The Mars Volta
Background information
Origin	Long Beach, California, USA
Genre(s)	Progressive rock, experimental rock, neo-psychedelia
Years active	2001–present
Label(s)	Universal, GSL
Associated acts	At the Drive-In, De Facto, The Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group, Free Moral Agents, John Frusciante, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sparta
Website	www.themarsvolta.com
Members
Omar Rodríguez-López Cedric Bixler-Zavala Isaiah "Ikey" Owens Juan Alderete Thomas Pridgen Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez Adrián Terrazas-González Paul Hinojos John Frusciante
Former members
Eva Gardner Jeremy Michael Ward Jon Theodore

The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock group founded by Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López in 2001. They are generally considered progressive rock, with jazz, punk, and Latin influences. They are known for their wild, energetic and improvised live shows, as well as their usually concept-based studio albums. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 552 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (767 × 833 pixels, file size: 171 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Uploaded a higher res version and cut off a big black area at the bottom that was of no significance Notwist 16:23, 12 January 2007... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles County Government  - Mayor Bob Foster Area  - City  65. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... Experimental rock or Avant rock is a type of art music based on rock and roll which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, and/or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique. ... Neo-Psychedelia (a. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Universal Music Group (UMG) is the largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry. ... In late 1993, while attending the University of Colorado at Boulder, Sonny Kay (vocalist for the hardcore punk band Angel Hair) began releasing records by local bands under the label name GSL. The moniker was inspired by the source of the original funds used to finance the first couple of... At the Drive-In were an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, that was active from 1993 to 2001. ... See De facto for the Latin expression. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Free Moral Agents is a collective of musicians brought together by Isaiah Ikey Owens (keyboardist from The Mars Volta) as a means to expand the sounds of what started as a solo recording project. ... John Anthony Frusciante (IPA pronunciation: ) (born March 5, 1970) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer. ... The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a Grammy-award winning American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1983. ... Sparta is an alternative rock/punk rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. ... Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López (born September 1, 1975 in Bayamón, Puerto Rico) is the composer, lead guitarist and producer for the progressive rock group The Mars Volta and the former guitarist for the post-hardcore outfit At the Drive-In. ... Cedric Bixler-Zavala (born November 4, 1974 in Redwood City, California) is the lead singer and lyricist of The Mars Volta, and was previously the lead singer and lyricist of At the Drive-In. ... Isaiah Ikey Owens (born December 1, 1975) is an American Keyboardist known for his work with The Mars Volta and an array of other bands from the Long Beach music scene. ... Juan Alderete, circa 2001. ... Thomas Pridgen is the current drummer for The Mars Volta from El Cerrito, California. ... Marcellus Rodriguez-Lopez is a multi-instrumentalist musician and younger brother of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Paul Hinojos (born on July 17, 1975 in Los Angeles, California) was first introduced to the mainstream music scene as the bassist of the highly influential band At the Drive-In from El Paso, Texas. ... John Anthony Frusciante (IPA pronunciation: ) (born March 5, 1970) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer. ... For the Hollywood actor, see Ava Gardner. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Jon Theodore Jon Theodore (born December 1, 1973) is a drummer, formerly a member of The Mars Volta. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... Cedric Bixler-Zavala (born November 4, 1974 in Redwood City, California) is the lead singer and lyricist of The Mars Volta, and was previously the lead singer and lyricist of At the Drive-In. ... Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López (born September 1, 1975 in Bayamón, Puerto Rico) is the composer, lead guitarist and producer for the progressive rock group The Mars Volta and the former guitarist for the post-hardcore outfit At the Drive-In. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Look up punk in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Latin American music, sometimes simply called Latin music in The United States, includes the music of all countries in Latin America and comes in many varieties. ... The following is an incomplete listing of The Mars Volta tours and itineraries. ... In popular music, a concept album is an album which is unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical (Shuker 2002, p. ...

