Image via The Mars Volta’s Facebook
El Paso, Texas progressive rock band The Mars Volta have announced they will release a self-titled album on Sept. 16 – marking their first LP in 10 years. The duo, which is comprised of Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López, also shared a new single titled “Vigil” in conjunction with the LP announcement.
The Mars Volta made their return with “Blacklight Shine“ in June, the group’s first offering since their 2012 album Noctourniquet. They’ve since released “Graveyard Love,“ which gave longtime fans hope for a full project. With the release of “Vigil,” the duo give greater insight into what the beloved prog-rock project has to offer in 2022. All three tracks will appear on The Mars Volta, which is made up of 14-tracks total – available on CD, vinyl, and cassette. Pre-orders are available now.
“Vigil” offers a sonic shift from The Mars Volta’s usual complex and meandering prog-rock, instead choosing a more tender and structured route, showcasing not only their instrumental versatility but also lyrical dexterity. In the song, Bixler-Zavala sings, “I know the way he makes you hide/ Even when the dose is fight or flight/ And the orbits wait for a perfect name/ Clean out the webs he left behind.” The music video, which was released with the song, follows the theme of “Graveyard Love,” which depicts Puerto Rico under colonial rule, which Rodríguez-López denounces.
In celebration of their first release in 10 years, The Mars Volta will go on a North American tour this fall with stops in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas and more. Find tickets to the tour here.
Watch the music video for “Vigil below:
The Mars Volta Tracklist:
01. Blacklight Shine
02. Graveyard Love
03. Shore Story
04. Blank Condolences
05. Vigil
06. Qué Dios Te Maldiga Mí Corazón
07. Cerulea
08. Flash Burns from Flashbacks
09. Palm Full of Crux
10. No Case Gain
11. Tourmaline
12. Equus 3
13. Collapsible Shoulders
14. The Requisition