I love this album. These guys are geniuses.

The mars volta combine diverse melodys and unique sound to their music. This cd was a little dissapointing to me because De loused... was such a good cd. I would recomend buying any Mars Volta cd because no one some sounds alike and you will be amazed by the song structures and different sounds you will hear on their cds.

De-Loused in the Comatorium was way better than this cd. i would barley give it a 2. theres just way to music "sounds" in it. when i saw them live it was amazing but this cd just kills it. i mean its got some good songs but the stuff is just too long with the boring soungs and nothing else. if your a die hard fan sure. if not get De-Loused in the Comatorium. that one is alot better

so... i got this cd a while back, but havent really listened to it very much. Personally i think the mars volta have become very overrated.... its good, its not great.. or amazing... or anything like that though. it could do without all of the nosie though.

Highly dissapointing. De-Loused in the Comatorium was far better musically. This cd had way too much non music to sit down and listen to this repeatedly. the songs themselves are pretty good. musically complex and very well written. the fact that there is so much 'noise' in between is really frustrating to listen to. Most of the album seems like it was written for themselves except for the single, The Widow. The shortest song and it seems like they had to write something that could make it onto mtv and the radio. its a good song, it just doesnt seem to fit with the flow of the album, i guess if you've got a hankering for some new Mars Volta and you dont mind extended periods of non music, then go for it.

Mars Volta is an amazing band that is way ahead of the game. No one can touch these guys, and they continue to bring new, complex, original music to their fans with Frances the Mute. The actual music in this CD is great, but what bothers me about "Frances" is the rediculously long interludes between songs. It's almost unbearable, and I am tempted to fast forward through the nonsense to the next track. The good stuff makes the record worth buying, it's THAT great. But why would a band record a title track to an album, then put it out on a single. They should have taken out some of the sound effect electronica junk and put the other actual track on this record. You would get more for your money if there was another song. I'm all for what the ATDI guys are doing, it's why I bought the album to begin with, but they a little overboard in a few places on this one. The record still has great music on it, and it's a good buy if you like De-Loused In The Comatorium. The bottom line is however: if you have to choose, pick up "De-Loused", it is just as good as "Frances" but has more actual music on it.

Really good, but i think they got a littel bit pretentious with the blurp-ass filler abient sounds. Really, a great album, and i know they are progressive etc etc, but christ, wonder too much in the domain of 20 minutes songs that go no where and you start to become...gulp....dirty hippies *cough cough* PHISH. Anyways, between the noise there are some good tunes, deloused is better though.

TMV is definitely going for a Pink Floyd type accomplishment in this cd here. Songs are longer but they rock. This is a really good cd. Cedric really was good in this. I can't describe the differences with this and Deloused. The songs were more drawn out. Most people think TMV is like Pink Floyd but I think they are more like Rush myself. Cedric sounds nothing like Gilmour.

With this release what can you say. Mars Volta are an amazing, innovative band that play the music world by their own rules and do what it is that makes them happy.

Although, my only complaint is just the spacy noise in between actual music. I could do without it. Given artists like Mars Volta, Fantomas, whoever do that kind of stuff, it sounds cool, but I think only in brief interjections.

That is my only complaint on this record.

Everything else is incredibly well orchestrated whether it be the jamming, the softer songs, the incredible beats, or the infectious melodies.

Let's hear it for these guys.

Upon purchase of this cd, I really liked the entire album. But with further listenings I found the ambience and white noise to be annoying. This is still a good cd, but half of it is taken up by trancy, repetative sounds. If you are a fan, then buy it. If you aren't a fan or just haven't heard them, then buy their debut.