The Mars Volta

VIMTV Album Review #470: The Mars Volta – Noctourniquet

Jake: 86/100

Tom: 88/100

Verdict:  Highly recommended as one of the strongest releases in the Mars Volta’s discography and a great rock record in general.

Overview:  Noctourniquet marks a big change in the Mars Volta’s sound, stemming from the difference in recording style.  Whereas every Mars Volta album release after their debut was recorded with only Omar having the ability to know what the other members were doing, Noctourniquet was recorded in a much traditional manner.  Instruments were laid down on top of other instruments and vocals were applied at a later date (much later).  Electronic elements played a much larger roll on this record as well, showing a more extensive production process.  The end result is their most focused record since Deloused and a sound that’s jam packed full of everything the Mars Volta has to offer.  Overall this is an incredibly good rock record.  We expect that Mars Volta fans will struggle with this one only because they will have to rank it in the band’s extensive discography which will surely conjure some internal arguments about which album is best.  It’s definitely up there.

Jake’s Track Picks: 

• 2. Aegis
• 3. Dyslexicon 
• 5. The Malkin Jewel
• 11. Vedamalady
• 13. Zed and Two Naughts

Tom’s Track Picks: 

• 2. Aegis
• 3. Dyslexicon
• 4. Empty Vessels Make the Loudest Sound
• 5. The Malkin Jewel
• 7. In Absentia

Dyslexicon

Noctourniquet

VIMTV Episode #52: The Mars Volta – Octahedron

Jake: Recommended, 77/100

Tom: Recommended, 77/100

Overview: Before “Octahedron” was released, The Mars Volta stated that this would be their “acoustic” album, if they were to ever have one. Well, if this is as acoustic as it gets, the hard rockers will never be disappointed. While there is undoubtedly more acoustic guitar and soft spots, the parts that rock are classic Mars Volta. The downsides of this album are basically where there’s unnecessary dead time between tracks, and the overall succinctness– nine tracks (eight for all practical purposes) is simply not enough. This album probably would have been better if the songwriting was the same but the structure was more like “De-Loused in the Comatorium.”

Recommended Similar Artists: At The Drive-In, Mastodon, King Crimson, System Of A Down

Jake’s Track Picks: 

• 2. Since We’ve Been Wrong
• 3. Teflon

Tom’s Track Picks: 

• 3. Teflon
• 6. Cotopaxi

VIMTV Research Links:

• The Mars Volta Band Website
• Wikipedia – The Mars Volta
• The Mars Volta Myspace
• The Mars Volta – Octahedron reviews at Metacritic
• Lyrics – The Mars Volta