At the Drive-In

Antemasque feels like a conscious attempt to escape all of that and return to the duo’s post hardcore roots (albeit with some added New Wave influences). The album is very brief - 10 songs clocking in at under 35 minutes total, with only one song breaking the four minute mark. Gone are the horn sections, string orchestras and extensive overdubs of The Mars Volta’s studio records - the arrangements on Antemasque are stripped down to the basics, featuring only vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and the occasional synthesizer. Listening to Antemasque, I get the sense that this was a very spontaneous record. After leaving The Mars Volta, Rodriguez-Lopez frequently publicly reflected on how he was far too much of a dictator in that band, which prevented it from being fun for anyone involved. While I have no idea whether or not the band is actually having fun on this album, it certainly feels like they’re trying to, perhaps in order to ease back into working together with a project that’s a little more democratic and less demanding.