The Mars Volta The Bedlam in Goliath
When did Mars Volta’s music fall so far astray from the epic heights of sheer vitriol and force that was so evident on your excellent debut album? When tracks like “Eriakarta” promised future innovative music from the skilled musical minds of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala. 5 years later and surprisingly quickly we are on album number four, The Bedlam in Goliath. It’s being touted as a concept album, yet offers only a somewhat thin reward to the listener, both lyrically and for those expecting to be enraptured in the jagged, shifting proggy manic rock on this album. It works at times, but, as any 75 minute album does, grows redundant. It’s not to say Bedlam isn’t the work of two talented musicians, but their general shtick seems contrived by now. The Mars Volta have fallen into a formula, and that makes giving a shit about the stories they are trying to tell here a bit underwhelming.