Self-Titled

Nostalgia is an incredibly loaded term, both comforting and cynical, making us feel safe in its familiarity and shaming us for our lack of bravery.  When At the Drive-In resolved in late 2018 the sense of nostalgia we had felt for At the Drive-In became complete.  The band, who had combusted just as their hard work was paying off, finally got their victory lap.  There was a healing fulfillment to that tour and when the final note of the final rendition of One Armed Scissor ricocheted across Porto Alegre it seemed that book of At the Drive-In could finally be shelved.  Perhaps, not perfect, but certainly whole.

Naturally, the fanatics of Omar and Cedric immediately began to wonder, began to pontificate, “When is The Mars Volta coming back?”  It had been nearly five years since they had started the healing process of their relationship with 2014’s ANTEMASQUE.  They saw that run, they saw the At the Drive-In reunion, and then they saw it support a whole new album of adolescent rage.  So surely, surely, this would mean the logical conclusion would be to unearth the seismic beast of The Mars Volta.  Omar, Cedric, you have now been reunited for five years, call upon your monsters of music, make it surface again!  Unfortunately, it would not be quite time for it, but fear not for it when it shed its skin, it became something beautiful; an homage and a threat to their era of old.

The return of The Mars Volta began in secret during At The Drive-In’s reunion run.  The nostalgia run hitting its final lap had apparently begun to wear on Omar and Cedric stating “Being on tour with At the Drive-In for three years, playing way faster than we even do in Mars Volta and more aggressively, you know, it’s all the same frequencies, right? Two guitars, the cymbals and Cedric’s voice are all in the same frequency, fighting all night long, every day. With the exhaustion of the tour, I just started making tracks, and as I was saturated with this other thing, I wanted to do something else. For me, the most exciting new direction is something we haven’t done: to cut things down, to do our version of pop.”  As with most music written by Omar, it is a response to what had come before, a desire to move in the opposite direction.  This was true with the initiation of The Mars Volta as well, as it was a rebellion against At the Drive-In and its, alleged, future direction.  

To rebirth The Mars Volta, as Cedric would croon about back in 2012 although I am sure that was a different context, they would need to again react against what they were doing.  Instead of the fast-paced guitar assault of At The Drive-In there would be a need to react against in.  In the olden days this typically meant to turn the straight forward assault of a musical sword and melt it into an abomination.  Same energy, but turned into chaos.  This time around they leaned into passivity and simplicity, rebelling against the brutal beating of In•ter a•li•a and Diamanté and responding with soft, comforting warmth.  Pop music, they declared, would be the next era of The Mars Volta.  At least in the studio.

Recording began shortly following At The Drive-In’s conclusion with Omar presenting Cedric with nearly 48 tracks from which he picked at least 14 to sing on.  Omar would again tap his brother Marcel to help with keyboard and synth work, adding mixing and engineering to his responsibilities as well.  A wise decision indeed as it led to a robust, full, and hearty presentation of the music.  Omar would tap original bassist Eva Gardner for bass parts, and Willy Rodriguez Quiñones to fill the mystical role of drums.  Both serve their roles well, fulfilling the expected role of being a unique presence in music that thrives of stand out moments.  Prior collaborator Leo Genovese would fulfill the more intensive and elaborate key and piano duties while Daniel Diaz Rivera would complete this studio line-up with percussion work.  Although never fully confirmed, COVID-19 likely significantly delayed the recording and release of this album.  The album would be self-titled to reflect a new beginning for the band and an acoustic version Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazón was likely recorded at the same time, although this was never confirmed.

The essence of The Mars Volta began to emerge in the public eye in the Spring of 2022.  Hints of an unspecified event began to sprinkle on the internet that would mean the official return.  This was paired with the unveiling of what turned out to be their new logo.  What was going to happen in California?  What was Telesterion?  “Dude, come,” lured label manager Johann, not promising a live performance, but also not not promising one.  

The Mars Volta officially returned to the live stage in the Autumn of 2022.  The line-up had drastically changed either due to deaths, disagreements, or divergence in musical interests.  Omar, Cedric, and Marcel would be the only remaining members to return from 2012’s line-up.  Juan had fallen out with Omar and Cedric for unclear reasons, depending on who you ask, and Deantoni likely was not invited to return based on the style of this new tour and I can also imagine his interest had moved on.  Ikey had already exited the group in 2010 and any prayer of him returning to the keyboard stool were dashed forever in 2014 following his abrupt passing.

So what would this new line-up sound like?  Their 2022 self-titled release a month earlier was an incredible diversion from their previous output, a deeply focused pop album.  Gone were the wild solos, the frenetic time changes, and claustrophobic mixes and instead we had clean 4/4 rhythms, grounded lyrics, and breathing room in the mix.  This is not to say that their self-titled release was bad, or not truly The Mars Volta, but for fans from the beginning it certainly was  deviation.  It made us wonder, again, what would they sound like live?  Would they jam out Blacklight Shine?  Would they play everything straight?  Who would be drumming for them?

