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Deloused in the Comatorium | 
| Artist: Mars Volta
Label: Universal / Island
Category: Music
List Price: £8.99
Buy New: £7.79
You Save: £1.20 (13%)
New (14) Used (3) from £4.99
Rating:  59 reviews
Sales Rank: 12259
Format: Extra Tracks
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Running Time: 68 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 602498604601
EAN: 0602498604601
ASIN: B00009V90E
Release Date: June 23, 2003
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | son et lumiere | | • | inertiatic esp | | • | roulette dares (the haunt of) | | • | tira me a las aranas | | • | drunkship of lanterns | | • | eriatarka | | • | cicatriz esp | | • | this apparatus must be unearthed | | • | televators | | • | take the veil cerpin taxt | | • | Ambuletz |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
On De-loused in the Comatorium, the Mars Volta approach rock & roll like it's an ascetic discipline, a calling that comes with lyric sheets as dense and impenetrable as the Kabbalah and a ritual of worship that's dervish-like in its intensity. Formed by vocalist Cedric Bixler and guitarist Omar Rodriguez after the split of their former band--Texan hardcore legends At the Drive-In, who splintered acrimoniously in 2001--the Volta are an unashamedly progressive outfit, dealing in grandiose arrangements that come on like Led Zeppelin fired through Saturn's rings. You can still hear many of ATDI's hallmarks inside the spasmodic dynamics of "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" and "Eriatarka"--it's just now they're immeasurably more complex, governed by time signatures responsible only to some alien logic, and cast out on ever more remote waves of mind-bending conceptual fantasy. Bixler's serrated howl has mellowed somewhat, veering here from tender croon to shrill falsetto. And interestingly, Flea guests here, although you wouldn't know it: his brooding basslines bear nothing of the slap-happy funk he displays in the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. But ironically, the most startling contribution comes from the band's late sound manipulator Jeremy Ward, who passed away after a heroin overdose on the eve of this album's release. His dubby ambient fills unfurl in the valleys between each jagged instrumental peak, lending a truly otherworldly feel to proceedings. A morbid legacy, but thankfully, far from this album's only selling point: De-loused in the Comatorium is the rare prog-rock landmark that prizes punk passion over meandering pretension. -- Louis Pattison
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| Customer Reviews: Read 54 more reviews...
 My Two Cents... November 30, 2007
Mr. D. R. Ball (England, UK)
I have been in love with this album since the first time i listened to it back in 2003 and i can honestly say, coming from someone who isn't a At The Drive-In fan, this album is a masterpiece and i have managed to listened to this albums at least once a week. Definately one of the greatest albums i have ever heard with energy that will never tire and song structure that leaves even the greatest progressive rock acts to shame. This album is like nothing I've ever heard and the band are definately the most talented and tightest musicians to release an album in the last 20 years, a bold statement i know but if you buy the album you will see what im talking about.
Eccentricly Good September 2, 2007
Pmgoss (UK)
After the hardcore years of At the Drive In it feels really refreshing to listen to something so insane and full of ideas. All of the musicians pulled their weight even Flea (bassist of RHCP). It does take a few listens to sound amazing but it is worth the wait.
1. Son Et Lumiere 8/10. Synthesisers and keyboards are used to create an atmosphere when Cedric's voice appears like an alien in the background. Then the drums and guitars keep bursting and disappearing again and again until silence...
2. Inertiatic Esp 10/10. The chorus explodes into action with such emotion and power. Although half of the things Cedric says are pure gibberish they are said with such feeling why care? After the chorus verse combo the guitars start making some distorted sounds for a while and then for a few bars it's only guitar until the chorus explodes into action again. This song got me into Mars Volta and is one of the best songs on the album.
3. Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of) 8/10. Starts off absolutely insane with sound flying everywhere but then calms down loads with Cedric quietly whispering in falsetto until the chorus 'exoskeletal junction at the railroad delayed' the chorus sounds commercial but who cares. It then swings from insane to calm for the rest of the song. You may have noticed a bit of an instrumental section from Omar (guitarist) at one point. Get used to it because there are alot more of them.
4. Tira Me A Las Aranas 7/10. Just an instrumental link with some sinister keyboards and guitars. It builds up to...
5. Drunkship Of Lanterns 9/10. Very fast drumming with marracas. And random guitar notes with Cedric shouting 'Is anybody there?' starts off insane and stays insane. One of my favourite parts is when the guitar goes from plain accoustic to electric distorted for a few bars. The chorus (at least I think it's a chorus) reminds me of Jeff Buckly a little.
6. Eriatarka 9/10. Starts very calm and whenever chorus1 came in they would suddenly get faster and slightly louder. After a while they reach chorus2 at which point they remain loud and insane until it fades at the end. Pretty good.
