- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
This should have been the album where the Mars Volta either wore the formula down to nothing or abruptly turned in a different direction, but instead the band created an album that nearly perfects what they've been working toward.
-
Alternative PressThe Mars Volta have created the first great record of 2008. [Mar 2008, p.145]
-
Most of the time, however, the band makes a righteous racket that straddles the worlds of prog rock, funk, fusion jazz and world music, with Eastern motifs spicing 'Aberinkula' and a bit of cosmic blues making its way into 'Conjugal Burns.'
-
Never before have these kings of experimental metal sustained such pulse-quickening energy, honing their tricks--cryptic lyrics, cliffhanging cries, spine-twisting rhythms--into a screaming arrow of sound.
-
For the most part, this is the heaviest record that they’ve recorded and the most far-out as well.
-
Entertainment WeeklyYou have to give props to a group that proficiently draws on Frank Zappa, Rush, and the Banana Splits. [8 Feb 2008, p.66]
-
FilterInstead of eight people trying to make many noises as possible, this is the sound of a unified band trying to make the best noise possible. [Winter 2008, p.90]
-
The manner in which the group weave complex musical tapestries is certainly impressive from a purely technical perspective, but you suspect that they were a lot more fun to assemble than they are to listen to.
-
MojoThis is unlikely to expand thier fanbase, but The Mars Volta are making music built to last. [Feb 2008, p.113]
-
The Bedlam In Goliath has its unnecessary extravagances but it’s still a grand catharsis from the forces of evil. Or, for those unwilling to allow a little imagination into their lives, just a really fucking good record.
-
If you give it the chance, though--and if you’re not already a member of the tribe, it takes perseverance--Bedlam sinks its fangs into you.
-
there is a great leap in the songwriting--closer to classic hard-rock force and melodic drama--that, in 'Goliath,' 'Cavaletta'" and the Holy City atmospheres of 'Soothsayer,' is even more jolting than the weirdness.
-
The Bedlam in Goliath is simply an immense album.
-
UncutThey've pulled together their most digestible record yet. [Feb 2008, p.84]
-
VibeRarely does rock music feel so simultaneously orchestrated and raw. [Mar 2008, p.98]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
-
Positive: 133 out of 153
-
Mixed: 12 out of 153
-
Negative: 8 out of 153
-
Sense!Mar 24, 2008
-
BobFeb 18, 2008Amazing album. It started making sense after second listen. Don't judge it after only one listen. Every second is great and that
-
AJW.Feb 15, 2008