The Mars Volta | Artist

Band member Jeremy Michael Ward died in 2003 at the age of 27, tragically joining that illustrious group of brilliant yet ill-fated artists known as the "27 Club"

The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band formed 2001 in El Paso, Texas by core members Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala. The duo came from the band At The Drive-in, which split in 2001 with the remaining members forming the band Sparta. Mars Volta had a fluid lineup, the members who played on the brilliant 2003 debut album De-loused in the Comatorium were Omar (guitar), Cedric (vocals), Jon Theodore (drums), Jeremy Michael Ward (effects) and Isaiah Owens (keyboards). Flea and John Frusciante also played on the debut album which won critical acclaim and scored the band a spot supporting Red Hot Chili Peppers on tour. The band's second album Frances the Mute was released in 2005 and, again got rave reviews thus cementing The Mars Volta as one of the USA's leading progressive/art-rock bands. They went on to record four more studio albums then folded in 2012 with both Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala wanting to pursue seperate projects. Standout albums include: De-loused in the Comatorium (2003), Frances the Mute (2005), Amputechture (2006), and The Bedlam in Goliath (2008). Reuniting in secret in 2019, Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala recorded a new self-titled studio album with Gardner, Marcel Rodríguez-López and drummer Willy Rodriguez Quiñones. The band announced their reunion in June 2022 after ten years of public inactivity, with an art installation called L'ytome Hodorxí Telesterion. For the band's live return, jazz pianist Leo Genovese and drummer Linda-Philomène Tsoungui were added to the line-up. In 2023 they released their Eighth studio album entitled Que Dios te maldiga mi corazon. The band's music includes elements from a wide variety of genres, including hardcore, psychedelic rock, and free jazz. Omar Rodríguez-López commented, "Progressive is not a dirty word for people to use about us. If you're not moving forward, you're stagnant". According to Rodríguez-López, cinema also largely influences his songwriting: "Creating tension, creating flow, creating scenes, creating fast-paced scenes, creating minimal dialogue – it's one of our biggest influences".

Artist Website: blog.thecomatorium.com

Featured Albums: The Mars Volta

Related Artists: At The Drive-In, Omar Rodrigeuz Lopez, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Collections: 27 Forever