This album by the Mars Volta is brilliant. The album starts with an energetic few tracks, and goes into a spacy jam of Cicatrez ESP. It ends quite abruptly feeling, but the ending leaves you satisfied. The story is about a man named Cerpin Taxt, who poisons himself, goes into a coma, has dreams about bizzare things, and then wakes up, and jumps off of a bridge. (Very dark sounding, I know.) The story is actually great when put into the song, and his story can be interpreted as you would like, and Cedric Bixler-Zavala definitely leaves alot of lyrics unexplained. Guest appearences include RHCP's John Frusciante for Cicatrez ESP, and RHCP's bassist Flea plays throughout. ATD-I band members make a step forward from the previous genre, paving a path of their own. If you are interested in the story, there is a storybook available on TMV's Italian fansite. (Im pretty sure thats where it is)

I suppose my review of this album will be seen as the equivalent to a drop of water in the Atlantic Ocean, but I feel I have to express my opinion on it since it is obviously so contrary to virtually everyone else's.

Sorry folks, but I don't get it. I am positively baffled as to what people hear in this band that is so wonderful. And, yes, they DO sound like Rush. I bought this album based on the 5 star rating I saw at Amazon. I had never heard a song from them before that I knew of, nor had I heard anyone compare them to Rush before. I had seen them mentioned in Rolling Stone ad nauseum (that should have been my first warning) and decided to check them out. After 30 seconds the FIRST thing I thought was "These guys sound like Rush". Not a blatant rip-off mind you but the vocals, drums and odd guitar stylings certainly brought them to mind instantly for me. So to those who keep saying "They don't sound like Rush.", I hate to break it to you but you're in denial. They do sound like Rush. Perhaps, more accurately, Rush on speedballs and whiskey. They aren't exactly the same to be sure, but they do sound like them enough to make it pop in your head. So you may as well get over the denial of that one TMV fans.

What I took from this ablum is that people are obviously starved for great music these days for this band to get such high marks. I remember this same situation with The Strokes. They were lauded by Rolling Stone as the next all-time great rock band. I drank the kool-aid and bought three of their Cd's blind. While they are decent albums, The Rolling Stones they ain't. TMV appears to me to be just latest flavor of the month "geniuses" as dubbed by Rolling Stone in their ever saddening attempt to appear hip and relevant.

On to the album. I found TMV's musicianship to be at a pretty high level to be sure, but that doesn't mean the songs are good. TMV music is not kind to the listener. It fatigues the ear quickly and demands much stamina to endure. In my book if you feel you're "enduring" an album, it needs to go back on the shelf. That's where my copy will stay.

this was recommended to me by a roommate and i did not enjoy it. i only like one song (track 6)

I'm sorry, but I just gotta say this. MARS VOLTA DO NOT SOUND LIKE RUSH. I keep reading this. The ONLY connection to Rush are his somewhat similar vocals. There is nothing musically equivalent, besides being a prog band. Anyone who compares them to Rush is a moron. Both bands are excellent in thier sounds.

I think the success of this album is due to its seemless transition from ATDI to what is to come later. There is little that you can fault this album with. It definitely stands out from the rest of TMV's albums due to the tight and slick production. There is nothing wrong with that, but this album only hints at the grand experimentation that is to come. The dueling guitars in Cicatriz ESP alone are worth the price of admission. Everything else is just icing on the cake. If you can survive this album, there is hope for you yet...