The Mars Volta

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The Mars Volta’s self-titled new record, quietly worked on by the reconciled pair since 2019, pulses with an energy that might not be immediately recognisable to those who mainly a ssociate the band with raucous explosions of guitar and swerving, rhythmic shifts. Opening with the pair of singles that heralded the comeback, ‘Blacklight Shine’ and ‘Graveyard Love’, it’s obvious that the band’s aural palette has been significantly stretched. As emphasised by the twin music videos, which celebrate the people of Puerto Rico, The Mars Volta’s undulating Latin and Caribbean rhythms still form the bedrock of their sound, but now exist within a denser soup of laddering synths, trance-like counter-guitar riffs and soul-touching organ. Show more