Tremulant [EP]

The Mars Volta | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 23, 2001)
• Original Release Date: November 1, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: EP
• Label: Gold Standard Labs
• ASIN: B00005UDIH
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,772 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A jolt of the Volta, March 17, 2004

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tremulant (Audio CD)

One of the freshest new rock bands in years is the Mars Volta, a sort of space punk band that blasts in and out and leaves you dizzy. The EP "Tremulant" is a fierce little chunk of music that blends together a dozen different musical styles into a big glorious stew.

The EP features a mere three songs. "Cut That City" has a steady buildup before exploding to life. "Concertina" is a more conventional rock song, but it's always ready to twist when it seems to become ordinary. Closing track "Eunuch Provocateur" is a mind-blowing example of what Mars Volta does best: rapid-fire, loud and strange, with plenty of dizzying instrumental stretches.

The Mars Volta is not what most people think of as a rock band. They rock, sure. But they cram in about every musical style that shouldn't fit together: punk, funk, psychedelica Latin, a touch of jazz. And at the heart of it is art-rock. Rather than defying the standards of rock music, the Mars Volta grabs those standards and twists them into a Dali-esque sculpture.

It has the weird, science-fictiony lyrics that Mars Volta does so well, but it's hard to hear them. Cedric Bixler's high, thin voice bobs in and out of the explosive music, and at times you can catch little hints of things that don't seem to make sense. No matter. His voice sounds almost like another instrument being played, whether he's wailing or murmuring.

"Tremulant" is a good intro to Mars Volta's full-length debut, the magnificent sonic avalanche "De-Loused in the Comatorium." The only problem is the hunger for more it leaves in its wake.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEGINING OF IT ALL, November 17, 2005

By 

AMBULE (COSTA RICA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tremulant (Audio CD)

The Mars Volta, with Jeremy Michael Ward, creating great music, I believe this is when they finally got their style, if you listen at the concerts they did before releasing this EP, it seems like they had an idea already, but they were working on their style on those european tours, after which they got to the studio and made this.

3 songs, less than 20 mins, but it seems like a whole hour when you listen at it closely, maybe because of the complexity of the songs. I had heard de-facto and had gotten to admire Jeremy Michael Ward, but when I got this, I couldn't believe the masterpiece he did on this record (as well as the other musicians) I'm sure he's responsible for putting on eunuch provocateur a hidden record that when you play the track backwards you can listen at a little girl singing a kinder-garden song in slow motion and then sayin: ¨Did mom or daddy ever had to spank you¨,I know it's sick but it's great, even in de-loused there's stuff like that, at least in Drunkship of lanterns when you play it backwards there's a second voice singing "it multiplies".

The Mars Volta is such an epic band, you gotta listen at their albums several times and play some tracks backwards to get the whole picture, for me they have re-defined the word art.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the better half!, March 16, 2003

By 

Anthony J (Montclair, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tremulant (Audio CD)

When At The Drive-In, probably the greatest post-indie/punk band ever (and easily the best of the late '90s) went on "indefinite hiatus", the band basically split in two parts; Sparta and The Mars Volta. The split was pretty much down the middle, the guys with 'fros went to TMV, those without went to Sparta. TMV took the unpredictable, experimental attributes of ATDI, Sparta took the catchy, radio-friendly side. While Sparta quickly produced an album and went on tour with Weezer, TMV took a little longer to get themselves together. But enough about Sparta, this review isn't about them.
What The Mars Volta has given the music world with this EP is a peek at the future. This band is going to be a major contributor to the evolution of music over the next few years, provided they can keep it together. The Tremulant EP, although only 3 tracks, is a (approx.)20 minute assault of intense, ethereal, and overall brillant music and it will leave you wanting more, guaranteed. Much like ATDI, TMV has a sound that no one will be able to duplicate. Buy this now, go see them on tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and count the days until their LP comes out.