The Bedlam in Goliath | 
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| Artist: The Mars Volta
Label: Umvd Labels
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy New: $6.99
You Save: $6.99 (50%)
New (49) Used (23) from $5.64
Rating:  94 reviews
Sales Rank: 8159
Format: Enhanced, Explicit Lyrics
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 001061602
UPC: 602517575301
EAN: 0602517575301
ASIN: B000ZK4466
Release Date: January 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Aberinkula | | • | Metatron | | • | Ilyena | | • | Wax Simulacra | | • | Goliath | | • | Tourniquet Man | | • | Cavalettas | | • | Agadez | | • | Askepios | | • | Ouroboros | | • | Soothsayer | | • | Conjugal Burns |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
No one has ever accused the Mars Volta of subtlety. But even so, the cyclonic caterwaul of Bedlam in Goliath is the band's fullest starburst to date. Sure, the songs have titles that seem indecipherable, from "Aberinkula" to "Conjugal Burns." The important thing, though, is the molten, guitar-spiraling, drum-thundering core at the heart of the whole endeavor. "Aberinkula" opens the album with an unfettered explosion of clustered guitars and a dense keyboard haze pierced by Cedric Bixler-Zavala's coarse, pitched yowl. A scouring soprano sax solo cuts across the songs's midsection, and that vibe spreads throughout Bedlam, but so does the most pervasive melding of herky-jerk rhythms, post-punk speed, uber-funk bass, and chaotic riffage that you're likely to find in rock & roll. If it's Bedlam you want, you can't miss here. --Andrew Bartlett
Album Description
The genesis of The Mars Volta's new album The Bedlam in Goliath is a tale of long-buried murder victims and their otherworldly influence, of strife and near collapse, of the long hard fight to push "the record that did not want to be born" out into the world. Omar was in a curio shop in Jerusalem when he found the Soothsayer, an archaic Ouija-style "talking board." Had he known at that moment that the board's history stretched far beyond its novelty appearance, that its very fibers were soaked through with something terribly other, that the choral death and desire of a multi-headed Goliath was waiting behind its gates... well, he might have left it at rest there on the dusty shelves. The Upside of That Choice: No bad mojo unleashed. Erase the madness that followed. Erase the bizarre connection to a love/lust/murder triangle that threatened to spill out into the present every time the band let its fingers drift over the board. The Downside: No Soothsayer means The Bedlam in Goliath never would have existed. And it turns out that this demented spiritual black hole of a muse has driven The Mars Volta to produce a crowning moment in their already stellar career. The band names this Ouija board "The Soothsayer", as it offers them a story: It's always about a man, a woman, and her mother. About the lust floating between them. About seduction and infidelity. And pain. And eventually, murder. Entrails and absence and curses and oblivion. To understand the full story....listen to "The Bedlam in Goliath."
Album Description
UK pressing of the 2008 album from the eccentric Alternative outfit features one bonus track: 'Candy And A Currant Bun'. Fans of this American Progressive Rock band should expect the same thematic approach to storytelling as on their former records. This album chronicles The Mars Volta's time with the Soothsayer AKA the Ouija board owned by vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and its mutation from a source of amusement during the tour supporting the band's Amputechture album into a malevolent psycho-spiritual force that nearly tore the group apart, collectively and individually. The album's creation process was subject to "bad luck controversy" after the band's bizarre experience. The Bedlam in Goliath is their fourth full-length studio album. Produced by guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez with engineer Robert Carranza, 12 tracks. Universal.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Eclectic banality for masturbating the ear drums (a compendium of TMV LP's 1,2&3) November 11, 2008
Alaric
TRACK SYNOPSIS
1. Aberinkula: Cedric's has been converted by the Beegee school of singing, Tetragrammaton is here to stay. The last 3mins are very funky, but it sounds much too similar to Asclepius.
2. ORL has stated in interviews that ALL their songs follow the basic 'pop' structure: it becomes obvious here to the detriment of the song, since this happens to be one of their strongest longer pieces despite itself.
3. 1 trick l'via pony that the Mars Volta has become. Sure to become a dance club favorite, great lyrics; the only rhythmically engaging track besides Agadez on the whole album. Again, the rhythm section makes this band now.
4. Wax Simalcra. A great single. Makes the rest of the album sound like a B side (it is, in a sense, given the production 'problems' surrounding the album. A cousin of Viscera Eyes in a good sense.
