The Bedlam in Goliath, the fourth full-length studio release by The Mars Volta, introduces listeners to a new sound -- a modification of the direction taken by the group on their last release, 2006's Amputechture. From the moment you hit play, your speakers explode with the furious sound of "Aberinkula," which blends Cedric Bixler-Zavala's distinctive upper-register wail with the aggressive drumming of newcomer Thomas Prigden and the ominous riffing of guitarist/composer Omar Rodriguez-Lopez.
Like The Mars Volta's previous albums, The Bedlam in Goliath features a number of tracks well over five minutes long. But unlike the neo-prog rock group's previous releases, this album lacks cohesiveness, a quality that set the band apart from others in the first half of this decade. De-loused in the Comatorium and Frances the Mute - the first two full-length albums from this group - both featured a continuous story line resulting in the building of a climax in the last two or three tracks. The Bedlam in Goliath simply does not have the same stamina and cannot seem to make it past the first half hour.
For the first half of the album, the adrenaline-driven songs almost seem to come in pairs, with "Aberinkula" moving without hesitation into "Metatron." The first single off the album, "Wax Simulacra" (which showcases Prigden's brilliant work behind the drumkit), gives listeners only a second to gasp for air before descending into the seven-minute epic "Goliath." The second half of the album drags on, however, leaving behind a wake of white noise that is disappointingly easy to tune out.
Intensity is ever-present, in spite of the lack of creativity of the song writing. "Askepios" and "Ouroborous," two of the later tracks, plow ahead towards the anti-climactic end of the album. At an hour and fifteen minutes, The Bedlam in Goliath shows that The Mars Volta have overextended themselves just a little too much, making it an arduous feat for any listener to remain captivated throughout.
Download it: "Aberinkula," "Ilyena," "Goliath"
Skip it: "Cavalettas," "Soothsaye"
