The Mars Volta

Artist Image: The Mars Volta
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Biography

The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band consists of Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, producer, direction), Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), Juan Alderete (bass), Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez (keyboards, percussion) and Deantoni Parks (drums). Formed following the break-up of Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala's previous band, At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and the rhythmic complexity of math rock into their sound. They are known for their energetic live shows, as well as their concept-based studio albums. In 2009, the band won a Grammy Award in the "Best Hard Rock Performance" category for the song "Wax Simulacra." In 2008, they were named "Best Prog-Rock Band" by Rolling Stone magazine.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 2001
Number of Albums 14
Record Label Warner Bros. Records
Website
Wikipedia The Mars Volta on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

What year was the group formed in El Paso, TX?

2001

...rs Volta is an American progressive rock group formed in El Paso, TX, in 2001 , by guitarist (b. September 1, 1975, Bayamón, PR) and vocalist Cedric Bi...
Who is the vocalist of the group?

Cedric Bixler Zavala

...1, by guitarist (b. September 1, 1975, Bayamón, PR) and vocalist Cedric Bixler Zavala (b. November 4, 1974, Redwood City, CA). They incorporate variou...
When was Cedric Bixler Zavala born?

Redwood City, CA

...yamón, PR) and vocalist Cedric Bixler Zavala (b. November 4, 1974, Redwood City, CA ). They incorporate various influences including posthardcore, jazz...
What are some of the influences that Mars Volta incorporate into their sound?

posthardcore, jazz fusion, psychedelia, funk and salsa

.... They incorporate various influences including posthardcore, jazz fusion, psychedelia, funk and salsa into their sound. They are characterized by the...
What was the name of the band that was formed by the rest of the members of At The DriveIn called?

Sparta

... At the DriveIn in 2001. The remaining members of At the DriveIn formed Sparta . By the time bassist Eva Gardner joined De Facto, they had changed thei...
What was the name of the limited edition EP released in early 2002?

Tremulant

...neup recorded three more tracks with Alex Newport, which became the EP Tremulant , released as a limited edition in early 2002. Since the demise of At ...
How many fulllength albums have the Mars Volta released?

two

... see the bottom of this page on how to submit The Mars Volta lyrics. Over two fulllength albums, the Mars Volta have managed to step further and furth...
When did Bixler Zavala and RodriguezLopez form At the DriveIn?

1994

...two to start working together on the same musical projects, and in early 1994 , Bixler Zavala (then just going by Cedric Bixler) and RodriguezLopez (th...
What was Tony Hajjar's profession?

drums

...h Jim Ward on guitar and vocals, Paul Hinojos on bass and Tony Hajjar on drums , the band combined the fiery intensity of early hardcore bands like You...
What was the name of the label that the band signed with in 1996?

Flipside Records

...n 1996, the band's work ethic paid off, as they signed a deal with Flipside Records , who released their debut album, Acrobatic Tenement, in 1996. Afte...
What was the name of the band's debut album?

Acrobatic Tenement

...ned a deal with Flipside Records, who released their debut album, Acrobatic Tenement , in 1996. After that record's release, more touring ensued, and s...
In what year did Fearless Records release In Casio Out?

1998

...at record's release, more touring ensued, and soon the band signed with Fearless Records, who released their second full length, In Casio Out in 1998 ....
Who is the guitarist of At The DriveIn?

Omar RodriguezLopez

...sy giveandtake between vocalist Cedric BixlerZavala and guitarist Omar RodriguezLopez stretches back to their tenure in posthardcore darlings At The D...
What was the name of the dubreggae outfit that Cedric and Omar released two LPs as?

De Facto

...uctive stretch of their careers, releasing two LPs as dubreggae outfit De Facto . Its more correct to call De Facto the true predecessor to the Mars Vo...
When did Jeremy Michael Ward pass away?

May 25, 2003

...ichael Ward tragically passed away from an apparent drug overdose on May 25, 2003 , just a few days before the album's release. DeLoused In The Comator...
Who played bass on DeLoused In The Comatorium?

Flea

...w days before the album's release. DeLoused In The Comatorium would have Flea playing bass on all tracks, excluding Televators, would even feature Joh...
What band did John Frusciante belong to?

