It’s been 10 years since we received any new music from The Mars Volta, the project containing Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zaval, formerly of At the Drive-In. Outside of a collection of unreleased music that came out last year, the band has remained dormant, which is a shame as there is truly no one out there like them. Their combination of punk energy, frenetic art rock, latin rhythms and scattershot hooks and melodies made them a truly stand-out act and brought them critical acclaim equal to that of their previous band.
Lucky for all of us, the group has come out of hibernation with a tour announced, and a brand new single, “Blacklight Shine”. And as you would expect, the song is nothing you would have expected. The Calypso drums and tropical guitar lines give the track an initial island vibe. As the sinewy vocals come in, with lyrics going between English and Spanish, the song becomes something entirely new; alluring and macabre, sexy and startling. It’s alternative to the alternative, and one of the most refreshing things you’ll hear this week.
We warmly welcome back the band, and look forward to hearing whatever else they come up with. Find their tour dates here, and listen to the song below.
The Indy Review 
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