History

The Beginning

The roots of The Mars Volta are found in the side project of At the Drive-In members Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez known as De Facto; which also included Jeremy Michael Ward: audio technician, close friend, and cousin of At the Drive-In member Jim Ward. De Facto featured Bixler-Zavala on drums, Rodriguez-Lopez on bass, and Ward with various loop, vocal, sound, and distortion effects, — a composite of sounds, hanging squarely on tripped-out, instrumental dub. Though De Facto started as a local band with a rock feel, they were rooted in the realm of dub reggae pioneers such as Lee Perry and Dr. Alimantado. The group also dabbled in electronica, Latin, salsa, and jazz which provided them with a distinct sound. The band played local shows around their home town, El Paso, Texas, and released their first album How Do You Dub? You Fight for Dub, You Plug Dub In. At the Drive-In were an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, that was active from 1993 to 2001. ... Cedric Bixler-Zavala (born November 4, 1974 in Redwood City, California) is the lead singer and lyricist of The Mars Volta, and was previously the lead singer and lyricist of At the Drive-In. ... Omar Alfredo Rodriguez-Lopez (born September 1, 1975 in Bayamón, Puerto Rico) is the composer, lead guitarist and producer for the progressive rock group The Mars Volta and the former guitarist for the post-hardcore outfit At the Drive-In. ... See De facto for the Latin expression. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Jim Ward (born September 19, 1976 in El Paso, TX) is a virtuoso guitarist, an accomplished pianist and co-founder of the seminal (and now defunct) post-hardcore band At the Drive-In. ... For other uses, see Dub. ... Lee Scratch Perry, The Upsetter in Dub Lee Scratch Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry March 20, 1936) is one of the most influential people in the development of reggae and dub music in Jamaica. ... Dr Alimantado, born Winston Thompson, also known as The Ital Surgeon (Kingston, 1952-) is a Jamaican reggae singer, DJ and producer. ... Electronica refers to a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; but unlike electronic dance music, is not specifically focused on the dance floor. ... Latin American music, sometimes simply called Latin music in The United States, includes the music of all countries in Latin America and comes in many varieties. ... Salsa music is a diverse and predominantly Caribbean rhythm that is popular in many Latino countries. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... El Paso redirects here. ... How Do You Dub? You Fight for Dub, You Plug Dub In is the debut album by De Facto, a side-project of At the Drive-Ins Cedric Bixler Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. ...

The group eventually moved to Long Beach, California in 2000 and keyboardist Ikey Owens was added to the band lineup. In 2001, De Facto released their second album, Megaton Shotblast, on Gold Standard Laboratories, and received instant success. Although much of their initial fan base was based upon their association with At the Drive-In, De Facto continued experimenting with new sounds after Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala decided to end their time with the other band. The remaining members of At the Drive-In went on to form Sparta. Rodriguez-Lopez cited frustration with growing mainstream success, as well as creative suffocation as his motivation for quitting At the Drive-In, although Bixler-Zavala takes credit for the break-up of the band. Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles County Government  - Mayor Bob Foster Area  - City  65. ... Isaiah Ikey Owens Isaiah Ikey Owens is the keyboardist in The Mars Volta, and was a member of Cedric Bixler Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopezs side project, DeFacto. ... ¡Megaton Shotblast! is an album by De Facto. ... In late 1993, while attending the University of Colorado at Boulder, Sonny Kay (vocalist for the hardcore punk band Angel Hair) began releasing records by local bands under the label name GSL. The moniker was inspired by the source of the original funds used to finance the first couple of... Sparta is an alternative rock/punk rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. ...

Eva Gardner joined De Facto, and it became what is now The Mars Volta, a new project they envisioned would fulfill their creative desires. During 2001, the band recorded two songs with drummer Blake Fleming and producer Alex Newport, which became their first demo. Later the lineup for their first public show at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California was Rodriguez-Lopez, Bixler-Zavala, Owens, Gardner, Ward, and drummer Jon Theodore. This lineup recorded three more tracks with Alex Newport, which became the EP Tremulant, released sparsely in early 2002. Since the demise of At the Drive-In, Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala once again found themselves performing in small clubs characterized by chaotic live shows and heavy drug use.^[1] For the Hollywood actor, see Ava Gardner. ... Blake Fleming Blake Fleming started drumming at age 8, and spent several years in Fife and drumming corps, bagpipe bands, jazz bands, orchestras, etc. ... Alex Newport is a record producer he has produced records for bands such as Dead To Me and other Fat Wreck bands Category: ... Jon Theodore Jon Theodore (born December 1, 1973) is a drummer, formerly a member of The Mars Volta. ... EP can stand for: EP is the IATA code for Iran Aseman Airlines Extended play, a music recording (usually consisting of several tracks, but shorter than a typical album) European Parliament, the parliamentary body of the European Union Evolutionary psychology, a belief that psychology can be better understood in light...

De-Loused in the Comatorium

Main article: De-Loused in the Comatorium

Following the Tremulant EP, The Mars Volta continued touring and changing band members while preparing for De-Loused in the Comatorium, produced with Rick Rubin. Whereas Tremulant had no general theme (except the prophetic mentioning of its follow-up album), De-Loused was a unified work of speculative fiction that told the story from the first-person perspective of a drug-induced coma, in which the protagonist battles with the evil side of his mind. Though lyrically obscure, The Mars Volta stated in interviews that the album's protagonist is based on their late friend Julio Venegas, or "Cerpin Taxt", as mentioned in the story, who was in a coma for several years. When he woke up, he jumped from the Mesa Street overpass onto Interstate-10 in El Paso during afternoon rush-hour traffic. Venegas' death was also referenced in the At the Drive-In song "Embroglio" from their album Acrobatic Tenement. = Singles from De-Loused in the Comatorium Released: March 23, 2004 Released: April 6, 2004 Alternate cover Alternate cover found on certain limited editions and on the reverse side of original cover De-Loused in the Comatorium is the first LP and concept album by the progressive rock band The... = Singles from De-Loused in the Comatorium Released: March 23, 2004 Released: April 6, 2004 Alternate cover Alternate cover found on certain limited editions and on the reverse side of original cover De-Loused in the Comatorium is the first LP and concept album by the progressive rock band The... Frederick Jay Rick Rubin (born March 10, 1963 in Lido Beach, New York) is a Jewish American record producer and is currently the co-head of Columbia Records. ... Speculative fiction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Julio Venegas Julio Venegas was an artist and musician from El Paso, Texas who committed suicide in 1996. ... Acrobatic Tenement is the debut album from At the Drive-In, released in 1996. ...

