Mars Volta

A pummeling rush of progressive rock and Latin percussion, The Mars Volta roared into the new millennium with a blend of baroque rock 'n' roll, high-octane live shows, and sprawling concept albums unspooling the darkness of human nature.

Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala formed The Mars Volta in El Paso, Texas, in 2001, out of the ashes of their previous band–post-hardcore juggernauts, At the Drive-In.

The Mars Volta's 2003 full-length debut, Deloused In the Comatorium, was a metaphysical homage to late El Paso artist and friend Julio Venegas, filled with towering guitar riffs and racing salsa rhythms that quickly became their signature sound.