5. Goliath. Not "influenced" by King Crimson, but a very cheap footnote to 21st century Schizoid Man. 1 riff over 8 minutes with solos that do not even merit the name "atonal".
6. Tourniquet Man. "Let me be . . ." This is straight out of the Spinal Tap playbook. Disgusting and boring.
7. Cavalettas. A great 40 sec. or so piano that manages to get its head above the water later in the dozing of into noise part of it. An overproduced punk piece. Fail.
8. Agadez. --The bassist writes his own part. It becomes a more interesting track than any other on the album and goes through the most changes in their live set.
9. Askepios. Greek/Egyptian god of medicine. It achieves Spinal Tap in a tolerably sinister way that gives out to a poppy breakdown, once again, fueled only by the bassist & drummer, bs guitar interspersed.
10. Ouroborous. Ouroboros. The symbol for eternity, and in Jungian psychology, for narcissism. A sick hybrid of the Claymore section of L'via, parts of Cicatriz sped up, with the general outline and feel of Viscera Eyes though less list-enable given the inertiatic esp/haunt of roulette dares tempo and rhythmic articulation. Interesting but nothing but an amalgam of past tricks.
11. Soothsayer. Overproduced piece originally arranged for an acoustic quintet (possibly more). Again, brief moments of insight turned into torpid repetition; pleasantly soporific at best. This is no "Kasmir" by any stretch of the imagination.
12. See track 6. "I've gotaPENthatcan rip the very fabric of time . . ." In otherwords, SPINAL TAP.
--Not enough to keep this reviewer from appreciating the live performances, but this band is lead no longer by a musician or composer primarily, but a Stageman who indulges in hysterics that now succeed only in eliciting laughter or sleep. The historical equivalent of Led Zeppelin's "In through the out door" but worse.
*This band's greatest achievements were accomplished with the help of FLEA and Rick Rubin. If they do not show some restraint and discipline in the upcoming "acoustic LP" it safe to say that this band is going the way of YES once Chris Squire and Rick Wakemen left, or the Mahavishnu Orchestra once Jan Hammer left. Self-indulgence does not = authenticity or naturalism, but mediocrity and decadence. The more this band extends itself, the less force they bring to their work; Thomas Prigen is a quantitative injection that cannot make up for the lack of coherent and sustained Thought in the Mars Volta's last two offerings.
Garbage! November 8, 2008
keegan brown (St Paul, MN)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have been a fan of The Mars Volta for a while now. 'De-loused' was outstanding, 'Francis The Mute' Had it's moments, and 'Amputechture' seemed like a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, 'Bedalm in Goliath' doesn't do it for me. I guess when you run out of ideas you add as many layers of noise as possible. Thats the impression I get, or that these guys are trying to push their way back out of the spot light with terrible music. Either way... i don't like it. I tried so hard, but nothing on here does it for me. Im glad to see some people enjoy it. They apparently hit the mark for a few people. Hopefully next time around we will get something a little more straight forward, and focused.
 Lost touch November 6, 2008
OneLove (so fla)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Ok, Ill admit it, The Mars Volta has completely derailed from a compositional standpoint. While they used to utilize all the spastic, ambitious qualities in the past to accomplish musical feats, all they seem to know now is how to flounder in excessive prog-bloat leeway, perhaps putting together one song that actually comes together as a whole when Rodriguez-Lopez's fragmented choppiness and Bixler-Zavala's increasingly annoying vocals are not battling for acknowledgement.
disappointed October 28, 2008
Big T (Las Vegas)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Weakest album to date. Didn't like any of the songs enough to keep the CD. You should definitely listen before you buy. Hardcore TMV fans will probably be all fan-boy over this, but it's really not that great. Sound quality on the CD is good, too bad the tracks are just blah blah.
Finally .....I Love it. September 28, 2008
Nikhil Murthy
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have to say I wasn't very impressed with this album when I first listened and then for a few months after that. I thought it was the "boring rock n roll record" I thought you would never want to make. I thought it was a backwards step. But over time and repeated realizing how great the songs actually were and started getting off on how much energy and vitality there was in the performances. This has definitely been a grower for me. It is great that each record they make is so far removed from the previous one. I am forward to the new one for sure and considering they have a contract that allows them to release one a year. I do not have long to wait. I have to say the only reason this gets a four is because I still think Cavalettas drags itself too long. and plus for me I still think Frances The Mute is their crowning achievement. I think in 10 or so years people will realize that how remarkable it is. But hey maybe they will prove me wrong with the next few records they release.
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