The Mars Volta - Noctourniquet

For all you progo-heads, the mighty Volta is back with their sixth album this coming Monday, the 26th of March, in the apocalyptic year of 2012. It's called Noctourniquet. There are some lineup changes - no more John Frusciante, new drummer, new dude on the now-prominent electronic effects - and despite a pretty mediocre lead single, it's another solid album. Initial response, which of course brings out a disproportionate number of fanboys but whatever, seems to rank it as their best since Frances the Mute. I may agree...

 

Streaming link over at Rolling Stone. Not sure if it works outside the US, but there are other streaming links out there, and I've heard you can even download music on the Internets these days. Enjoy.

Edited March 24, 2012 by Popemobile v2

  On 3/24/2012 at 11:47 PM, Popemobile v2 said:

best since Frances the Mute. I may agree...

 

really? i only listened to the samples on this one so far, as well as the full versions of 'the malkin jewel' and 'zed and two naughts'. honestly, was way unimpressed. enough to where i likely won't buy this one. i really would like to enjoy it, but the optimism's not there.

 

just curious, what is it you like the most about it?

The songwriting is tight by TMV standards, especially for the first half of the album. The new drummer kicks arse, and the added emphasis on the electronic effects adds a lot of atmosphere and some interesting rhytmic shit. Cedric's singing is really good. I thought Empty Vessels Make the Loudest Sound was a definite highlight, also dug Molochwalker a lot. Even The Malkin Jewel works better in the context of the album. The whole thing clocks in at around 65 minutes, which may be slightly overlong, but by Volta standards not too much so.

Edited March 25, 2012 by Popemobile v2

I've only given the album one listen over, so I'm not sure where I stand. I do like The Malkin Jewel quite a bit, it took a couple listens though to get right into it.

checking out the rolling stone stream, am about 6 songs in. i must say i'm really not digging this album so far, mostly because of cedric yet the songs just sound anemic. i'd rather listen to octahedron than what i've heard so far.

I'm not quite sure what to think yet, but I'm leaning toward positivity. The overall sound of the album seems incredibly busy and overloaded, and the live versions seemed a bit more spirited with Omar singing(!). But it sounds like a bona fide "change in direction" where that term gets thrown around but this sounds closer to Relationship of Command without the hardcore vocals. I didn't see this coming. People bitch about Octahedron, but it's not all that different from what you'd expect from them and it's really solid. Bedlam put me off at first but when I listen to it now I think it shreds heartily.

  On 3/25/2012 at 7:44 AM, Candiru said:

Bedlam put me off at first but when I listen to it now I think it shreds heartily.

 

i thought the same thing as well. i never really wanted them to mimic that direction for the past two albums but was still disappointed nonetheless when octahedron and this one don't pack the same visceral punch.

If you listen to frances the mute or deloused, then put on this new stuff, hopefully you'll go right back to listening to one of those two albums... this stuff blows. Not by music standards or whatever, I just wish they'd have started a new band for this stuff or stopped while they were ahead. This is indeed personal opinion, but it sucks to see a band make all the wrong moves after coming out the gates swinging and throwing down hammers. Cedrics voice sounds awful post-amputechture, they lost a fantastic drummer and in general their direction so much so that I don't consider them the same band

 

(End bitter rant)

I listened to the Rolling Stone stream last week and was impressed with the album. Best since Frances? I don't know about that because I've enjoyed each album since. To me, Octahedron was a nice change of pace after the previous few albums that were great but long and intense. I like that this album isn't any more chill than Octahedron, and I knew it wouldn't be. It's like a mix of some slower Octahedron stuff and some heavier stuff from before. With more electronics. I found it solid and I'm happy with the direction. I plan to purchase.

I think this album is great. I wasn't into it very much on first listen, but it's definitely a grower. Plenty of nice hooks, and a lot more susbtance than Octohedron which I thought was kind of weak.

  On 3/26/2012 at 4:53 AM, Poiman said:

I think this album is great. I wasn't into it very much on first listen, but it's definitely a grower. Plenty of nice hooks, and a lot more susbtance than Octohedron which I thought was kind of weak.

I'm going to have to give it another listen through then. Kind of sucks the vinyl isn't going to be out for another 2 months though.

Good to see this here! I'm a huge Mars Volta fan and I'm super-psyched to dive into this new album! I gave it one listen-through back when it first leaked, but haven't heard it since... to be honest I wasn't totally in love with it, but I know it'll grow on me after a few listens (just like most of their other albums). I really like that they keep changing their sounds and never put out albums that are too similar to their previous work.

this band has someone from mars volta in it:

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