Mars Volta; Rock or Avant-Garde?
 

Hello all. I've been listening to a lot of Mars Volta recently. While they are classified as rock, and certainly use the rock set of instruments commonly seen, their stuff is pretty wild and crazy for rock, and they incorporate ambient noise, electronic sounds and absolutely fantastic musicianship into it.
I was wondering whether they would be considered more rock, or more avant-garde. What's your opinion on it?

I thought they were prog?

Wikipedia says Progressive, Experimental, hard rock, jazz fusion, electronic, neo-psychedelia, post rock, post hardcore, and math rock. No Avante-garde though.

Might help him find similar artists, or help recommend them to someone else.

If he's looking for similar artists he should look for some krautrock (most definitely Can), and various psychedelic groups. I certainly wouldn't classify TMV as avant-garde, and I really think people throw that term around a bit too much these days in some pointless way to seem artsy and intellectual.

I don't care what they are, all I know is they're good :)

I absolutely love their music no matter how ppl would define their genre.....shame that they've come to an end :(

+1

there's plenty of bands that the Mars Volta drew inspiration from... if you liked Amputechture, listen to king crimson's album "in the court of the crimson king".

if you liked Deloused in the Comatorium, check out bands like RX Bandits or Of Montreal. Also Omar's new band ANTEMASQUE could pique your interest.

Personally i love the jams of Frances the Mute, particularly the assemblage of psychedelia in Cassandra Gemini.... the band CAN has many similar styles in their recorded music... plenty of spiritual dimensions opened up, lots of space for your head. Check out Can's album Tago Mago