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I am a huge fan of TMV and have given each of their albums a great deal more play than those of most other bands in my collection. Each album of theirs so far has been very strong, albeit in quite different ways. Deloused may be the most superficially listenable and infectious, Frances is possibly possessive of the most imaginative, pervasive sense of mood, and Amputechture's tracks are likely the most musically complex and elaborate of the lot -- there will forever be debates over which album is the greatest of theirs, but after much deliberation, The Bedlam in Goliath seems to be the obvious winner. First of all, it is their longest, most varied, and full, in every sense of the word; in raw play time, in number of tracks, in the distinct lack of filler when compared to other albums -- most bands would only include two thirds of this much original material on a single album. Each track exists as its own entity, each track has vocals and all members of the band playing simultaneously, frequently with the feel of composed "jam" (compared to more heavy-handed experimentation on earlier albums). The songs, to put it frankly, are amazing, yet the album as a whole manages to be greater than any individual track (certainly more than the sum of its parts). The overall flow and composition of the album could be described as eerie, relentless, terrorizing, trippy, supernatural, incessant, and disturbing. For the most part, it's very fast and very loud; frenzied, raw, and unbridled. Much of the album's propulsive, jaw-dropping energy is contributed by the new drummer, whose galloping rhythms might as well have been delivered by well-aimed machine guns shot to a metronome's pulse than a(n admittedly large) drum kit (he is very fluid and precise). This is the thrashiest work the band has done; heavier music fans of the band are likely to see much made of the band's "metal" potential realized, while also finding their progressive, latin stylings from previous albums returning and fully functional.
Despite the album's pacing, it is nevertheless quite funky, and not without its slower moments. Without going into detailed specifics of the album itself, I'll attempt to sum up the contents. Agadez and Conjugal Burns are probably the two most well-written and representative tracks on the album; both are filled with a bit of everything from other songs; catchy choruses and hooks, superb musicianship, listenable pacing, and balanced heaviness/weight. That being said, Soothsayer and Askepios are maybe the most haunting and creepy in the collection, whereas Metatron and Cavalettas certainly rock the hardest. To put it simply, the album is best taken as a whole rather than in isolation. It is a musical being, to be experienced from start to finish, and if one is willing to sit down and watch a film at ninety minutes, then swallowing this album in one sitting shouldn't be a problem. The longer track lengths allow for a feeling of unmarginalized creativity and exploration, which, in my opinion, reflects the mental territory of most Mars Volta listeners.
Now, to emphasize the haunting, creepy, and cursed quality of the album, be forewarned that from the combination of infectious, poppy songwriting, unusual sound effects, stripped down production, and expansive, prolific track length, comes an album that is potentially very disturbing, alluring, and superstitious. Likely that others have already mentioned the legends surrounding the recording, development, and production of The Bedlam in Goliath, and so a reiteration is not necessary, but I can certainly see how the angst, terror, and mystery surrounding the production has been assimilated into the listening experience. It is difficult to put my finger on, but the sound quality is often fuzzy, yet difficult to discern, and personal events of my life surrounding enjoyment of the album have been rather suspect. Rest assured, anyone who embraces this album as a fully realized work, worth listening to many times, in its entirety, will find that life becomes decidedly less "normal" and rationally explicable, often directly correlative with this album. It's not a joke -- there is something uncanny and ghostly about the recording, for better or worse. Removed from all superficial judgments of the album is an appreciation for its characteristic unique, otherworldly vibe, as a whole musical phenomenon (and one that is fiercely listenable).
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