At the time of the recording the band did not have a bass player. Flea (bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) played bass on nine of the ten songs on the LP. De-Loused became both critically and commercially their biggest hit, eventually selling in excess of 500,000 copies despite next-to-no promotion, but featured on several critics' "Best of the Year" lists. The band later released a limited-edition storybook version of the album, available by download from the Gold Standard Laboratories Web site. The book speaks of Cerpin Taxt (sometimes referred to as the album/story's "hero") and his suicide. Michael Peter Balzary (born October 16, 1962 in Melbourne, Australia), better known by his stage name Flea, is the bassist for the alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. ... The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a Grammy-award winning American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1983. ...

While on tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in support of their album, Ward was found dead of a heroin overdose. The band canceled the tour's second leg, and the first single from De-Loused was later dedicated to Ward. It was this event which finally convinced bandmembers Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala to finally quit using opioids.^[1] The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a Grammy-award winning American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1983. ... Heroin (INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. ... An opioid is any agent that binds to opioid receptors found principally in the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. ...

Frances the Mute

Main article: Frances the Mute

As the band resumed touring De-Loused, they added Juan Alderete (Racer X) on bass and Marcel Rodríguez-Lopez (Omar's brother) on percussion. Work on their second album began in 2004. Frances the Mute is the second studio album by progressive rock band The Mars Volta released in the US on March 1, 2005. ... Juan Alderete, circa 2001. ... Racer X is an American heavy metal band formed in 1985 in Los Angeles, California. ...

In 2005, the band released their second full-length album, Frances the Mute. The album was inspired by late sound technician Jeremy Ward, who found a diary in a car he repossessed while working as a repo-man. Each track of the album is loosely based on characters described within the diary. Frances the Mute is the second studio album by progressive rock band The Mars Volta released in the US on March 1, 2005. ...

Frances started as a bigger commercial hit than De-Loused, moving 123,000 copies in its first week, and debuting fourth on the Billboard album charts largely because "The Widow" received a considerable amount of radio and television air-play. Reviews of Frances were generally positive (with a 75 on Metacritic) if somewhat polarized; Rolling Stone called it "a feverish and baroque search for self that conjures up the same majesty and gravity as Led Zeppelin three decades before,"^[2] while Pitchfork Media called it "a homogeneous shitheap of stream-of-consciousness turgidity."^[3] However, even the detractors of Frances the Mute generally praised the band's musical abilities.^[4] "L'Via L'Viaquez" was later released as a single, stripped down from its original twelve-minute length to five minutes. Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... This article is about the song, The Widow. ... This article is about the magazine. ... For the bands 1969 eponymous debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ... Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Rodriguez-Lopez wrote all the instrumental parts (guitar, keyboard, and drum lines with help from Theodore) as well as arranging and producing the session himself. He used a method that jazz musicians such as Miles Davis used to invoke great performances from bandmates: refusing to let the other members hear each other's parts, or the context of their own part, thereby forcing them to play each part as if it were a self-sufficient song. In order to accomplish this, the musicians recorded to the pulse of a metronome. Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991) was an American jazz musician, widely considered to be one of the most influential of the 20th century. ... A mechanical wind-up metronome in motion A digital metronome set to pulse at four beats per measure at a tempo of 130 BPM A metronome is any device that produces a regulated audible and/or visual pulse, usually used to establish a steady beat, or tempo, measured in beats...

On May 20th, 2005, instead of playing a traditional set at KROQ's Weenie Roast Festival, the band played a 40 minute improvisational jam that was jokingly named on-spot as "Abortion, The Other White Meat" by Rodriguez-Lopez. KROQ is a commercial rock and roll music radio station in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting on 106. ... Weenie Roast is a multi-artist alternative rock concert, presented annually by the Los Angeles, California, USA radio station KROQ, beginning in 1993. ...

Mid-way through their headlining U.S. tour, former At the Drive-In member Paul Hinojos left the band Sparta to join The Mars Volta, claiming, "My time with Sparta has run its course, and simply wasn't fun anymore." He is now their sound manipulator, the position previously held by the late Ward. Hinojos also toured with The Mars Volta in 2003 and 2004. At the Drive-In were an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, that was active from 1993 to 2001. ... Paul Hinojos (born on July 17, 1975 in Los Angeles, California) was first introduced to the mainstream music scene as the bassist of the highly influential band At the Drive-In from El Paso, Texas. ... Sparta is an alternative rock/punk rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. ...

