Amputechture is the most complete, most listenable, and most accomplished album from the band to date. Give it the patience it deserves.  Full text...

The Mars Volta with “Amputechture” has released their best release.  Full text...

Amputechture can be compared to watching a Hollywood car chase: impressive, but ultimately a heartless experience.  Full text...

In many ways, the band is falling into the same pits that befell their predecessors; there are dazzling displays of guitar technique, truly warped time signatures and unique sounds throughout, but these rarely do more than serve as interesting little accents.  Full text...

Singer Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Rodriguez-Lopez work in the intimidating, uncompromising tradition of mid-Seventies Yes and King Crimson: Three songs here exceed ten minutes and are crammed with quantum-physics-level time signatures, battle-to-the-death jousts between guitar and horns and Bixler-Zavala's hummingbird keening.  Full text...

Amputechture, with its obsessive exploration of religious fanaticism and the physical expression of devotional desire, is not an album wanting to be loved so much as feared and listened to with a sense of awe and taxed exasperation.  Full text...

For the most part, Amputechture is just filigree.  Full text...

Melody-avoiding, free jazz-leaning 'difficult' third album  Full text...

This band that once seemed so vital has regressed into self-parody.  Full text...

The boys have created an oeuvre that, while technically adventurous, is more or less a soulless hodgepodge of ADD prog trope noodles.  Full text...