Tremulant (CDep)
The Mars Volta is the newest vehicle of former At the Drive-In members Omar Rodriguez and Cedric Bixler, and the remarkable group of musicians they have teamed-up with. Upping the ante once again, Rodriguez, Bixler, and co. have gone above and beyond even the most liberal of expectations, virtually reinventing the idea of rock music for an entire generation of young fans whose interest in the duo (in particular) seems inexhaustible. With any justice, The Mars Volta will be the leak that sinks the Good Ship Nu-Metal once and for all. The band are a technical tour-de-force, a "riveting melee of psychedelic rock, free-jazz entropy, and urgent hardcore" taking cues from Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Birthday Party, Fugazi, and Sly and the Family Stone.
| Tracklisting | |
| Disk | 1 | |
| 1 | Cut That City |
| 2 | Concertina |
| 3 | Eunuch Provocateur |
| Justin Gallant
- Tualatin, OR, USA |
| THe first Mars Volta cd i ever bought- and perhaps one of the most free and untamed. The effects of Cedric's voice create swarms of bees, or pulsating lasers that shoot out upon you in your disray of a memory. The tremulant ep, IS actually a tremulant, gut wrenching spectical that will leave you wishing for more(then you pop in the other cds). | |
| Joshua Chandler
- Springfield, MO, USA |
| Among many people who are not band purists or die-hard fans, short EPs are looked down upon. However, it should be noted that recordings such as Tremulant are entirely worth buying. The Mars Volta and Gold Standard Labs tend to set the record low on CD pricing, as well, so you won't be bleeding your wallet dry just for 3 songs. The price is quite reasonable.
But really, the money isn't what I'm here to discuss. My point is, Tremulant offers very high quality music. While you can hear murmurings of De-loused in the Comatorium (The Mars Volta's first full length album which was released a year later) in this CD, the songs here are truly unique. The elements of progressive rock and jazz stylings that have set the band's lofty reputation make their presence known here in more raw tones and with a clearer Latin influence than in De-loused (this holds true not only of the guitar and bass but also of the lyrics: see "Concertina").
It should be noted that Flea is not on this album, and some people consider that a good thing; others a bad thing; and most don't notice. Regardless, the bass work on this album is exactly what you would hope for, if not more, from such musicians as these. In fact, many bassists consider Tremulant superior to De-loused in terms of technique.
All three songs relate to subjects previously tackled by At the Drive-In and those same subjects preparing to be weaved into a more surreal story in De-loused. Thus, anyone trying to piece together the puzzle that is Cedric's lyrics will probably need to get a hold of this.
In all, Tremulant is a strong standalone piece that is held up by its powerful music. Its only flaw is its brevity. Anyone who enjoys Latin jazz-rock, jazz-blues, and/or progressive rock would be well off to buy this EP. | |
|
| Alex Young
- , MI, USA |
| This cd is brilliant. and excellent precursor to de-loused. Pick both of them up, then get frances the mute when it comes out. You won't be dissapointed. | |
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