan June 30 2006 Mars Volta Feeling Vicarious on Third Album Billboard Archived from the original on September 30 2014 Retrieved April 18 2009 2005 Curated by Mars Volta Camber Sands UK All Tomorrow s Parties Retrieved July 28 2008 The Mars Volta Records New Album at Ocean Way News Digital Producer June 15 2007 Archived from the original on May 18 2008 Retrieved July 28 2008 Interview With Omar Alfredo Rodriguez Lopez Interview themarsvoltaitalia com June 20 2007 Archived from the original on March 4 2011 Retrieved July 28 2008 Moon Tom January 29 2008 Unwelcome Spirits Haunt The Bedlam in Goliath NPR Retrieved October 15 2011 The Mars Volta s Descent into Bedlam A Rhapsody in Three Parts Archived December 21 2008 at the Wayback Machine PDF The Mars Volta s Descent into Bedlam A Rhapsody in Three Parts PDF The Mars Volta Announce New Years Eve Extravaganza Themarsvolta com Archived from the original on December 31 2005 Retrieved October 15 2011 The Mars Volta set to release online game NME November 16 2007 Retrieved April 18 2009 GRAMMY com GRAMMY com Retrieved September 11 2009 a b triple j music news New Mars Volta album in July ABCnet au March 27 2009 Retrieved September 11 2009 Hyden Steven Omar Rodriguez Lopez of The Mars Volta Music A V Club Retrieved September 11 2009 Mission to Mars philadelphia weekly online Philadelphiaweekly com July 14 2008 Archived from the original on May 25 2012 Retrieved October 15 2011 Mars Volta Revel in Records Grammy Nomination Spinner February 2 2009 Retrieved September 11 2009 The Mars Volta s Octahedron out on June 19 John Frusciante unofficial website Invisible Movement Invisible movement net Archived from the original on March 30 2009 Retrieved September 11 2009 Biography The Mars Volta Archived from the original on September 18 2009 Retrieved September 11 2009 The Mars Volta confirm new album stereokill net July 5 2009 Archived from the original on July 14 2014 Retrieved September 11 2009 All in the Mars Volta Familia DRUM Magazine Archived from the original on July 3 2011 Retrieved July 1 2011 a b The Mars Volta Another New Drummer Jam Base November 30 2009 Archived from the original on December 6 2009 Retrieved March 25 2011 Eustice Kyle February 23 2011 Q amp A with Thomas Pridgen of the Memorials Westword Archived from the original on February 26 2011 Retrieved March 25 2011 I am Juan Alderete the bassist of ZAVALAZ The Mars Volta Big Sir Vato Negro and the creator of PedalsAndEffects com Ask me anything AMA Reddit June 18 2013 Retrieved March 11 2015 SWU anuncia The Mars Volta SWU Comeca com voce Swu com br Retrieved July 1 2011 Rockaxis in Spanish Rockaxis August 18 2010 Archived from the original on August 23 2010 Retrieved July 1 2011 1 Archived May 27 2010 at the Wayback Machine The Mars Volta added to Sonisphere bill ticket details News NME March 14 2011 Retrieved July 1 2011 Interview with Omar Rodriguez Lopez Nochelatina com February 22 2011 Retrieved July 1 2011 a b Scoczynski Filho Fernando March 20 2011 The Mars Volta Surprise SXSW Debut New Material antiquiet Retrieved March 25 2011 Firecloud Johnny April 22 2011 Soundgarden Announces Tour Taps The Mars Volta To Open CraveOnline Archived from the original on April 26 2011 Retrieved July 1 2011 Leman Jordan March 27 2011 Life s Sweet Breath Interview Ikey Owens Of Free Moral Agents and The Mars Volta LSB Retrieved February 13 2012 Juan Alderete Twitter Retrieved July 2 2011 MLB 12 The Show Soundtrack Revealed PlayStation Blog Blog us playstation com January 5 2012 Retrieved April 15 2012 The Mars Volta s upcoming sixth studio LP is officially titled Noctourniquet Album artwork amp info leaked from CES via Reddit com January 12 2012 Retrieved April 15 2012 2 Archived January 19 2012 at the Wayback Machine Matthew Perpetua January 17 2012 The Mars Volta Announce New Album Noctourniquet Music News Rolling Stone Retrieved April 15 2012 The Malkin Jewel Rolling Stone Archived from the original on January 28 2013 Retrieved March 9 2018 Cedric Bixler Zavala Twitter January 23 2013 Retrieved January 23 2013 Comingore Aly June 13 2013 Getting to Know Zavalaz Cedric Bixler Zavala Talks New Project Mars Volta Breakup Independent com Retrieved June 13 2013 Omar and the Howlers Cleveland