The Mars Volta Overview

The Mars Volta can adequately be described as musical incineration, from the wailing vocals of Cedric Bixler-Zavala to the distorted guitar and unorthodox time signatures of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. The two musicians formed The Mars Volta in 2001 after the break-up of... [more]

The Mars Volta can adequately be described as musical incineration, from the wailing vocals of Cedric Bixler-Zavala to the distorted guitar and unorthodox time signatures of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. The two musicians formed The Mars Volta in 2001 after the break-up of their influential punk group At the Drive-In. After releasing their first EP titled "Tremulant," the band recorded and released their first full-length album, "De-Loused in the Comatorium." The album was written around a singular concept, which would become the practice of many of their future albums. The Mars Volta's eclectic sound comes from a blending together of several different influences and interests, from punk to jazz to funk to Salsa. Many of their songs contain movements and abrupt changes in rhythm, leading many to place the band under the umbrella of progressive rock. [show less]