AMPUTECHTURE

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler Zavala did time in popular emo band At The Drive-In, but their subsequent project, The Mars Volta, is a horse of an entirely different color. Instead of punk, the pair takes their influences largely from 1970s prog rock and fusion. Extended, suite-like compositions and dizzying instrumental virtuosity are the order of the day, rather than adolescent angst and primitive pounding. Amputechture is The Mars Voltas third full-length studio release and sure to raise the bar even higher than 2005s stunning Frances the Mute. The band will be on tour with Red Hot Chili Peppers through November.