Noctourniquet

This is their transition album. If you know The Mars Volta music you will hear it in this album. But you will also hear and sense a moving forward, or "in a new direction". I've enjoyed this album since it came out. But I'm writing this now after hearing their new project, Antemasque, many times. So I now see the beginnings of Antemasque in this. *if you're brand new to The Mars Volta with this album, enjoy. Excellent musicians who still have the "raw" rock feel of legends like Led Zeppelin.

But I just couldn't. There are some great tracks on here, but something is missing. I'm a huge fan of their entire catalogue but I just can't get into this album as a whole. I think maybe the sound they went for with this album isn't gripping me like their previous works.

After Imago your'e kinda just waiting for it to end. The songs aren't bad, they're just badly put together. once you get to "Noctourniquet", you feel done, but then it stretches for another song. If I were in Omar's situation I would have taken a couple listens and rearranged the song order, and maybe add some jams in places where it seems like all it needs to make it truly great is a guitar solo. For example, in the last track of Octahedron, that made the entire album close out perfectly, you don't get that here, it just awkwardly exits stage right. The dragged out ending made it 3, other than that it would have been a 4

The Volta have been my favorite band since the beginning. I have loved every album and embraced the change that has come with every one. Octahedron was the beginning of the end though I fear. Octahedron was too commercial for my taste, but I thought it was something they needed to get out of their system and I was willing to overlook it. Noctourniquet however is almost completely unlistenable. It's just bad. Like a band in the back of a coffee house that you couldn't care any less about listening to. It's so disappointing to see my favorite band spiral into obscurity. At least Radiohead has never let me down....

This is Volta's best album since Deloused. Keep doin what you're doin. This album is on the lighter side, which is a welcomed addition because of Volta's entransifying, melodic sound. Nothing has topped Deloused, but this is a great album.

I can say, I have stayed with TMV since the beginning and have always favored their music to other bands because of their ability to go against the grain. This effort is definitely the more mature and more expanded album they have produced to date. I am glad to see they are not writing the same records over and over, Cedric is actually singing in a lower tone and the whole album isn't drowned out by Omar, it is quite refreshing to see they allowed themselves an opportunity to find something new. Hard to see how others can find this a bad change!? Open up and listen, this is nothing like an other album by a band this popular, that have put out this many records and to come out with a truly different sound than they're accustomed to creating for us. Love it!

These songs are hit or miss with me. I loved Deloused in it's entirety, but since then, their albums have had songs I either loved or hated. Unfortunately, as each album is released, it seems like more songs are miss than hit. Disappointed they broke up, but I don't think there was much else they could do, given their (Omar's) attitude.

You become disappointed. The Volta's first LP what so fantastic, almost perfect. When was that released again? 2003? Ten years ago, almost. Noctourniquent is memorable in the fact that it is different from their past albums. It doesn't have the 13-minute songs that scream for attention. The songs are far from "pop". I have yet to hear any of these songs on the radio. I have listened to Octahedron (their last album) numerous times and it is forgetfull because the songs are so drawn out and slow. I downloaded Noctourniquent right when it came out, almost a year ago, and just now have found it to be one of my favorite TMV albums. Stop riding the Comatorium's penis, and move on.

WHY HAVEN'T YOU BOUGHT THIS YET!?

No vocal effects, stripped down and naked. Songs half their usual Mars Volta length, with, dare I say, a pop feel? They seem to be working out new musical ideas and conjuring up old ones. 3rd listen through made much more sense. Next to the rest of their multiple albums, this album is different and fresh. I saw them live a few years ago in Boulder, one of the best bands in the world FYI.