Concertwire.com

Picking up the pieces from At the Drive-In, Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez formed The Mars Volta and wasted little time branching out into elements of hardcore, psychedelic rock, and free jazz that expanded on the boundaries of their previous work. They are known for their wild, energetic and improvised live shows, as well as their usually concept-based studio albums. Although their previous band's demise ultimately arrived before they were able to truly capitalize on their mounting commercial triumphs, The Mars Volta immediately impressed with their willingness to eschew conventional logic and push themselves into new artistic directions instead of opting for more marketable sounds. As much of their reputation was built on the strength of their live show, their highly energetic performances resulted in a wave of word-of-mouth hype that elevated the band to near-mythic proportions because so little of their recorded material was available to the public. The release of their third album, Amputechture, in 2006 featured an expanded role for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante. After shows in New Zealand and Australia, The Mars Volta toured a few West Coast venues as the headliner, then entered the studio in 2007 to record the fourth album titled The Bedlam in Goliath. The album debuted at a career-best No. 3 on the Billboard 200.