Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
It can't come as a surprise that the Mars Volta's fourth album opens with a bang -- sonic terrorism is one of the only things listeners can count on from the band -- but it's genuinely novel that The Bedlam in Goliath never lets go of its momentum, not even after a full hour's worth of unrelenting war on silence, the wrapping paper for a concept album about the power of the occult. On their first three proper albums, Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez played games of quiet-loud-quiet (or loud-quiet-loud), sneaking around stealthily for minutes at a time before detonating another blast of thrash metal riffing and piercing screams. The Bedlam in Goliath is simply loud-loud-loud, virtually every song played at maximum volume and tempo. But, in fact, instead of being wearisome or exhausting, it's an oddly refreshing album. The band gets closer to its roots in thrash and funk-metal than ever before, avoids using electronics except where they can make a big impact, and finally lets semi-permanent guest John Frusciante occupy a readily discernible role. The "Goliath" of the album title is the name given to a spirit conjured by a Ouija board that Rodriguez-Lopez bought in Jerusalem; the band used the board heavily while on tour, and it supposedly brought bad luck to the entire recording process -- including reports of computer poltergeists, flooded studios, and a nervous breakdown for the album's first engineer (who may have simply been driven over the edge by the band's musical extremism). Musically, it's the funkiest work the band has ever done. No one's going to confuse them with James Brown (or even Red Hot Chili Peppers), but in a ten-minute streak that runs from the end of the third track, "Ilyena," through the single "Wax Simulacra," and to the end of "Goliath," an eight-minute extravaganza, the Mars Volta finally seize the mantle held by Rage Against the Machine for a dozen years (thanks in large part to Frusciante, as well as new drummer Thomas Pridgen). The band also exhibits more patience on The Bedlam in Goliath than it has in the past. No one who cares about the band should be interested in hearing a "maturing" Mars Volta -- you might as well ask for a sun that wasn't as hot -- but the band has shown the ability to mature in all the ways they can without losing what makes them unique. The album is as dynamic as ever (it seems to live perpetually on a knife's edge of tension), but it's more closely composed than Amputechture or even Frances the Mute. This should have been the album where the Mars Volta either wore their formula down to nothing or abruptly turned in a different direction, but instead the band created an album that nearly perfects what they've been working toward.
© John Bush /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From kr133,33/month
Rich Costey, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Frusciante, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Pridgen, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Cedric Bixler Zavala, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Isaiah Abolin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Mars Volta, MainArtist - Lars Stalfors, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Isaiah Owens, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez, Producer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Juan Alderete de la Peña, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Hinojos, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Marcel Rodgeriguez, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian Terrazas, Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Mars Volta
Rich Costey, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Frusciante, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Pridgen, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Cedric Bixler Zavala, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Isaiah Abolin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Mars Volta, MainArtist - Lars Stalfors, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Isaiah Owens, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez, Producer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Juan Alderete de la Peña, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Hinojos, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Marcel Rodgeriguez, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian Terrazas, Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Mars Volta
Rich Costey, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Frusciante, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Pridgen, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Cedric Bixler Zavala, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Isaiah Abolin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Mars Volta, MainArtist - Lars Stalfors, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Isaiah Owens, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez, Producer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Juan Alderete de la Peña, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Hinojos, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Marcel Rodgeriguez, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian Terrazas, Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Mars Volta
Rich Costey, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Frusciante, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Pridgen, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Cedric Bixler Zavala, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Isaiah Abolin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Mars Volta, MainArtist - Lars Stalfors, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Isaiah Owens, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez, Producer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Juan Alderete de la Peña, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Hinojos, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Marcel Rodgeriguez, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Mars Volta
Rich Costey, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Frusciante, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Pridgen, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Cedric Bixler Zavala, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Isaiah Abolin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Mars Volta, MainArtist - Lars Stalfors, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Isaiah Owens, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez, Producer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Juan Alderete de la Peña, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Hinojos, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Marcel Rodgeriguez, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian Terrazas, Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Mars Volta
Rich Costey, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Frusciante, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Pridgen, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Cedric Bixler Zavala, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Isaiah Abolin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Mars Volta, MainArtist - Lars Stalfors, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Isaiah Owens, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez, Producer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Juan Alderete de la Peña, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Hinojos, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Marcel Rodgeriguez, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian Terrazas, Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Mars Volta