7. Cicatriz Esp 9/10. Starts off like they are in space with Cedric singing like a man on the edge and Omar making minor chords. Then it goes silent for a few seconds and explodes with the chorus 'I'M DEEEFECTIVE!' after a few of these there is a very very very long instrumental part that starts off barely noticable but then gets louder (reminds me of Yes). It then ends how it started twelve minutes later. What a journey.
8. This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed 10/10. I like this song because it is distorted and dark. Cedrics put his voice through a machine of some kind because he sounds like a broken robot. Near the end it sounds like the CD's got stuck but wait about 30 seconds and you'll realise it's all part of their crazy plan.
9. Televators 8/10. One of the singles and is very laid back. It may sound more boring because of the lack of energy but what they lack on energy they increase on emotion. Especially with that organ based chorus.
10. Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt 10/10. THE BEST SONG!!! The guitars start off twisted with Cedric sounding twisted. Then there's the beautiful chorus which works so well with the atmosphere. A bit later it goes quiet and then there is an insane instumental masterpiece by Omar and the drummer and keyboards (and Flea). Until the seond chorus explodes in. Then Cedric gets amnesia and starts asking 'Who brought me here?' A MUST LISTEN.
11. Ambuletz 9/10. Most people think that this bonus track is pointless and doesn't go with the album; I disagree. The concept (man in drug induced coma fighting his good and evil side) goes well with this because it sounds like he is back on the drugs again. A lot of weird sounds involving some evil giggling and gurgling.
If you like experimental music that tries to push the boundaries. Then it is likely you have already bought this, and if not it's not to late to buy it now pleeeeeeeeeeeease.
A track-by-track review of De-Loused in the Comatorium February 5, 2007
Mr. M. A. Hawkins (Darlington)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Track 1 ~ Son Et Lumiyre: This is a sort of introductory track that leads into the first song on the album. I won't rate it individually, as I would consider it as part of track 2, so I'll take it into account when I rate that one.
Track 2 ~ Inertiatic Esp: The drums at the end of the first track lead into this one, which has heavy rock roots and an intense rhythm. This is the first Mars Volta track I ever heard, which was a couple of years ago now, long before I actually got into them. 9/10
Track 3 ~ Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of): Craziness at the start, then it calms down a bit and seems to have as many moods swings as a teenage girl with schizophrenia. 8.5/10
Track 4 ~ Tira Me A Les Aranas: According to freetranslation.com, the title of this song means "it throws me to them tricks". As you can tell, I don't know Spanish. I won't rate this, as it's just an interlude.
Track 5 ~ Drunkship of Lanterns: Some vibrant percussion accompanying the guitars. The seemingly improvised bridge part after 2 minutes is a nice touch. The chorus in the second half of the song is excellent, along with the "Come on down, hit the ground" bit. I think those are the lyrics, sometimes it's nearly impossible to make them out, not that they're that important. 99% of them make no sense at all (especially the bits in Spanish!). 8.5/10
Track 6 ~ Eriatarka: Starts off with drums, a bit like the second track, then a more laid back guitar takes the lead. Gets more exciting as it goes on. 8/10
Track 7 ~ Cicatriz Esp: Quite different to the live version that I review a couple of weeks ago. Starts the same, but goes along a different path (ie. less weird and shorter than the live version, still a bit weird at one part though). A good chorus. 8/10
Track 8 ~ This Apparatus Must be Unearthed: A bit of a crazy song, really good guitars though. 8/10
Track 9 ~ Televators: I think this one was a single. Probably the only Mars Volta track that could conceivable have an acoustic version made of it. Strange, creepy lyrics, eg. something about "half-eaten corneas". There's a weird bit at the end which reminds me of the sound effects from Dragonball Z (not that I ever willingly watched it of course) 9/10
Track 10 ~ Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt: An odd name for a song, but that doesn't stop it being their masterpiece. Like Cicatriz, this is on the live album too and also has a different sound. Maybe a bit more restrained in this version, but it works so well. The lyrics are pure psychedelia, they make no sense to me at all, but that doesn't matter, the music's awesome. I've listened to this song a ridiculous number of times on my MP3 player lately, and listening to the same song over and over is very unlike me, so it must be good. (Maybe my German exchange partner's habits have rubbed off on me ). Yes, it is good. The prolonged calm before the storm towards the end is unexpected and a touch of pure musical genius. I love that bit, reminds me slightly of the Stone Roses. Perhaps giving it half a bonus mark will put my mind at ease so I won't have to keep listening to it all the time. 10.5/10
Track 11 ~ Ambuletz: The UK Bonus track. Weird, basically. 7/10
Average Track Score: 8.5/10
Originality: Really original and refreshing. It's a revival of psychedelic rock, mixed with a hint of Led Zeppelin and bags of musical talent. How anyone can make music that sounds so good is beyond comprehension. 9.5/10
Variety: Their exciting heavy rock style is punctuated by moments of weirdness and improvisation. It's not quite what you would call "cross-genre", it's more of a genre to its own, which happens to be an amalgam of influences from certain parts of the musical world. 8/10
One of my favourite albums of the 21st century so far.
