“Don’t pretend I’m not alive” were the first words whispered by Mars Volta singer Cedric Bexler-Zavala during the group’s reunion stop in New York City on September 29. The tour, in support of a new self-titled record, marks the end of a decade-long hiatus for Texas rock bands, and is a reminder not only that the group itself is back but fully aware of its legacy as a live action full of adventure and ready to blend musical genres at a fast pace.
Their first four recordings, and especially their beloved 2003 studio debut “De-Loused in the Comatorium,” were a gateway for younger generations of brog fans, new to the multi-rhythms and lengths of double-digit songs. However, the band’s last two albums — 2009’s “Octahedron” and 2012’s “Noctourniquet” — seemed like a group in need of a break. This year’s comeback album is perhaps the furthest from them, as it rounds them out to pop, with the song average hovering at the three-minute mark and produced with a much wider color palette than previous work.
Despite the studio’s mixed production, Terminal 5’s sold-out audience was craving a show filled with the band’s classic guitar plays and noise, and they weren’t disappointed. The opening soul of “Vicarious Atonement,” a ballad with a simple and serpentine feel that opened their towering third album, 2006’s “Amputechture,” was stripped of instrumentation and percussion, with lead guitarist Omar Rodriguez-López playing a dramatic push-and-pull with Pixler-Howel Zavala. increasingly strong. The drama came to a head with a growing wall of noise amplified by the comatorium’s outstanding prequel “Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)”, which proved its classic sound never rusted.
In fact, half of the show’s track list is dedicated to this featured album, yet the fan favorites felt fresh thanks to the bold arrangements that unveiled new material. While the band leaders Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez had an undeniable chemistry that gave the songs color as they would improvise new plays and fill in, the rest of the musicians – guitarist Josh Moreau, keyboardist and percussionist Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez, keyboardist Leo Genovese and drummer Linda-Philomène Tsoungui – she kept the heavy base steady.
Their music was amazing on notable tracks like “L’Via L’Viaquez,” a classic rock collision where a zeppelin abruptly swerves, immersing itself in a Latin jam from Santana’s playbook. Switching between styles can be motivating, but there was enough talent and communication on stage to keep complex song structures clear and flowing.
The band was so cooped up that minor new songs like “Blacklight Shine” fit comfortably. However, the indelible moments belong to a mixture of Bexler-Zavala howling, Rodriguez-Lopez chopping, percussion section structure, and a bed of noise that evoked Pink Floyd echoes in her longings. In a performance so full of life, it was clear that Mars Volta’s raucous live show was back perfectly intact.
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