Red Hot Chili Peppers

...g Televators, would even feature John Frusciante, another of The Red Hot Chili Peppers , playing guitar on Cicatriz ESP; the album eventually broke the...
Who was the younger brother of Omar?

Marcel RodriguezLopez

... Billboard 200 chart. From this point, percussionist keyboardist Marcel RodriguezLopez , the younger brother of Omar, was permanently added to the band...
Who played with BixlerZavala and RodriguezLopez in At The DriveIn?

Hinojos

...he younger brother of Omar, was permanently added to the band's roster. Hinojos who left Sparta that year, previously played with BixlerZavala and Rod...
When did Jon Theodore resurface as one half of One Day As A Lion?

mid2008

...n. Jon Theodore left right after recording this album, he resurfaced in mid2008 as one half of One Day As A Lion, a duo also featuring Zack de la Roch...
What was the name of the band's next album?

The Bedlam In Goliath

...la Rocha. The highly anticipated next album from the band titled The Bedlam In Goliath was released in late January 2008, the disc debuted at 3 on The...
Who was the drummer for the new band?

Thomas Pridgen

...000 copies in its opening week. The disc, recorded with new drummer Thomas Pridgen , included the single Wax Simulacra which was awarded a Grammy for B...
What was the name of Mars Volta's fifth album?

Octahedron

...t annual Grammy Awards ceremony. The Mars Volta's fifth studio album, Octahedron , was released in June 2009 by Warner Bros. Records in North America a...
When was Octahedron released?

June 2009

...mony. The Mars Volta's fifth studio album, Octahedron, was released in June 2009 by Warner Bros. Records in North America and on Mercury Records in th...
What does Cedric BixlerZavala do?

vocals, lyrics

...dríguezLópez (guitar, producer, direction) and Cedric BixlerZavala ( vocals, lyrics ), whose partnership forms the core of the band. The band's current ...
What is the name of Omar's brother?

Marcel

...lineup also includes founding member Eva Gardner (bass), Omar's brother Marcel RodríguezLópez (keyboards, synths) and Willy Rodriguez Quiñones (drums)...
Who formed The Mars Volta?

RodríguezLópez and BixlerZavala's

...nes (drums). Seeking to experiment and expand their sound, RodríguezLópez and BixlerZavala's recruited Gardner, Isaiah Ikey Owens (keyboards), Jon The...
When was the band's debut EP released?

2002

... to form The Mars Volta. The band released their debut EP, Tremulant, in 2002 , with Gardner leaving the band prior to recording their debut album, DeL...
What was the name of the first album released by the band?

DeLoused in the Comatorium

...ardner leaving the band prior to recording their debut album, DeLoused in the Comatorium . She was replaced by Red Hot Chili Peppers bass guitarist Fle...
What is the name of the band's third album?

Amputechture

...ieving Gold certification from the RIAA. The band's third studio album, Amputechture , was released in 2006 and was the last album to feature Theodore....
What did Mars Volta branch out into?

hardcore, psychedelic rock, and free jazz

... and wasted little time branching out into elements of hardcore, psychedelic rock, and free jazz that expanded on the boundaries of their previous wor...
What did the Mars Volta eschew?

conventional logic

...Mars Volta immediately impressed with their willingness to eschew conventional logic and push themselves into new artistic directions instead of optin...
What was the name of the song cycle released by the band in 2005?

Frances the Mute

... early 2005 with their second fulllength, the ambitious song cycle Frances the Mute . (They also issued the live set Scab Dates later that year.) Leadi...
Who replaced Jon Theodore on Amputechture?

Blake Fleming

...ure in September 2006, drummer Jon Theodore quit and was replaced by Blake Fleming (who had played on early Mars Volta demos). Less than a year later,...
What was the name of the fourth Mars Volta album?

The Bedlam in Goliath

...gle Wax Simulacra paved the way for the fourth Mars Volta album, The Bedlam in Goliath , which debuted at number three on the American albums chart. Le...
What number did The Bedlam in Goliath debut at?

three

... fourth Mars Volta album, The Bedlam in Goliath, which debuted at number three on the American albums chart. Less than two years later, the band had p...
How many albums has RodriguezLopez produced within the span of as many years?

more than a halfdozen

...their debut for Warner Bros. RodriguezLopez has also recorded multiple times, producing more than a halfdozen albums within the span of as many years....