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The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath



8.3 | 114 votes |
Release date: 29 January 2008
Style: Fusion , Progressive rock

Owners:

132 have it
10 want it


01. Aberinkula
02. Metatron
03. Ilyena
04. Wax Simulacra
05. Goliath
06. Tourniquet Man
07. Cavalettas
08. Agadez
09. Askepios
10. Ouroborous
11. Soothsayer
12. Conjugal Burns

Additional info
Bonus tracks and b-sides:

1. Back Up Against the Wall [Circle Jerks cover] [download]
2. Birthday [The Sugarcubes cover] [Japanese version / Best Buy download]
3. Candy And A Currant Bun [Pink Floyd cover] [UK, AUS and NZ bonus]
4. Pulled To Bits [Siouxsie & the Banshees cover] [Wax Simulacra single / Best Buy download]
5. Memories [Soft Machine cover] [Japanese version / iTunes bonus]
6. Things Behind The Sun [Nick Drake cover] [Japanese version / iTunes bonus]
7. Mr. Muggs [vinyl edition]

Guest review by
Paradox0
Rating:
9.5
The Mars Volta are one of those weird anomalies in the music world who never really seem to follow any kind of formula but seem to get a considerably large semi-mainstream fan base. Sure they release very accessible radio singles to draw potential fans to buy their albums (but to be fair, some of the best metal bands of the 80's did this as well), but past the single, their music can be explained as somewhere between progressive and avant-garde with a twinge of psychedelia.

Read more ››
published 15.02.2009 | Comments (8)

Found in 4 lists
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Comments

Comments: 13   Visited by: 157 users
11.07.2014 - 05:47
Rating: 8
Diverge

Forgot how great this album was. One of my favourite Mars Volta albums- Soothsayer is brilliant!
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11.07.2014 - 09:15
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by deadone on 11.07.2014 at 05:54
These guys are on Metalstorm?!?

The profile was created back in 2009. Who knew.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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11.07.2014 - 09:21
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by deadone on 11.07.2014 at 09:17
They weren't metal in 2009 either!

I don't think anyone here will argue with you about that. I'm honestly not too sure why they were added in the first place but I guess they're well-known and fairly well-respected within the metal community.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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11.07.2014 - 15:48
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
As much as I dig this band. It's a valid question. I have no idea why they are here but then again... We have "worse" examples so it ain't something I think about too much.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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11.07.2014 - 17:36
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by deadone on 11.07.2014 at 09:44
So's Nirvana, Queen etc. Geese and Ganders!

Ya I don't really have an argument against that - like I said, I'm not really sure why they were added but they're here so...

I guess we might as well talk about their albums. (I've only ever listened to Scabdates on an indirect recommendation from Get Him to the Greek.)
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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12.07.2014 - 00:47
Rating: 8
Diverge

Written by deadone on 11.07.2014 at 09:17

Written by Troy Killjoy on 11.07.2014 at 09:15

Written by deadone on 11.07.2014 at 05:54
These guys are on Metalstorm?!?

The profile was created back in 2009. Who knew.


They weren't metal in 2009 either!

They aren't really a metal act, but they had a profound influence on bands like Karnivool, Random, etc. It's honestly not that big of a surprise that they are featured on this website given some of the other inclusions. With this album, TMV showed some of their heaviest moments (Goliath in particular) and some mainstream critics, while not the most knowledgable of sources, claimed they had taken the alternative metal mantle from Rage against the Machine. It's not necessarily something I agree with, but I do remember this was a huge album back in the day with moderate amounts of acclaim.
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13.07.2014 - 07:48
Rating: 8
Diverge

Written by deadone on 13.07.2014 at 03:31

Written by Diverge on 12.07.2014 at 00:47

They aren't really a metal act, but they had a profound influence on bands like Karnivool, Random, etc. It's honestly not that big of a surprise that they are featured on this website given some of the other inclusions. With this album, TMV showed some of their heaviest moments (Goliath in particular) and some mainstream critics, while not the most knowledgable of sources, claimed they had taken the alternative metal mantle from Rage against the Machine. It's not necessarily something I agree with, but I do remember this was a huge album back in the day with moderate amounts of acclaim.

