Seamless. That's how I would describe the newest release from The Mars Volta.

The thing I love about The Mars Volta is how they always strive to create a progressive musical interweave between all the tracks on an album. Sometimes I don't know where one track ends and another begins... I like that. I also love that they create albums around one central theme. Many artists do this — and of course by "this" I mean the ever-pursued concept album. Some artists succeed while others do not. In my opinion The Mars Volta have always succeeded substantially and in the case of The Bedlam In Goliath I think it is their best yet; surpassing both De-Loused In The Comatorium and Frances The Mute.

Let me say that I remain content in my long-affirmed decision that Frances The Mute is wholly their best album but, Bedlam is far more conceptually solid than any album thus far. The story of De-Loused was, to me, like watching a Paul Thomas Anderson film. Stuff is happening, it's interesting but, it doesn't seem to matter until the fantastic end (i.e. Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt). Frances The Mute was executed just the way it should've been; confusingly unified and descriptive but devoid of any conclusion. That was of course because it's story was not really a story but a catalogue of events and characters. In Bedlam I feel you get the best of both worlds. It has both the unification of narrative and a powerful ending. Not to mention great music.

Within the first two tracks I can detect hints of the horn arrangements of Frances The Mute and moaning guitar stylings of Amputechture. Sometimes repeating rhythms throughout multiple albums is a warning sign of a "one-note-band" but, in The Mars Volta's case it's done with such consciousness and method that it just further conveys their sense of synthesis. Being their most aggressive album yet (proclaimed by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez) I'm impressed with it's attention to detail and variety. One of the reasons I admire Frances The Mute so much is because of it's colorful palette so it's nice to hear the suggestions of Funk on the track Ilyena and vaguely... vaguely reminiscent licks of Speed Metal on Wax Simulacra. There are so many blends on this album all held together with an established musical style and continued experimentation.

The one-up this album does have over the rest is that it's by far the most intriguing. Laced and laden with real-life curses that overshadowed the band after Rodriguez-Lopez purchased a Ouija board from the Holy Land — The Bedlam In Goliath gives us a recount of their hex as a way to loosen it's grip on them. You really have to read the whole thing if you want to delve deep into it because I can't explain it all in this review. Or you can play the online game. I recommend both.

But, I digress — The Mars Volta is a great band and they make great albums. You should expect nothing less with The Bedlam In Goliath. Done and done.