A Magisterial Album. Wholeheartedly Recommended. January 1, 2007
Edward Wallace (Glasgow, Scotland)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In 2001, the aficionados of the post-hardcore shed a tear when it was announced At The Drive-In were to split. Cedric, ATDI's vocalist, felt as if the band were holding him back and he consequently formed The Mars Volta, along with Omar, the former band's principal guitarist. Their first full-length effort was Deloused In The Comatorium, released in 2003.
It's easy to see why Cedric felt restrained by ATDI, as the music of The Mars Volta bears little resemblance to the shouty, abrasive music of ATDI. The songs themselves are more ambitious and of a greater length; 'Cicatriz ESP' clocks in at 12 minutes. However, one thing The Mars Volta retained from ATDI was their immense energy within their songs. The album's 90 second opener, 'Son Et Lumiere' starts of with an energetic repeated chord and the pounding drum rolls of Jon Theodore, the former drummer from the little known band 'Golden'. From this track, you know the album is going to be an intense listen.
And it is. Despite its progressive rock tag, the Volta's music is far more lively than the sometimes leisurely musical canvases of bands like Genesis and Yes. Tracks like 'The Roulette Dares' invoke a sense of an updated King Crimson, as Omar's guitar, sometimes crunching, occasionally eerie, comes close to resembling that of Robert Fripp in the 70's. The music is propelled along by Jon Theodore's relentless skin pounding, a cross between Bonham's bombosity and Cobham's complexity. In short, he's a fantastic drummer, and this album is where he shines, the drums losing their prominence in later albums.
Another trait of progressive rock, the often left-field lyrical content, is evident on this album too. However, Cedric's lyrics are more unconventional than Jon Anderson's babblings about God-knows-what, or Peter Gabriel's whimsical mutterings about hogweeds and Winston Churchill. Cedric spends the duration of the album howling about phlegm, skin grafts, and other bohemian topics, which are supposed to tell a story about the album's 'protagonist', Cerpin Taxt. I'm not going to give any spoilers about the story, partly because I don't really understand it. It makes the story of 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway' look like The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Anyway, I'm aware this review is rather long-winded. So I'll conclude by saying that this album is a masterstroke. Wonderful instrumentation and vocals, interesting songs that stil retain accessible beats within their complex structures combine to make one of the best progressive rock albums to be released in the past few years. Just be prepared for odd looks if your friends or workmates catch you singing 'Exoskeltetal junction...' under your breath.
EW
The cleverist album you'll hear December 2, 2006
David Mark (Dublin, Ireland)
I don't think any of the songs on this album would really make sense if you just heard them as a single or if someone just played you a song. This is the only album where you can really say that there is a point and reason for each note. Most songs' notes are judged by what sounds best but aswell as that the notes in this album are telling the story as such as the lyrics.
To really get the most from this album it would help if you had a good musical knowledge and knew the story behind the album but I'm sure different people take different things from it.
Even if you don't like the style of music (and I wouldn't listen to any other band who were along the same genre because I generally don't like that type of music to much), you have to appreciate the high number of musical ideas in the songs e.g. during "inertiatic esp" there is a point where all the instruments stop and for about 1 bar it's just guitar and then the sound explodes again or there is a time when again all the instruments stop and the guitar just plays for one beat. It's a case of blink and you'll miss it so if you do buy this album and don't think that it's that great give it time. I always think that you hear more when you wear earphones - a lot of the stuff that is lower in the mix.
This album is so clever and I don't think that it would do anyone any harm to be exposed to it, there isn't one note that's not put in that place for a reason.
I should say that for me the album stops at track 10. There is a UK bonus track which really just takes away from the greatness of the album. It doesn't need to be there and I don't think that it should be on the CD. I can't see many people missing it if it was taken off. It's always nice when bands give their fans a little something extra for all the money that we have to pay but it just lessens my opinion on how good The Mars Volta are because bands always make more songs than they need for albums and generally speaking the best songs get on the album. The bonus track "Ambuletz" just says that they are not as consistent as we are lead to believe.
If you have an interest in music and not just songs that are 4 chords but music that is as respectable as classical or jazz music in its advanced musical theory and ideas you should buy this album. Don't let there genre title put you off, I personally think that they don't fit into any established genre. I saw that the bands guitarist and main writer (Omar Rodriguez Lopez) doesn't understand musical theory and I think that this is why the music is so exciting and original. It results in them doing things that the rest of us would never think of. It doesn't conform to what people think music should be. It's nearly the opposite of the music that's in the charts these days.
Get it and even if you don't like the music listen to what it's doing. I do however think that mainly only other muscians will really like it.
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