The Mars Volta

With special guest Teri Gender BenderPicking 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, prog, psychedelic rock, and avant-jazz and funk. As the ever-evolving the Mars Volta, they immediately impressed with 2003’s gold-certified Deloused in the Comatorium for Universal. It showcased a willingness to eschew conventional logic and push themselves into new artistic directions. 2005’s Frances the Mute revealed a willingness to use concepts to underscore their provocative musical approach, and Amputechture arrived 11 months later and sold more than 400,000 copies. Following lineup changes and a spell of bad luck, they issued The Bedlam in Goliath in 2008. 2009’s Octahedron, their “pop” album for Warner Bros., peaked at 12. 2012’s Noctourniquet marked their final offering before a 2013 split. Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez resurrected the band in 2022 and issued an eponymous comeback in September.