Scene February 20 2013 Retrieved on February 23 2013 Graff Gary Omar Rodriguez Lopez on Bosnian Rainbows Lessons from At The Drive In Mars Volta Billboard Retrieved March 26 2013 Carlson Alex Mars Volta Demos Revealed SputnikMusic Retrieved August 17 2013 Baroni Nastassia Mars Volta Members Unite With Flea For New Project Antemasque Music Feeds Retrieved April 9 2014 Young Alex Jack White s keyboardist Isaiah Ikey Owens found dead in Mexico Consequence of Sound Retrieved October 14 2014 Young Alex Omar Rodriguez Lopez says The Mars Volta are alive and well There s so much to do there Consequence of Sound Retrieved July 13 2016 Bixler Zavala Cedric cedricbixler February 9 2018 Damn I wish I had half the confidence your proclamation has Thank you for the kind words We will be back soon Tweet Retrieved February 25 2018 via Twitter Bixler Zavala Cedric cedricbixler February 11 2018 I appreciate the rabid infection that spreads when anything Volta is discussed but it ll be a while b4 that ship takes off Still got a lot of ground to cover w my current family AtTheDriveIn all I did was praise a fans enthusiasm amp casually mention volta being a thing Tweet Retrieved February 25 2018 via Twitter The Mars Volta Reunion Is Happening Cedric Bixler Zavala Says Pitchfork May 26 2019 Retrieved June 19 2019 cloudshillmusic February 23 2021 We are honored to announce that Tweet via Twitter cloudshillmusic March 4 2021 Coming Soon TheMarsVolta Tweet via Twitter Bloom Madison March 5 2021 The Mars Volta Announce Massive 18 LP Vinyl Box Set Pitchfork Retrieved March 5 2021 Bloom Madison Strauss Matthew June 21 2022 The Mars Volta Return With First New Song in 10 Years Pitchfork Retrieved September 18 2022 The Mars Volta Release Their First New Song in 10 Years Blacklight Shine Loudwire June 21 2022 Retrieved June 12 2022 The Mars Volta Tour 2022 Twitter June 22 2022 Retrieved June 22 2022 Deville Chris July 8 2022 The Mars Volta Graveyard Love Stereogum Retrieved July 11 2022 Corcoran Nina August 5 2022 The Mars Volta Announce First Album in a Decade Share New Song Listen Pitchfork Retrieved August 6 2022 https twitter com themarsvolta status 1634208340740898817 Twitter Retrieved April 5 2023 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a External link in code class cs1 code title code help Bennett Sarah October 15 2014 Ikey Owens Jack White The Mars Volta Was More Than a Hired Gun LA Weekly Retrieved November 22 2015 Farber Jim March 27 2012 Album Review The Mars Volta Noctourniquet Daily News New York Retrieved November 22 2015 Eames Tom January 24 2013 The Mars Volta s Cedric Bixler Zavala announces split Digital Spy Retrieved November 22 2015 Hartmann Graham January 24 2013 Singer Cedric Bixler Zavala Announces Departure From Mars Volta Loudwire Retrieved November 22 2015 Bychawski Adam January 8 2012 The Mars Volta to release new album this year NME Retrieved November 22 2015 Jurek Thom Omar Rodriguez Lopez Biography amp History AllMusic Retrieved August 7 2021 Influences Five Hundred Little Qs The Comatorium Archived from the original on July 15 2021 Retrieved March 11 2015 Influences Five Hundred Little Qs The Comatorium Archived from the original on July 15 2021 Retrieved March 11 2015 Kerr Dave November 13 2014 Under the Influence Mastodon s Brann Dailor The Skinny Archived from the original on September 12 2015 Retrieved April 19 2020 Lizzo Creates the Playlist of Her Life Teen Vogue New York Retrieved June 15 2018 A chat with Protest the Hero The Citizen April 22 2015 Archived from the original on March 19 2017 Retrieved March 18 2017 Q You probably get asked this quite a lot but who what are your musical influences Rody Walker The Mars Volta and The Dillinger Escape plan have always been big ones I am Luke Hoskin from Protest the Hero Ask me Anything AMA Reddit January 20 2015 Archived from the original on February 15 2015 Retrieved March 18 2017 Kat King August 7 2012 Interview with Nick Hipa of As I Lay Dying www seymourduncan com Archived from the original on August 11 2012 Retrieved March 19 2017 Q What bands have influenced you personally Nick Hipa During my college years I got into the less technical but creative style of bands like The Refused At The Drive In Radiohead and