During mid-2005, the band toured in support of the album with System of a Down and curated the All Tomorrow's Parties festival^[5] (which featured bands and artists including the Locust, Mastodon, Blonde Redhead, and Diamanda Galás), titled A Nightmare Before Christmas. System of a Down (commonly referred to as System or abbreviated as SOAD) are an American heavy metal band, formed in 1995 in Glendale, California. ... All Tomorrows Parties logo projected at festival. ... The Locust is a group from San Diego, California, United States. ... For the prehistoric animal, see Mastadon. ... Blonde Redhead is an alternative rock or indie rock band. ... Diamanda Galás, pictured in the early 2000s. ...

In addition, a full-length live album named Scabdates was released on November 8, 2005. Scabdates is the second official live recording from the band The Mars Volta. ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Frances the Mute, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200, has sold nearly 465,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan ratings. Frances the Mute is the second studio album by progressive rock band The Mars Volta released in the US on March 1, 2005. ...

Amputechture

Main article: Amputechture

Upon finishing the majority of touring for Frances the Mute in fall 2005, Rodriguez-Lopez traveled to Amsterdam and wrote what became Amputechture, which was released on September 8, 2006 in Europe, on September 9, 2006 in Australia and on September 12, 2006 in the U.S. Rodriguez-Lopez spent much of his time in Amsterdam working on and performing various solo projects most notably under the name "Omar Rodriguez Quintet". Amputechture is the third full length studio album by The Mars Volta released on September 12, 2006. ... For other uses, see Amsterdam (disambiguation). ... Amputechture is the third full length studio album by The Mars Volta released on September 12, 2006. ... is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: 2006 in British music Musical groups established in 2006 Record labels established in 2006 // January – James Nicholl, drummer of Pay*Ola became ill and was admitted to hospital. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: 2006 in British music Musical groups established in 2006 Record labels established in 2006 // January – James Nicholl, drummer of Pay*Ola became ill and was admitted to hospital. ... is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: 2006 in British music Musical groups established in 2006 Record labels established in 2006 // January – James Nicholl, drummer of Pay*Ola became ill and was admitted to hospital. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

During this time Rodriguez-Lopez also composed the score to the film El Búfalo de la Noche, which was written and directed by Guillermo Arriaga and Jorge Hernandez Aldana respectively. The Mars Volta as a whole performed the score.^[6] El Búfalo de la Noche (English: The Night Buffalo) is a 2007 film written by Guillermo Arriaga and directed by Jorge Hernandez Aldana. ... Guillermo Arriaga Jordán (b. ...

Amputechture was produced by Rodríguez-Lopez and mixed by Rich Costey. Jeff Jordan provided the artwork, making it their first album not to feature the work of Storm Thorgerson. It was also their first album that was not a concept album. Although the motif of "amputation" was explored, there was no underlying narrative. It became the last album with drummer Jon Theodore, whom Rodriguez-Lopez fired before touring in support of the album. Rodriguez-Lopez said in an interview with fan site www.themarsvoltaitalia.com that Theodore was the only member in the band who wasn't happy playing live and brought down the moods of the rest. Rich Costey is a record producer, engineer, and mixer who has worked with many bands including Muse, Cave In, Franz Ferdinand, The Mars Volta, Doves, Bloc Party, Jimmy Eat World, My Chemical Romance, Supergrass, Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, Philip Glass, Mew, Dave Navarro, Fiona Apple, Mastodon... Jeff Jordan is an American surrealist painter. ... The iconic cover of Pink Floyds album The Dark Side of the Moon. ... In popular music, a concept album is an album which is unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical (Shuker 2002, p. ... Partial hand amputation Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma or surgery. ...

John Frusciante was featured on every track on Amputechture, except for "Asilos Magdalena". Rodríguez-Lopez contributed the solos and riffs where the guitar work needed to be doubled. Bixler-Zavala said in an interview, "…he taught Frusciante all the new songs and Frusciante tracked guitars for us so Omar could sit back and listen to the songs objectively. It's great that he wants to help us and do that." John Anthony Frusciante (IPA pronunciation: ) (born March 5, 1970) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer. ...

On July 28, 2006, drummer Jon Theodore was replaced by Blake Fleming, formerly of Laddio Bolocko, Dazzling Killmen, and the very first Mars Volta demos. In addition, Paul Hinojos expanded his role, contributing both guitar and sound manipulation skills. Blake Fleming Blake Fleming started drumming at age 8, and spent several years in Fife and drumming corps, bagpipe bands, jazz bands, orchestras, etc. ... Laddio Bolocko is one of those bands that gained in popularity quickly upon breaking up. ... Dazzling Killmen were one of the most accomplished 1990s math rock bands, combining a punk-inspired noisy ruckus with jazzy Sun Ra-type intelligence and complex arrangements. ...

