March 8, 2002
The Mars Volta/ The Apes/ Les Savy Fav : Tour Single
Notable for the return of Cedric and Omar from At The Drive-In...
Even from a distance, you'll know them by the afros. Since At The Drive In collapsed under the weight of their consciences, we've been waiting for this - the return of their flailing and indignant frontmen Cedric and Omar as The Mars Volta.
They're the highlight of this terrific tour EP, a showcase for the new American scene's art-hardcore extremists. 'Cut That City' is two minutes of forbidding ambience followed by a lot of yelps and prog angles, suggesting anthems are terribly passe in the Volta camp. It's sensational. The Apes, meanwhile, make like The [a][/a] in a septic tank, while Les Savy Fav observe, "We won't let common sense get in the way." Good attitude.
John Mulvey
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