Octahedron
by The Mars Volta
Metascore
66

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 25
  3. Negative: 1 out of 25
  1. Alternative Press
    60
    Octahedron will appeal to elderly prog fans immune to attention deficit disorder, who have the patience to let its charm gradually unfold. [Aug 2009, p.111]
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  2. cokemachineglow
    42
    Nothing on this album surprises me because anyone who has listened to this band regularly has become so steeped in pointless oddity that they have moved past surprise into the realm of mild annoyance.
  3. Paste Magazine
    50
    Octahedron is the sound of a band treading water.
  5. Pitchfork
    60
    Is Octahedron the band's best album? No, but if you dig on MV's unrepentantly "big" and meandering suite-driven concept-album thing, you won't necessarily be disappointed.
  6. PopMatters
    60
    In the end, Octahedron is a solid album that probably has two slow songs too many.
  7. Q Magazine
    60
    Octahedron bucks the band's trend for obfuscation, though; conventional song structures are very much in evidence, while its relatively trim 49-minute running time is on par with some of Mars Volta's more involved live jams. [Jul 2009, p.127]
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  8. Rolling Stone
    60
    Bixler-Zavala is no Maxwell; he's more about sharp pain than voluptuous ache. By the end, he invokes Gordian knots alongside a fractallike Omar Rodriguez-Lopez guitar solo. Dude sounds like he's back home again.
  9. Slant Magazine
    60
    Octahedron is something of a new beginning for the band. It's uneven, sometimes clumsy, and a bit incomplete-sounding. But in spite of itself, the Mars Volta sounds exciting again.
  10. The A.V. Club
    50
    This is a band that excels when its sing-alongs double as freak-outs; on Octahedron, they’ve largely ditched the chaos in lieu of an admirable, albeit unsatisfying, experiment in being quiet.
  11. Uncut
    60
    As ever with The Mars Volta, there are enough flashes of brilliance to make up for the wearying material elsewhere. [Sep 2009, p.86]
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Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Most Discussed Album of 2009

User Reviews

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 70 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 70
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 70
  3. Negative: 4 out of 70
  1. dharp2793
    Sep 6, 2010
    10
    one of the most incredible albums i've ever heard. second only to deloused in pure quality and vision. made all the better because it comesone of the most incredible albums i've ever heard. second only to deloused in pure quality and vision. made all the better because it comes after the massive disappointment that was bedlam in goliath. gone are the terrible, disruptive effects on Cedric's voice. now all that remains is pure musical beauty and genius. just the right balance of slow songs and fast songs. if i can level one complaint at this album, it is that there isn't one standout song that is better than the rest. they are all incredible. buy this now or i'll cut you… Full Review »
  2. Vampire25
    Dec 4, 2010
    8
    From Their first album to their fourth album, The Mars Volta's sound have always sounded the same. Each with a different style butFrom Their first album to their fourth album, The Mars Volta's sound have always sounded the same. Each with a different style but nevertheless it usually sounds all the same. But this album, Octahedron, The Mars Volta went for a different kind of sound. More acoustic, more slower burning songs, and some really dark lyrics. More darker lyrics than usual. And the verdict is, a very solid album. This album proves that they can do anything musically and it will still sound very good. All In All, the least of any Mars Volta album, but still a very good album that shows that The Mars Volta still has it going for them. B… Full Review »
  3. ChrisP
    Jul 21, 2009
    10
    Excellent album that truly shows this band's versatility and ability to scale back without shutting it down. If these boards are Excellent album that truly shows this band's versatility and ability to scale back without shutting it down. If these boards are moderated, why are people allowed to downrate the album with 0s and innane, ridiculous "reviews" such as "Worst album of the year"? Well, eat this 10 rating.… Full Review »
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