The Mars Volta's live set at Endfest in Auburn, Washington on August 12 took a turn for the worse when around halfway through their set, the group was pelted with a water bottle filled with urine by members of the crowd after Cedric Bixler-Zavala made comments about of some of the fans who were slam dancing, a practice which that band was previously critical of. The band cut their performance short with Rodríguez-Lopez smashing his guitar into an amplifier and Cedric Bixler-Zavala telling the crowd "I will pay $100 to $1,000 to somebody to find the person that's throwing urine up here. I will give you free merchandise and a lifetime supply [of passes] to Mars Volta shows. Find that person and kick his ass for me. Bring me his head and we'll be friends.".^[7] Endfest is a summer music festival hosted by KNDD, also known as 107. ... This article is about the type of dance. ...

A new song titled "Rapid Fire Tollbooth" was debuted live on September 22, 2006 in Chicago, IL, as reported by fans and attendees of the show who had received set lists from the stage. The song originally appears on Rodriguez-Lopez's solo album Se Dice Bisonte, No Bufalo. The song eventually evolved into track "Goliath" from their fourth studio album. is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Se Dice Bisonte, No Bufalo is a 10-track full-length album by the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group. ...

On September 25, 2006, The Mars Volta played a unique set on the opening night of a double-header in Toronto, Ontario. Cedric Bixler-Zavala fell ill and could not perform, so The Mars Volta played with John Frusciante on third guitar. The set consisted of over 47 minutes of instrumental material, including a lengthy cover of the Pink Floyd composition "Interstellar Overdrive". John Anthony Frusciante (IPA pronunciation: ) (born March 5, 1970) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic or space rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ... Interstellar Overdrive is a psychedelic music composition by Pink Floyd, which appears on their 1967 debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn at almost ten minutes in length. ...

On October 17, 2006, while opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the band played with drummer Deantoni Parks. Rodriguez-Lopez fired Fleming because of complications with the band and his girlfriend. Parks remained with the band only until the conclusion of the Japanese tour because of his prior commitments with other bands and financial complications. Deantoni Parks (born November 2nd, 1977) is a free-jazz/avant-garde/experimental drummer based in Brooklyn, New York City. ...

On a 2007 episode of The Henry Rollins Show, The Mars Volta performed "Tetragrammaton" and "Day of the Baphomets" in a rare television performance. Afterwards, they did an interview with Rollins about the creation of Amputechture. The Henry Rollins Show is a weekly talk show hosted by Henry Rollins on the Independent Film Channel (IFC). ...

The Bedlam in Goliath

Main article: The Bedlam in Goliath

In 2007, Thomas Pridgen became the new permanent drummer for the band. He joined them at the March 12th show in New Zealand, where the band debuted the song called "Idle Tooth" on the band's setlists, later appearing as "Wax Simulacra" in Bixler-Zavala's on stage lyric booklet. Singles from The Bedlam in Goliath Released: November 19, 2007 The Bedlam in Goliath is the fourth full-length studio album by American progressive rock band The Mars Volta. ... Thomas Pridgen is the current drummer for The Mars Volta from El Cerrito, California. ... Wax Simulacra is the first single from the album The Bedlam in Goliath by The Mars Volta. ...

After shows in New Zealand and Australia, The Mars Volta toured a few West Coast venues as the headliner, then entered the studio to record the fourth LP titled The Bedlam in Goliath.^[8] One of these performances was captured in a forthcoming live concert DVD shot by director Jorge Hernandez Aldana.^[9] Singles from The Bedlam in Goliath Released: November 19, 2007 The Bedlam in Goliath is the fourth full-length studio album by American progressive rock band The Mars Volta. ...

Despite finding a permanent drummer and getting the band back on track, the recording and production of the album was reportedly still plagued by difficulty due to a bad experience with a ouija board purchased in a curio shop in Jerusalem.^[10] According to Rodriguez-Lopez, the original engineer experienced a nervous breakdown and refused to hand over the work in progress, forcing Rodriguez-Lopez to round up people to help him retrieve the materials. In addition Rodriguez-Lopez's studio flooded twice, and both he and mixer Rich Costey claimed that various tracks would disappear at random.

On November 5th, 2007, The Mars Volta released a document by Jeremy Robert Johnson titled, "The Mars Volta's Descent into Bedlam: A Rhapsody in Three Parts".^[11] It includes a history of the band and describes the obstacles and inspirations they encountered in the creation of The Bedlam in Goliath. Jeremy Robert Johnson(September 21, 1977) US Author who lives and writes in Portland, Oregon. ...

