Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

“The Bedlam in Goliath,” the latest release by The Mars Volta, has resurrected the band’s slumped spirits brought on by their previous album. The creation of the album was inspired by consequential experiences with the Ouija board one band member gave as a gift to another. However, this “gift” brought about more dismay than it did happiness. To put an end to the bad luck radiating from this Ouija board, lead-guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez discarded the board by burying it and vowing to never reveal its resting place. It seems that Rodriguez-Lopez made an excellent decision in getting rid of it, because, despite the board giving its owners horrible luck, it also delivered messages from “otherworldly” places which became the basis of “Goliath.””Goliath” tells the story of a love triangle between a man, a woman, and the woman’s mother. Each song tells the same story, only with a different interpretation.TMV is able to take their musical talents to the next level in “Goliath.” After a slight upset with their previous album, TMV redeems itself as a band that is worthy of being deemed progressive rock.The way, in which the story is told is where the true masterpiece lies. Instrumentally and lyrically, the album is genius. The fluidity of each band member working together and playing together is very apparent in each song. The entire album is cohesive, with one song leading harmoniously in to the next.Some notable tracks include the opening song, “Aberinkula,” for its incredible percussion mastery, and “Ilyena,” memorable for its surprising catchiness. The impressiveness of these two tracks can be somewhat attributed to TMV’s new drummer, Thomas Pridgen. One stand-out track is fittingly titled “Goliath,” unforgettable for its unreal, thrashing, this-is-why-I-listen-to-The-Mars-Volta heaviness.One would imagine that a band that isn’t afraid to experiment with all types of sounds would end up sounding a lot like a running garbage disposal. The Mars Volta, however, puts this assumption to rest. Its incorporation of sounds from various genres including punk, jazz, psychedelic, and even Latin, come together to produce something undeniably harmonious. However, though nearly all the songs have a certain fluidity, one, sadly, does not. “Cavalettas,” the seventh and longest track (a whopping nine minutes and 32 seconds) falls short of the mark the other 11 tracks make. Not too much can be said about the song except that it really doesn’t have a reason to be the longest track on the album. Fortunately, the disappointment “Cavalettas” brings is overshadowed by the greatness the rest of the tracks deliver.”Goliath” comes to an inspired ending with “Soothsayer” and “Conjugal Burns.” The duality of these two songs brings this album to a satisfying end. “Soothsayer” is an all out instrumental collision and “Conjugal Burns” contains some of the more memorable lyrics on the album.

Artist: The Mars VoltaAlbum: The Bedlam in GoliathLabel: Umvd Labels>b>Grade: A