Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 27
  2. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Alternative Press
    100
    Like all great albums, De-Loused in the Comatorium takes multiple listens to absorb, and, even then, you're probably not going to have a clue to what Bixler's raving about. [Jul 2003, p.107]
  2. Spin
    100
    This is a record that creates tension from the cryptic and release from the inexplicable. [Jul 2003, p.105]
  3. Filter
    92
    This album's genuinely passionate without any sort of cheesy emotional transparency. [#6, p.81]
  4. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    The songs explode with creativity, fusing jazz riffs, tribal rhythms, hardcore bursts of noise, and addictive rock hooks into one of the most compelling discs of the year. [18 July 2003, p.73]
  5. Q Magazine
    90
    An audacious, bold and provocative artistic statement, an album that raises the bar for any rock band who aspire to re-writing the rulebook. [Aug 2003, p.101]
  6. De-Loused in the Comatorium is a musical gem that captures the soul of Mars Volta in a way that soundly delivers on the hype.
  7. The Mars Volta have not only revived prog-rock as a viable commodity; they've injected it with an electric vigor that the lumbering dinosaur hasn't witnessed in ages.
  8. But while De-Loused in the Comatorium may well remove the stigma from the prog and art rock forms it suggests, and is certainly a monument to unbridled creativity, it can also be seen as bombastic and indulgent.
  9. It is an ambitious effort, and it could very well leave your brain hurting by the time all of the songs have wrapped themselves around you, because there is so much going on and so much to digest.
  10. Its musical adventurousness proves intoxicating.
  11. A disjointed mess- brilliant songs gone so awry that I find myself no longer excited by the prospect of listening to the album through, but disappointed.
  12. Recall[s] both Fugazi's punk slam and early Santana's psychedelic sheen.
  13. There are moments of prog rock, jazz fusion and freakydelia in this rush of ideas and if that sounds awful then don't be put off. Instead of the shambolic mess that this kinda influence normally entails Mars Volta have come strictly disciplined.
  14. Blender
    80
    Roars like Led Zeppelin, churns like King Crimson and throbs like early Santana. [#17, p.138]
  15. Under The Radar
    80
    The Mars Volta has created the antithesis of ATDI, leaving behind any formula or typicality. What they kept was the fire, the fury, and the passion. [#5, p.107]
  16. This is not an album to listen to casually. It insists on taking over your life for an hour, demands a level of concentration rare in rock, amply repays multiple plays.
  17. 80
    De-loused is definitely worth checking out, but make sure to keep an open mind and check any preconceived notions at the door.
  18. Uncut
    80
    Imagine a jam session between King Crimson, Fugazi and '70s Miles. Now imagine it working. That's the Mars Volta. [Aug 2003, p.98]
  19. For the most part, Deloused In The Comatorium is truly exquisite and well worth the wait.
  20. De-Loused in the Comatorium is a very strong debut album for the Mars Volta.
  21. Contrary to nearly every other band in music today, the Mars Volta suffer from an abundance of ideas and concepts, not a lack thereof.
  22. Teetering on the brink of indulgence, De-Loused proves just how much art you can pack into steadfastly aggressive songs and still call them punk.
  23. Taken as a piece, the record's free-flowing synthesis of Santana, Yes, and Metallica is overwhelming in a good way.
  24. Magnet
    70
    Part prog, part punk and part reefer haze. [#60, p.106]
  25. Mojo
    70
    As nuts as they are, The Mars Volta recall the raw potential rock held before it was castrated by radio programmers and corporate control. [Aug 2003, p.99]
User Score
8.9

Universal acclaim- based on 346 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 28 out of 346
  1. Mar 22, 2011
    10
    Their Debut album is someting that only comes around once and a good long while! The blend of Latino/jazz riffs on top of what can only beTheir Debut album is someting that only comes around once and a good long while! The blend of Latino/jazz riffs on top of what can only be described as poetic harmony on the drums, is something not heard very often in the realm of prog rock! These sounds are aided by the high pitched vocals of Cedric, that help tell the story of a friend who wakes up from acoma only to find his dream world stripped away and a sobering reality he had left behind, staring him right in the face! Very powerful, and a first listen, if you havent heard any other of the Mars Volta albums! Full Review »
  2. Nov 18, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Una verdadera obra maestra y uno de los mejores álbumes de la década de los 00 así como de los mejores album debut de la historia. Full Review »
  3. Mar 10, 2019
    10
    Crazy album full of ideas and a crazy mix between Latin rhythms and progressive rock... A cornerstone in modern prog imo. One of the finestCrazy album full of ideas and a crazy mix between Latin rhythms and progressive rock... A cornerstone in modern prog imo. One of the finest achievements of music in this century Full Review »