(Music) First Impression, The Mars Volta: "Amputechture"

The Mars Volta has, since its inception, been one of the most difficult bands in music history. Their full length debut, 2003's "De-loused in the Comatorium," was an amazing success, musically, as was 2005's follow-up "Frances the Mute." In fact, both albums are prominently featured on my top 20 albums of all time list simply because they are continually, listen-after-listen, mind-blowing. Therin lies the true appeal of the Mars Volta. Though "De-loused" and "Frances" were equally as satisfying the first time through, it was the layers of the albums that made them truly engaging. Both albums featured an underlying story that took an ridiculous amount of time to understand. Additionally, the music had so much going on, that you really couldn't experience it without giving it your full attention.

This is where "Amputechture" goes wrong.

I've only listened to it once, but I am already incredibly disappointed. At first listen, all the lyrics are all pretty understandable. From what I have gathered, there is no story here. So, in my mind, to make up for that loss, the music should be complex and interesting. Unfortunately, that's not happening much either.

Unlike its predecessors, "Amputechture" is more low-key, featuring very few "rock-out" moments, or anything that envokes a "wow." Of course, this is just my unbiased opinion. Already, the fanboys over at The Comatorium are running rampant, calling it "their best yet" and saying that certain parts of the album made them "jump out of their seats!" While this response is somewhat understandable, it's hard for me to react in the same way. The reason for this is because, to me, the album sounds more like watered-down, rehashed bullcrap from a band struggling to either recapture its early eccentricities or make something that is accessible to new fans without abandoning their old ones (I can't decide which). It doesn't take a complete genius to take notice that some of the really cool things on this album are just the same cool things on the band's other albums.

For example, making long, epic, multi-tracked songs was really cool and fresh in "Frances the Mute," but in "Tetragrammaton" it just feels old, and uninspired. Additionally, the 3 minute noise solos got old in "Frances the Mute" pretty fast, so on this album they are really inexcusible (The folks over at The Comatorium call it "ambience").

Overall, this album really lacks power. There are no moments that will have you jumping out of your seat, or rocking out behind the steering wheel. The next "Eriatarka" or "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" aren't on this album, so you might be a little disappointed if you expect to really rock out. It is a really flat, dull album that brings nothing new to the table and abandons the sounds that made Mars Volta such an amazing gem.

To be honest, "Amputechture" sounds like an album of a band in transition, a band desperately trying to reinvent themselves. While this is a respectable, and needed characteristic to have, it probably would have been more productive for the band to reinvent on their own time and not subject us to this album barely a year after their last was released.

The Mars Volta is a better band than this.

A full review when the album is released...