The Mars Volta Interview Andrew Forsman from The Fall of Troy ozprog com June 27 2016 Archived from the original on July 10 2016 Retrieved April 21 2017 Somcutean Cristina February 2015 Interview with Danny Marino February 2015 PowerOfMetal dk Archived from the original on July 11 2016 Retrieved February 22 2017 Q Which artists and bands is your songwriting influenced by Danny Marino So many different ones Opeth Devin Townsend The Mars Volta Rosen Steven August 1 2016 We Are Our Own Worst Critics An Interview With Leprous Tor Oddmund Suhrke Ultimate Guitar Archive Archived from the original on February 23 2017 Retrieved February 21 2017 Interview Jona Nido amp Robin Staps Of The Ocean DistortedNews May 2 2010 Retrieved April 19 2020 Coilguns Speak To SonicAbuse Sonicabuse com April 4 2012 Retrieved April 19 2020 Perescis Martin September 2009 Mutiny On The Bounty www lordsofmetal nl Archived from the original on August 20 2017 Retrieved March 19 2017 Werneke Michael October 7 2005 THE OLD DEAD TREE MANUEL MUNOZ Archived from the original on February 23 2017 Retrieved February 22 2017 Our main influences are bands like PINK FLOYD PARADISE LOST THE MARS VOLTA Canvas Solaris Archived from the original on December 8 2008 Retrieved April 19 2020 Interview with Hunter Canvas Solaris March 8th 2006 Powerofmetal dk Archived from the original on July 25 2019 Retrieved April 19 2020 Rahn Sam October 5 2006 UNEXPECT Interview TheGauntlet com Archived from the original on February 23 2017 Retrieved February 22 2017 Peart Neil September 28 2004 Traveling Music The Soundtrack of my Life and Times ECW Press p 371 ISBN 1 55022 664 9 Matt introduced me to some great new bands like Dredg the Mars Volta and Porcupine Tree younger musicians who were still pursuing excellence and honesty in rock music Udo Tommy October 18 2019 Tool s 10 000 Days inside prog metal s most enigmatic album Classic Rock London LouderSound com Archived from the original on December 7 2019 Retrieved April 23 2020 Karadimitris Chris February 26 2013 Steven Wilson Noisefull com Archived from the original on April 28 2016 Retrieved February 21 2017 you had bands like Muse like Sigur Ros like The Mars Volta all of them have sold a lot of records but have also been great artists Metallica What We Love About The Mars Volta Ultimate Guitar Archive August 14 2017 Archived from the original on August 20 2017 Retrieved August 20 2017 James Hetfield What I love about them is they push the limits on pretty much everything Guitar playing vocals I remember Cedric Bixler Zavala having pedals on the floor for his vocals I had never seen that before And he was pushing them and doing weird stuff with his voice really treating it like an instrument very cool They even had a bongo player at one point Jon unbelievable I remember watching him live You Lars were there we saw them in a little joint somewhere in Australia That was one of the craziest gigs I ve seen The energy those guys had And they were all wearing fancy boots too That was the combination that blew my mind They re going crazy and they look good too Laughs Diaconescu Horia Cora Ioan October 16 2005 Interview with Holger Czukay CAN Muzici și Faze Retrieved February 22 2017 One of my today s favorites is the singer from The Mars Volta Cedric Bixler and guitarist Omar Rodriguez from Texas a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Mike Portnoy 5 minutes HudsonMusic com Archived from the original on February 11 2017 Retrieved February 22 2017 Some modern bands and artists that I have a tremendous amount of respect for are Muse Opeth Lamb Of God Radiohead The Flaming Lips The Mars Volta Kanye West on Twitter Los Angeles Retrieved March 27 2022 Serpick Evan Best Prog Rock Band Rolling Stone Archived from the original on April 21 2008 Retrieved July 24 2008 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Mars Volta Official Band Website Omar Rodriguez Lopez Official Website The Mars Volta Live Concert Repository The Mars Volta Italian fansite Interview with Omar about The Bedlam in Goliath Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Mars Volta amp oldid 1170769475, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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