Don't ever put 'Frances' on 'Mute'

It's been almost five years since post-hardcore act At the Drive-In parted ways and went on to form all new musical incarnations. While three-fifths of ATDI created the atmospheric Sparta, the rest of the band, singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, would go on to form the highly experimental group the Mars Volta. And while Sparta is pretty good and the old tunes of At the Drive-In are simply unforgettable, the Mars Volta does an amazing job on its latest release, Frances the Mute.\nHaving only released the Tremulant EP and a full-length album in the form of Deloused in the Comatorium, there was already a high expectancy for Volta's latest disc to live up to prior accomplishments. Broken up into semi-flowing movements, the album's opener, "Cygnus ... Vismund Cygnus: Sarcophagi," starts off slow but automatically explodes in less than a minute, continuing to bounce all over the place for 13 minutes. That's right, the song lasts over 13 minutes and it's not the only one on this album. The next movement "Umbilical Syllables" almost revisits the great post-hardcore style found on At the Drive-In's Relationship of Command, but almost halfway through gets spoiled by annoying pitch bends and reverse filters. The disappointment of "Umbilical Syllables," however, is easily forgotten because the following track, "Facilis Descenus Averni," is handsdown the best song the Mars Volta has written yet. Loaded with guitar acrobatics and an undeniably catchy salsa/samba rhythm complete with Spanish vocals, this third movement remains exciting and fresh for the entire 12 minutes that it plays out.\nThe album's first single "The Widow" is a wonderful experiment in mathematical musical formulas coupled with various vocal filters and acid jazz breakdowns. "L' Via L' Viaquez" maintains a funky groove that bursts every so often just when you think the song is about to slow down. The rest of the album plays out splendidly, especially the four-part movement titled "Miranda That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore," which definitely shows the Mars Volta's love for experimentation with vocal patterns and instruments.\nThe Mars Volta definitely isn't for everybody. Their goal is to always sound unique and ever-evolving yet some people fear change. Frances the Mute is quite a different album when compared to Volta's last effort Deloused in the Comatorium because there is just a whole lot more going on with genre-blending and instrument layering. If you're going to start listening to the Mars Volta, I suggest you check them out right now. It'll help you get prepared for whatever surprises come with future releases.