Nirvana, Queen, Sex Pistols all had a much larger influence but aren't here. As Troy said a discrepancy, just like the Doors and a few others on here.

The Doors are an oddity indeed. Otherwise, the bands you mentioned above didn't really have a great impact on modern genres of metal if I had to be honest. You really can see why TMV would be associated with metal even if they aren't truly metal to begin with, especially hearing this wonderful beast of an album (probably their best one, if I had to be honest).
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14.07.2014 - 02:31
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Who cares. The Mars Volta are a great rock band and MS is better for it.
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14.07.2014 - 03:06
Rating: 8
Diverge

Written by deadone on 14.07.2014 at 02:28

Huh? How much metal do you actually listen?!?

Queen had a massive influence on Power Metal - surely you can hear it in stuff like Helloween and Gamma Ray?!? Hell they do tribute songs to Queen and so very often ape Brian May harmonies.

And Sex Pistols had a huge impact on metal - NWOBHM and Thrash took elements of punk and Sex Pistols were on of the largest. There's a reason why bands like Megadeth, Motley Crue and Anthrax covered them.

As for Nirvana, many metal bands got grungier in the 1990s and even more were established with huge grunge influences (just of top of my head, Godsmack). Bands as far ranging as Entombed and Machine Head have acknowledged influence of Nirvana and other Seattle bands (ahain MH covered them).


Basically all the bands I mentioned, had more of an influence on metal than Mars Volta whose influence is on bands that aren't even that metal ala Karnivool.

As you can tell by perusing my current list and ratings, I don't listen to even a fraction of the amount of metal heavier users do. Your ad hominem was super effective.

As for Queen and Sex Pistols, I'm not denying their appreciable influence to metal, but they didn't actually influence any structures within metal during the time they actually played music. Their influence was always posthumous, unlike TMV whose influence was fairly concurrent with alternative metal. It's also clear that their influence has no superficial resemblance to anything metal (unlike TMV on BIG)- they only shifted attitudes with metal itself. Covering the music of a band is not a great argument- Klone covered Army of Me by Bjork and were clearly influenced by Bjork, but I don't think many would want to see her on this website. Really isn't enough to warrant them a profile on the website.

Soundgarden, Helmet and Alice in Chains are on MS because of how they actively influenced current strands of alternative metal that persist to this day. In many circles, they are even labelled as "alternative metal", although I do sympathize with those who feel that's a stretch. I struggle to think of where French alternative metal would be without their influence on bands like Klone, Hacride, etc. TMV are also here under this logic-- you could also label them at points in their career as "alternative metal" (particularly with BIG) and it's pretty clear that they continue to influence progressive metal/avant-garde metal bands to this day.

But alas, they're a damn good band and MS is better for it, as Joe stated. If you wish to continue this privately, give me a shout.
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14.07.2014 - 03:23
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Hey guys, there are other threads for this kind of debate. Let's leave this one for Mars Volta-related conversation.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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14.07.2014 - 03:43
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by deadone on 14.07.2014 at 03:41
It is related to Mars Volta i.e. should they even be on this website?

It was until the argument became about Queen and Nirvana and such. I know it's related because the comparisons stemmed from the initial conversation but if you're going to keep on in that direction then I'd suggest doing so in a different thread is all.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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14.07.2014 - 03:50
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
And now we are getting off-topic with this side-argument. You can either find a way to get back to specifically discussing The Mars Volta or you can locate the conversation to a different thread, it doesn't matter to me.
----
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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14.07.2014 - 04:11
Rating: 8
Diverge

Written by Troy Killjoy on 14.07.2014 at 03:50

And now we are getting off-topic with this side-argument. You can either find a way to get back to specifically discussing The Mars Volta or you can locate the conversation to a different thread, it doesn't matter to me.

Thanks for trying to reclaim the discussion board. It's about time we get back to what makes this album so great.
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