The Mars Volta

A pummeling rush of progressive rock and Latin percussion, The Mars Volta roared into the new millennium with a blend of baroque rock 'n' roll, high-octane live shows, and sprawling concept albums unspooling the darkness of human nature. Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala formed The Mars Volta in El Paso, Texas, in 2001, out of the ashes of their previous band–post-hardcore juggernauts, At the Drive-In. The Mars Volta's 2003 full-length debut, Deloused In the Comatorium, was a metaphysical homage to late El Paso artist and friend Julio Venegas, filled with towering guitar riffs and racing salsa rhythms that quickly became their signature sound. The conceptual epics continued with 2005's Frances the Mute, inspired by a mystery diary found by bandmate Jeremy Ward, and 2008's The Bedlam In Goliath, which pondered supernatural encounters. Following a brief At the Drive-In reunion and disagreements between Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala, The Mars Volta went on hiatus in 2012, leading each to launch their respective solo projects Bosnian Rainbows and Zavalaz. After nearly a decade of reunion rumors, The Mars Volta announced their official return in 2022, releasing politically charged singles "Blacklight Shine” and "Graveyard Love" and a new self-titled album.