The answer, curiously, was that for The Mars Volta to move forward they chose to go backward, to spawning pool of their origin.  German drummer Linda-Philomène Tsoungui would take over the infamous rule, notorious for devouring some of the most powerful drummers in modern music, Leo Genovese would have the daunting role of being the first proper replacement for Isaiah Owens on the keys, and filling in for bass would be the original, Eva Gardner; well sometimes.  Due to Eva’s commitments with Pink she would bounce in and out of shows with former Hoobastank bassist Josh Moreau filling in as well.  Of course Omar, brother Marcel, and Cedric were in their usual places. Marcel continuing his percussion and keys, but adding some modular synths for added otherworldliness, and Omar and Cedric naturally in their roles as lead guitarist and vocalist.  A blend of old and new.  The future and the beginning colliding again.  

The music, a similar theme, a collision of the beginning and the future, although to be fair not all of their history followed them into this new era.  Gone are the days of no openers, with each show being warmed up Teri ‘Gender Bender’ Suarez’s band, and gone are the days of their infamous walkouts to theme for A Fistful of Dollars.  Instead we were whisked away by bellowing wind and haunting ambience; a lead into one of their new songs perhaps?  Shockingly, despite this being a new era, with new font, the shows of this era had a feet deeply entrenched in the past.  Vicarious Atonement, never played before live, started each performance, creating a haunting swell of emotions and energy that led into, Graveyard Love?  The Requisition? No Case Gain?  Sorry, mistaken again, it is Roulette Dares, followed by a barrage of songs mostly from their first two albums, De-Loused and Frances.  

The past, truly seemed to be running wild in our new era, as if everything beyond 2006, minus Empty Vessels Make The Loudest Sound which was a welcome surprise, had been retconned from their discography.  Although truly welcome to fans who missed those early years, or simply adored them, it felt astounding to see The Mars Volta retreading old ground, with a only a few nods to their brand new album.  Taking a moment to reflect, however, and it is clear that although we were being gifted with the “classics” they were being presented in bold new ways.  Omar was now taking a backseat, hit guitar no longer bulldozing all other instruments, instead allowing for Leo Genovese to take command.  Although many songs brought back their improvised jam sections such as Cicatriz, Drunkship, and Eriatarka, they no longer were tightknit grooves and riffs, but instead sprawling ethereal improvisations akin to a King Crimson improvisation from 1973; slowly coalescing before kicking back into the main song.  

The energy too had shifted.  Cedric and Omar were known for ballistic and frenetic shows in the past, sometimes sacrificing accuracy for passion and physical momentum.  Instead, Cedric mostly staid planted, which led to significantly stronger vocal performances.  Omar too is no longer found swinging his guitar around his neck or shuffling on stage.  Of course, we can lament that a couple of middle aged men do not have the virility as they did 20 years ago, but there is nary a show on these tours that made anyone go “that was a rough night.”  

The 2022 run blossomed and developed each night, growing in strength and confidence as the cobwebs continued to shed after a decade of storage.  The Mars Volta, despite their age, despite their absence, still had it.  By the time the tour ended in late October 2022 there was no doubt about their return to form.  2023 offered much of the same, with a few changes in the setlist, setting aside Cygnus and Eriatarka, but bringing the shrapnel infused masterpiece Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt out of retirement after nearly 20 years as well as sleeper hit Asilos Magdalena.  Even the new songs began to blossom.  Graveyard Love grew and increasingly powerful and pounding post song jam and Shore Story really found its legs on stage.  The band also began playing with Drunkship of Lanterns, having its jam slowly drift into the next song, the next, and the next before they snapped back into a reprise out of the blue.  Shipdrunk, as it was called on setlists, played with what these songs could be.

By the end of the 2023 run Linda, Leo, and Josh (Eva did not tour with the band after 2022) began to fit right in with The Mars Volta, proving they deserved their roles.  No, Leo did not have the same soulful force as Ikey, Josh wasn’t going to have the effect overloaded fretless tones of Juan, and Linda was not going to replicate Jon Theodore’s godlike snare work.  That is okay though, and frankly preferred.  The new members had their own voices, unique stylings, and set of skills to bring to this line-up.  The reunion line-up felt distinct from those before, even if it was paying deep respect to the past.  

In 2024 we entered the 3rd year of this era, an unprecedented length for two individuals who have always seemed hell bent on eternal evolution.  Within the fabric of these shows there were moments of growth, flickers of another shift in the works.  A new album felt like it was pending announcement seemingly any day.  The mixture of gratitude, admiration, anticipation, and frustration began to hit their boiling points.  Please, always, more of this, but we also know Omar and Cedric are never ones to sit still, to worship a glory day, to linger in a moment too long.  We knew its coming.  We were ready for the next phase in your endless mutation.  

In 2025 this was confirmed and we closed the book on the rebirth.  The self-titled reunion era is still fresh and it may take a little time to sort out the gems of the tour and the lowlights.  The shows were truly less ballistic, but they also were tighter and more cohesive.  For fans of those early days of bedlam (pun intended) these shows could possibly feel a little slow, a little too polished, or a little too mature.  For those who had also grown old with The Mars Volta it was nice to see they were not going to attempt to replicate a level of energy they never could and instead decided to take things in a new direction.