Music today is either one genre or another, rarely is there any in-between. To some, it is nothing more than a way to a paycheck. However, to people like Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez of the Mars Volta, music is a form of artistic expression where boundaries can be pushed. The dynamic duo pushes these limits to the brink with their new album Frances The Mute.

After the fall of Bixler and Rodriguez's former band, At The Drive-In, the two artistic prodigies put their heads together and formed the Mars Volta with Ikey Owens and Jeremy Michael Ward.

Working together, the band released the 2002 EP Tremulant, and went on tour in small venues and then began to open for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Europe. Much of the band's music was not released to the public, so their fans could only hear their music at their high-energy performances or by word of mouth. In 2003, the Mars Volta released a new full length CD entitled De-Loused In The Comatorium.

However, not all bands can have success forever. In May of 2003, Ward died of an overdose at the age of 27, prompting the band to take a hiatus to heal wounds and take time for new creative energy.

Now, the Mars Volta is back with the release of Frances The Mute. The inspiration for the album came from a diary that was found by the band in the backseat of a car. Taking the diary and using it as a model for this insanely captivating album, Bixler uses English and Spanish to create a multi-cultural feel. With a burst of new creative energy, Bixler, and Rodriguez combine psychedelic rock with classic rock and roll while throwing in a little bit of jazz. Throw in Bixler's sensual vocals and intense lyrics and this artistic collaboration has given birth to one of the greatest albums of the year.

There are some critics however, who say that this is the Mars Volta's most complex and "confusing" album, due to the run around of stylistic differences. Yet these differences are what make the Mars Volta what it is. Taking spine tingling guitar solos, symphonic violins, and the subtle wail of a saxophone, the band creates music with a spin. One that will take your mind on a wild ride and when you come back, you will only be begging for more.

Grade: A

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Mar. 17 2005.