De-Loused In The Comatorium cover

De-Loused In The Comatorium

Released

The debut full-length by the Mars Volta was produced by Rick Rubin and featured Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on bass, the group’s own bassist having quit prior to the sessions, and it’s an ultra-high-energy fusion of post-Santana Latin rock, explosive hardcore and postpunk, and a surprisingly deep vein of dub. The first full track, “Intertiatic ESP,” is a headlong blast that’s like singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez Lopez’s previous band, At The Drive-In, covering Led Zeppelin’s “Achilles Last Stand.” From there, they journey into a dark tunnel of psychedelia, jazz-rock, throbbing bass and disorienting electronic noise, while Cedric shrieks and jabbers impressionistic nonsense. But what makes this such a ferocious debut, and a high-water mark they’d never reach again, is that the songs throw in one memorable singalong hook after another.

Phil Freeman

Suggestions
Naked City cover

Naked City

John Zorn, Naked City
Saturn Sings cover

Saturn Sings

Mary Halvorson Quintet
In My Head cover

In My Head

Black Flag
Ocean Bridges cover

Ocean Bridges

Damu the Fudgemunk, Raw Poetic, Archie Shepp
Actions cover

Actions

Fire! Orchestra
Neutrons cover

Neutrons

Dk3 (Denison/Kimball Trio), Denison Kimball Trio
Surrendered cover

Surrendered

David S. Ware
ISM cover

ISM

Junius Paul
Anywhere cover

Anywhere

Flower Travellin' Band