On November 20th, 2007 Wax Simulacra, the album's first single was released with a cover of "Pulled To Bits" by Siouxsie and the Banshees as the b-side. Wax Simulacra is the first single from the album The Bedlam in Goliath by The Mars Volta. ... Siouxsie and the Banshees are a British gothic rock band. ...

The band kicked off their supporting tour with a December 29, 2007 "secret show" at the Echoplex in Los Angeles, California, followed by a special New Year's Eve performance at San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.^[12] That night they played their first ever acoustic set, which included six songs and live performance of "Miranda, That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore" The band then departed on a club tour of east coast U.S. throughout January, with an album release show at San Diego's Soma, followed by another month's worth of European dates from mid-February to mid-March. San Francisco Civic Auditorium is an indoor arena in San Francisco, California. ... SOMA is a popular San Diego concert venue in Point Loma right next to the San Diego Sports Arena. ...

On January 2, The Mars Volta released an online game called "Goliath: The Soothsayer". It is a game based on a true story that inspired their forthcoming album The Bedlam In Goliath. The album chronicles the band's purported experience with the "Soothsayer," a Ouija board owned by vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and its transition from a source of fun on tour to a psycho-spiritual force that almost tore the band apart. The game is available exclusively via Amazon.com from January 2nd through January 29th, the release date for the album.^{[citation needed]} Online games refer to games that are played over some form of computer network. ... A typical Ouija board Ouija (pronounced wee-juh or wee-jee) refers to the belief that one can receive messages during a séance by the use of a Ouija board (also called a talking board or spirit board) and planchette. ... Amazon. ...

On January 17th, the band made their U.S. network television debut, performing Wax Simulacra on The Late Show with David Letterman (Rodriguez-Lopez, Bixler-Zavala and Hinojos appeared on the show with At the Drive In in 2000). On January 22nd, they made a rare appearance at Toronto, Canada's MTV Live studios, where they performed Wax Simulacra and an extended version of Goliath. Late Show with David Letterman is an hour-long weeknight comedy and talk show broadcast by CBS from the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway in New York City. ... At the Drive-In: (l-r) Omar, Tony, Jim, Paul, Cedric At the Drive-In (ATDI) was a post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas from 1993 until 2001. ... Motto: Diversity Our Strength Map of Ontario Counties, Toronto being red Area: 641 sq. ... MTV Live is the flagship show of MTV Canada, on the air since March 21, 2006[1]. The program is an interactive talkshow where viewers are encouraged to jump into the conversation. ...

The album debuted to a career-best No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

Recent Events

An article on the band in Relix magazine, it was stated that "Rodriguez-Lopez is constantly recording solo albums, Volta songs, soundtracks and has filmed almost every moment of The Mars Volta for a movie that he will one day release. As the band tries to figure out how to play Bedlam live, Rodriguez-Lopez already has the next two albums laid out musically and is knee deep in production on the follow up to Bedlam. "It's a mellow album;" he says, "the last one was our most aggressive. The next one we keep calling our acoustic album." ^[13]

Cedric Bixler-Zavala has expressed an urge for their next album to not be released on a major label ^[14].

Additionally their live shows continue to receive mixed responses, especially Bixler-Zavala's antics on stage. During the 2008 Sasquatch Festival in Washington, Bixler-Zavala threw a cymbal stand into the crowd and attempted to take a camera from a photographer working near the front of the stage drawing several negative reviews.^[15]

A new song, incorrectly dubbed "Beneath the Eyelids" by fans, was played at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on December 31st, 2007. A low quality 30-second studio clip of this song was also leaked on Facebook for a short while in September, which was originally falsely assumed by fans to be a clip from The Bedlam in Goliath. Facebook is a social networking website that was launched on February 4, 2004. ... Singles from The Bedlam in Goliath Released: November 19, 2007 The Bedlam in Goliath is the fourth full-length studio album by American progressive rock band The Mars Volta. ...

In an interview with Omar on February 22nd, 2008 before his concert in Copenhagen, Omar mentioned that if the record label doesn't interfere, he expects the new album and the Australian concert DVD to be released by the end of the year, along with 8 of his solo recordings. ^[16]

In addition, other future projects have been mentioned by band members. One is a film shot by Rodriguez-Lopez documenting the entire history of the band including studio and backstage footage taken over the years. Another is a new live album similar to Scabdates featuring songs from Frances the Mute and Amputechture.^[9] Scabdates is the second official live recording from the band The Mars Volta. ... Frances the Mute is the second studio album by progressive rock band The Mars Volta released in the US on March 1, 2005. ... Amputechture is the third full length studio album by The Mars Volta released on September 12, 2006. ...

Etymology and trivia

Cedric Bixler-Zavala stated in an interview:

The definite article "The" is used to distinguish the band from a group of European techno artists that previously used the name "Mars Volta." Federico Fellini (January 20, 1920 – October 31, 1993) was one of the most influential and widely revered film-makers of the 20th century. ... The redirects here. ... For the comic book character previously known as Techno, see Fixer (comics). ...