Rich Costey, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Frusciante, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Pridgen, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Cedric Bixler Zavala, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Isaiah Abolin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Mars Volta, MainArtist - Lars Stalfors, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Isaiah Owens, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez, Producer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Juan Alderete de la Peña, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Hinojos, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Marcel Rodgeriguez, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian Terrazas, Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Mars Volta
Rich Costey, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Frusciante, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Pridgen, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Cedric Bixler Zavala, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Isaiah Abolin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Mars Volta, MainArtist - Lars Stalfors, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Isaiah Owens, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez, Producer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Juan Alderete de la Peña, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Hinojos, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Marcel Rodgeriguez, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian Terrazas, Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Mars Volta
Rich Costey, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Frusciante, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Pridgen, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Cedric Bixler Zavala, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Isaiah Abolin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Mars Volta, MainArtist - Lars Stalfors, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Isaiah Owens, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez, Producer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Juan Alderete de la Peña, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Hinojos, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Marcel Rodgeriguez, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian Terrazas, Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Mars Volta
Rich Costey, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Frusciante, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Pridgen, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Cedric Bixler Zavala, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Isaiah Abolin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Mars Volta, MainArtist - Lars Stalfors, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Isaiah Owens, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez, Producer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Juan Alderete de la Peña, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Hinojos, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Marcel Rodgeriguez, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian Terrazas, Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Mars Volta
Rich Costey, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Frusciante, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Pridgen, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Cedric Bixler Zavala, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Isaiah Abolin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Mars Volta, MainArtist - Lars Stalfors, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Isaiah Owens, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez, Producer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Juan Alderete de la Peña, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Hinojos, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Marcel Rodgeriguez, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian Terrazas, Horn, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Mars Volta
Rich Costey, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Frusciante, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Pridgen, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Cedric Bixler Zavala, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Isaiah Abolin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Mars Volta, MainArtist - Lars Stalfors, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Isaiah Owens, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez, Producer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Anthony Blea, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Juan Alderete de la Peña, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Charith Premawardhana, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Sam Bass, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Hinojos, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Edwin Huizinga, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Nathaniel Stookey, Unknown, Other - Marcel Rodgeriguez, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian Terrazas, Horn, AssociatedPerformer - Edwin Artwater, Unknown, Other - Owen Levine, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 The Mars Volta
Album review
It can't come as a surprise that the Mars Volta's fourth album opens with a bang -- sonic terrorism is one of the only things listeners can count on from the band -- but it's genuinely novel that The Bedlam in Goliath never lets go of its momentum, not even after a full hour's worth of unrelenting war on silence, the wrapping paper for a concept album about the power of the occult. On their first three proper albums, Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez played games of quiet-loud-quiet (or loud-quiet-loud), sneaking around stealthily for minutes at a time before detonating another blast of thrash metal riffing and piercing screams. The Bedlam in Goliath is simply loud-loud-loud, virtually every song played at maximum volume and tempo. But, in fact, instead of being wearisome or exhausting, it's an oddly refreshing album. The band gets closer to its roots in thrash and funk-metal than ever before, avoids using electronics except where they can make a big impact, and finally lets semi-permanent guest John Frusciante occupy a readily discernible role. The "Goliath" of the album title is the name given to a spirit conjured by a Ouija board that Rodriguez-Lopez bought in Jerusalem; the band used the board heavily while on tour, and it supposedly brought bad luck to the entire recording process -- including reports of computer poltergeists, flooded studios, and a nervous breakdown for the album's first engineer (who may have simply been driven over the edge by the band's musical extremism). Musically, it's the funkiest work the band has ever done. No one's going to confuse them with James Brown (or even Red Hot Chili Peppers), but in a ten-minute streak that runs from the end of the third track, "Ilyena," through the single "Wax Simulacra," and to the end of "Goliath," an eight-minute extravaganza, the Mars Volta finally seize the mantle held by Rage Against the Machine for a dozen years (thanks in large part to Frusciante, as well as new drummer Thomas Pridgen). The band also exhibits more patience on The Bedlam in Goliath than it has in the past. No one who cares about the band should be interested in hearing a "maturing" Mars Volta -- you might as well ask for a sun that wasn't as hot -- but the band has shown the ability to mature in all the ways they can without losing what makes them unique. The album is as dynamic as ever (it seems to live perpetually on a knife's edge of tension), but it's more closely composed than Amputechture or even Frances the Mute. This should have been the album where the Mars Volta either wore their formula down to nothing or abruptly turned in a different direction, but instead the band created an album that nearly perfects what they've been working toward.
© John Bush /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 01:15:42
- Main artists: The Mars Volta
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Motown
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2008 The Mars Volta ℗ 2008 The Mars Volta
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.