The Mars Volta
A Missing Chromosome

THE REVIEW

A missing chromosome in that complex, varied, and constantly changing organism called "The Mars Volta".

Chromosome in the sense of "information carrier".

This album aims to provide the listener (particularly the seasoned fan of the band, the true target audience for whom the album is dedicated) with a new perspective, a new angle through which they can see the work of the band led by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala in a different light. Released in 2005, "A Missing Chromosome" is positioned chronologically between "Frances The Mute" and "Amputechture"; two albums profoundly different yet with some subtle points of contact. Very faint, almost invisible, yet the group's imprint indelibly marks both these works. But evidently, there was a need for something more, a bonus that would make clearer and more evident the path that led the band to release such a varied and unique discography, there was a need for a guide to explain to the loyal fan how Omar & Co. were able to conceive such different albums. In this DNA helix, another chromosome was needed.

Chromosome understood as "starting point".

"A Missing Chromosome," precisely, unfolds in seven tracks, of which the first three had already been released on the EP "Tremulant," the true debut work of The Mars Volta, released by Lopez and Zavala after the dissolution of the legendary At The Drive-In. These tracks already show some of the distinctive features that would later appear more or less heavily in subsequent albums: frenetic rhythms, sharp vocalizations, experimentation, mixing of styles and musical genres often amalgamated in a single song. Certainly an impressive calling card, especially in light of the artistic journey then embarked upon by the band.

Chromosome in the sense of "revisionism".

The other four tracks are composed of two pieces released as B-sides of the singles of "Frances The Mute," an exclusive UK bonus track of "Deloused In The Comatorium," or even entirely discarded pieces from the aforementioned albums. High-quality material that rightly deserved to be shared with the wider audience: in these songs, the ambient incursions that would be characteristic of "Frances The Mute" make an appearance (the track that gives the album its name in this case is more than significant), along with the dreamlike atmospheres that permeate "Deloused In The Comatorium." There is therefore the desire on the part of the band members to complete that puzzle which is their discography, and to allow those who listen to understand fully the creative and compositional work behind these albums.

The function of "A Missing Chromosome" is therefore of completion, to fill those gaps that have been left throughout the band's career, an objective to be considered achieved. After listening to this excellent album, indeed, the other works of The Mars Volta will be perceived differently, as if after hearing this album a new point of view has been unlocked, as if a fundamental detail previously overlooked has been discovered.

A missing chromosome, indeed.