Brett CallwoodThe Mars Volta
De-Loused in the Comatorium (GSL/Universal/Strummer)
In the summer of 2014, I distinctly remember my friend sharing his burned copy of The Mars Volta’s De-loused in the Comatorium with me just after my 9th-grade year. I was fourteen and had never heard anything like it before, and to be honest, I still have not heard anything close. The Latin grooves coming from Jon Theodore were unmistakable, as were the jazz rhythms from Omar Rodriguez-Lopez.
(GSL/Universal/Strummer)
When I finally saw their live DVD Live at the Electric Ballroom I was inspired by the fact that these folks were both a mix of Latino and Black. Never had I seen people who looked like me making such innovative noise. Their sound was exclusive to the early 2000s and gave a slight glimpse into the loudness war going on among mixers and engineers at the time.
French Mouth’s single “Teal” is out now.
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