The music sample that The Mars Volta use to introduce their live shows is the title theme to the film A Fistful of Dollars, composed by Ennio Morricone. The band had also introduced their earlier live shows with the theme from A Clockwork Orange. This article is about reusing existing sound recordings in creating new works. ... A Fistful of Dollars (Per un pugno di dollari in Italy and officially on-screen in the U.S. and UK as simply Fistful of Dollars) is a 1964 film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood. ... Ennio Morricone (born November 10, 1928; sometimes also credited as Dan Savio or Leo Nichols) is an Italian composer especially noted for his film scores. ... This article is about the film. ...

Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala also happen to be Doctor Who fans and incorporate the Axon characters into their backdrop and play the show's theme song at the end of concerts over the PA system. This article is about the television series. ... The Claws of Axos is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from March 13 to April 3, 1971. ...

The backwards vocals at the end of "Eunuch Provocateur" are the lyrics from the song "Itsy Bitsy Spider". Other backwards vocals in the same song can be heard saying "did mommy or daddy ever have to spank you?" These samples come from an old vinyl the band used that contained children's songs. Itsy Bitsy Spider (also known as Incy Wincy or Eency Weency Spider) is a popular nursery rhyme that describes the adventures of a spider as it ascends, descends and reascends the downspout or waterspout of a gutter system (or, alternatively, the spout of a teapot). ...

Members

According to the liner notes for Amputechture and The Bedlam in Goliath: "The partnership between Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & Cedric Bixler-Zavala is The Mars Volta. These compositions are then performed by The Mars Volta Group".

Current

• Omar Rodriguez-Lopez – guitar, production (2001–present)
• Cedric Bixler-Zavala – lyrics, vocals (2001–present)
• Isaiah Ikey Owens – keyboards (2001–present)
• Juan Alderete – electric bass (2003–present)
• Thomas Pridgen – drums (2007–present)
• Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez – percussion, synthesizers (2003–present)
• Adrián Terrazas-González – flute, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, and additional wind and percussion instruments (2004 in studio, 2005-present in show)
• Paul Hinojos – guitar, sound manipulation (on stage 2003–2004, joined officially 2005–present)
• John Frusciante - guitar (2002-present in studio)^[17]

Omar Alfredo Rodriguez-Lopez (born September 1, 1975 in Bayamón, Puerto Rico) is the composer, lead guitarist and producer for the progressive rock group The Mars Volta and the former guitarist for the post-hardcore outfit At the Drive-In. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Cedric Bixler-Zavala (born November 4, 1974 in Redwood City, California) is the lead singer and lyricist of The Mars Volta, and was previously the lead singer and lyricist of At the Drive-In. ... Look up lyrics in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... Isaiah Ikey Owens Isaiah Ikey Owens is the keyboardist in The Mars Volta, and was a member of Cedric Bixler Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopezs side project, DeFacto. ... Piano, a well-known instance of keyboard instruments A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. ... Juan Alderete, circa 2001. ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... Thomas Pridgen is the current drummer for The Mars Volta from El Cerrito, California. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as a cowbell, wood block, chimes or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer. ... Marcellus Rodriguez-Lopez is a multi-instrumentalist musician and younger brother of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. ... Percussion redirects here. ... Synth redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Flute (disambiguation). ... The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. ... The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. ... A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator (usually a tube), in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set at the end of the resonator. ... Paul Hinojos (born on July 17, 1975 in Los Angeles, California) was first introduced to the mainstream music scene as the bassist of the highly influential band At the Drive-In from El Paso, Texas. ... John Anthony Frusciante (IPA pronunciation: ) (born March 5, 1970) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer. ...

Former

Sound Manipulators

• Jeremy Michael Ward – (2001–2003)

Drummers This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

• Jon Theodore – (2001–July 2006)
• Blake Fleming – (August 2001, July–October 2006)
• Deantoni Parks – (October–November 2006)

Bassists Jon Theodore Jon Theodore (born December 1, 1973) is a drummer, formerly a member of The Mars Volta. ... Blake Fleming Blake Fleming started drumming at age 8, and spent several years in Fife and drumming corps, bagpipe bands, jazz bands, orchestras, etc. ... Deantoni Parks (born November 2nd, 1977) is a free-jazz/avant-garde/experimental drummer based in Brooklyn, New York City. ...

• Eva Gardner – (2001–2002)
• Ralph Jasso – (2002)
• Jason Lader – (2003)
• Flea – (2003, on De-Loused in the Comatorium)

Keyboardists For the Hollywood actor, see Ava Gardner. ... Michael Peter Balzary (born October 16, 1962 in Melbourne, Australia), better known by his stage name Flea, is the bassist for the alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. ...

• Linda Good – (2002)

Linda Good is a songwriter, producer, keyboardist, singer and tv/film composer. ...

