keepers-2
keeper avg .250
With stately power ballads "Since We've Been Wrong" and sleeper "With Twilight As My Guide" Mars Volta seems to want to attempt subtlety as opposed to their typical jazz-thrash prog; the result isn't bad though it's hard for anything subtle to properly accompany Zalava's chipmunk vocal. Even though the rest of the album isn't nearly as quiet as it seems, most of the songs favor slower tempos, but it turns out everything new may be old again. Both "Halo Of Nembutals" and closer "Luciforms" more than resemble "Snowblind" by Styx. "Copernicus"**** is the one track where the subdued approach works best; Zalava stays out of the chipmunk range and the instrumental sections after "left dangling in the wind" create an eerie and tense atmosphere. "Cotopaxi"**** has no ambition whatsoever to conquer this new, quieter sonic territory, and it kicks all kinds of ass. The syncopated verse riff is more than worthy of Rush's rhythm section (maybe from the Counterparts album) and Zalava wails "We'll be lucky if we eat tonight" and "Don't start dragging the lake", clocking in at under 4 minutes.
Comments