Mars Volta’s ‘Octahedron’ lacks duo’s versatility
For a band as unique and talented as The Mars Volta, they never cease to amaze me. Octahedron, their fifth studio album was recently released in June.
The Mars Volta have been calling this record their acoustic album and by no means is it an unplugged record.
Members Omar Lopez and Cedric Zavala have clarified it’s not actually an acoustic album but more subdued.
This record is a bit of a disappointment compared to The Bedlam in Goliath or Frances the Mute. It felt as if the album was a work in progress to something that could have been far more astonishing.
On a positive note, the drums are powerful and creatively used for filling gaps between songs.
Since We’ve Been Wrong, the new single off of Octahedron starts off with two minutes of near silence leading into Cedric’s unique vocals creating a foundation of what listeners can expect throughout Octahedron.
Overall , this album is considered a work in progress. Perhaps if it took longer than a month to record it would be much better. The Mars Volta definitely have better albums in them. It’s only a matter of time in which that album will be released.