Timeline

The Mars Volta Group

According to the band's official website and the sleeve notes of Scabdates, there are fifteen more people that are a part of "The Mars Volta Group": Scabdates is the second official live recording from the band The Mars Volta. ...

• Henry Trejo – Rodriguez Lopez's guitar tech
• Amery "Awol" Smith – production manager
• Jesse Isaacs – Owens' tech, Hinojos's guitar tech, stage manager
• Jerry Riccardi – Alderete's bass tech, Bixler Zavala's tech
• Joe Paul Slaby – drum tech
• Dan Hadley – lighting designer
• Shaun Sebastian – monitor engineer
• Keith Mitchell – lighting director
• Jonathan Debaun – recording engineer
• Greg Nelson – front of house engineer
• Jack Lee – in-ear monitor engineer
• Lalo Medina – tour manager
• Paul Drake – tour manager

Discography

Studio albums

• De-Loused in the Comatorium
  (June 24, 2003)
  Gold Standard Laboratories/ Universal/ Strummer Recordings
  #39 U.S., #40 UK, #47 AUS
• Frances the Mute
  (March 1, 2005)
  Gold Standard Laboratories/ Universal/ Strummer Recordings
  #4 U.S., #23 UK, #9 AUS.
• Amputechture
  (September 12, 2006)
  Gold Standard Laboratories/ Universal/ Strummer Recordings
  #9 U.S., #49 UK, #6 AUS, #16 NZ.
• The Bedlam in Goliath
  (January 29, 2008)
  Universal/ Strummer Recordings
  #3 US, #3 AUS, #36 NZ, #42 UK.

= Singles from De-Loused in the Comatorium Released: March 23, 2004 Released: April 6, 2004 Alternate cover Alternate cover found on certain limited editions and on the reverse side of original cover De-Loused in the Comatorium is the first LP and concept album by the progressive rock band The... Frances the Mute is the second studio album by progressive rock band The Mars Volta released in the US on March 1, 2005. ... Amputechture is the third full length studio album by The Mars Volta released on September 12, 2006. ... Singles from The Bedlam in Goliath Released: November 19, 2007 The Bedlam in Goliath is the fourth full-length studio album by American progressive rock band The Mars Volta. ...

EPs

• Tremulant
  (April 2, 2002)
  Gold Standard Laboratories
• Live
  (December 16, 2003)
  (limited edition)
  Gold Standard Laboratories/ Universal/ Strummer Recordings

Live

• Scabdates
  (November 8, 2005)
  Gold Standard Laboratories/ Universal/ Strummer Recordings
  #76 U.S.

Scabdates is the second official live recording from the band The Mars Volta. ...

Singles

Other “Hot 100” redirects here. ... The Modern Rock Tracks chart is a music chart that has appeared in Billboard magazine since the early 1980s. ... The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music but are not modern rock stations, which are counted in the Modern Rock Tracks chart. ... British Hit Singles redirects here. ... Inertiatic ESP is the somewhat cryptic opening song (minus the introduction) on the Mars Volta album, De-Loused in the Comatorium. ... De-Loused in the Comatorium is a concept album by the band The Mars Volta. ... This article is about the song, The Widow. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Viscera Eyes is the first single from the album Amputechture by The Mars Volta. ... Wax Simulacra is the first single from the album The Bedlam in Goliath by The Mars Volta. ...

• "Televators" (Australian Tour Edition) – January 19, 2004, also containing the Live EP, Universal Music Australia
• "Frances the Mute" b/w "The Widow" (live) – limited edition marble-green-colored 12"

Music Videos

• Son Et Lumiere / Inertiatic ESP (2003)
• Televators (2004)
• The Widow (2005)
• L'Via L'Viaquez (2005)
• Wax Simulacra (2007)
• Aberinkula (2007)
• Goliath (2007)
• Askepios (2007)
• Ilyena (2008)

Inertiatic ESP is the somewhat cryptic opening song (minus the introduction) on the Mars Volta album, De-Loused in the Comatorium. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... De-Loused in the Comatorium is a concept album by the band The Mars Volta. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the song, The Widow. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wax Simulacra is the first single from the album The Bedlam in Goliath by The Mars Volta. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

See also

• The Mars Volta tours
• At the Drive-In
• De Facto
• Racer X
• Long Beach Dub Allstars

The following is an incomplete listing of The Mars Volta tours and itineraries. ... At the Drive-In were an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, that was active from 1993 to 2001. ... See De facto for the Latin expression. ... Racer X is an American heavy metal band formed in 1985 in Los Angeles, California. ... The Long Beach Dub Allstars was a reggae band formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2002. ...

External links

• Official website
• The Mars Volta at MySpace
• The Mars Volta at the Internet Movie Database
• De-Loused in the Comatorium Storybook
• Early Mars Volta Interview on kevchino.com
• Interview with Cedric and Omar by Felix of www.felixarizona.com for Skinnie Magazine.