Prog Goes Mellow
The Mars Volta
Octahedron
(Warner Bros.)
**1/2
Epic: it’s a word music snobs and indie record store employees love to throw around when describing any album that’s slightly louder or longer than normal. In fact, the word is abused to frequently that almost anyone interested in music has probably learned to stop reading any review that mentions it. Ahem. Is anyone still there? Unfortunately, there’s no other way to describe the sound of The Mars Volta — that is, until they released Octahedron. This one is as incredibly odd as the previous Mars Volta records, but gone is the enigmatic prog-rock commotion of Deloused at the Crematorium and the bedlam of, er, The Bedlam in Goliath, replaced by MV’s oddball take on the campfire singalong. “With Twilight as My Guide” is probably their most successful expedition into lighter territory, as it starts with their trademark slow build-up, and then simply ends instead of reaching once again for that epic sweet spot. It’s not awful, but probably something much different from what most Mars Volta or At the Drive-In fans will be hoping for.
CURTIS WRIGHT
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