Known for their energetic live shows and concept albums, The Mars Volta formed following the break-up of Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala's previous band, At the Drive-In. Seeking to experiment and expand their sound, Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala recruited Gardner, Isaiah "Ikey" Owens (keyboards), Jon Theodore (drums) and Jeremy Ward (sound manipulation) to form The Mars Volta. The band released their debut EP, Tremulant, in 2002, with Gardner leaving the band prior to recording their debut album, De-Loused in the Comatorium. She was replaced by Red Hot Chili Peppers bass guitarist Flea for the sessions. The Rick Rubin-produced album received widespread critical acclaim upon its release in 2003.
The band's second studio album, Frances the Mute (2005), was self-produced by Rodríguez-López and was the first to feature longterm members Juan Alderete (bass) and Marcel Rodríguez-López. The album debuted at #4 on the US Billboard 200 and became the band's biggest commercial success, selling over 500,000 copies in the US and achieving Gold certification from the RIAA. The band's third studio album, Amputechture, was released in 2006 and was the last album to feature Theodore. In 2008, the band released The Bedlam in Goliath, a concept album inspired by the band's turbulent experiences with a ouija-type talking board. The album's first single, "Wax Simulacra" was awarded a Grammy Award in 2009 for Best Hard Rock Performance. The band released its fifth album, Octahedron, in June 2009.
Following the release of their sixth album, Noctourniquet (2012), and a run of reunion shows with At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta entered a hiatus in September 2012. Rodríguez-López subsequently formed a new project, Bosnian Rainbows, and the band formally broke up after disagreements between Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala. The duo repaired their friendship and reunited in 2014 for a new project, Antemasque, and further At the Drive-In tours and recording sessions.
Reuniting in secret in 2019, Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala recorded a new studio album, The Mars Volta, with Gardner, Marcel Rodríguez-López and drummer Willy Rodriguez Quiñones. The band announced their reunion – after ten years of public inactivity – with an art installation called L'ytome Hodorxí Telesterion, in June 2022. For the band's live return, jazz pianist Leo Genovese and drummer Linda-Philomène Tsoungui were added to the line-up.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mars_Volta
Studio albums
De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
Frances the Mute (2005)
Amputechture (2006)
The Bedlam in Goliath (2008)
Octahedron (2009)
Noctourniquet (2012)
The Mars Volta (2022)
Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon (2023)
A Plague Upon Your Hissing
The Mars Volta Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Repented their past lives
Might not be the only payment left
To be left behind
A pair of the insults
It involves
Rays upon the entrails and the novel
A missing chromosome walks
And now we wait for the fate of the others
Mass call of this plague
Mass call of this plague
Mass call of this..
Fondling with pitchforks
In a cattle prodded sea
Signaling the sedatives
To emaciate their queen
A pair of the insults
It involves
Rays upon the entrails and on the novel
A missing chromosome walks
And now we wait for the fate of the others
Mass call of this plague
Mass call of this plague
Mass call of this..
No one's getting out
Of the fetal camps alive
The trenches have been flemming
To take theyre proper heights
(just follow.. they will swallow)
Might it be the town unscope
To know lantern jackal tula?
Let us nurse the vipers
And the presence of your sins
Just follow
They will swallow
A missing chromosome walks
And now we wait for the fate of the others
Mass call of this plague
Mass call of this plague
Mass call of this plague
Mass call of this..
The lyrics of "A Plague Upon Your Hissing" by The Mars Volta are cryptic and abstract, and seem to deal with themes of punishment, repentance, and fate. The first lines "Sawing at the pavement, Repented their past lives" suggests an act of remorse for past actions, but also a sense of futility, as the individuals are literally just sawing away at the ground. The second line "Might not be the only payment left, To be left behind" implies that there is likely more punishment to come, and that they are trying to prepare themselves for it.
The next few lines are more enigmatic, with phrases like "A pair of the insults, rays upon the entrails and the novel" and "fondling with pitchforks in a cattle prodded sea". These images suggest violence and suffering, and perhaps the idea of being caught up in a larger, inescapable system of cruelty. The repeating motif of "Mass call of this plague" adds to this sense of inevitability and impending doom.
Line by Line Meaning
Sawing at the pavement
Frantically trying to escape, but finding only resistance
Repented their past lives
Regretting their choices and actions that led them to this point
Might not be the only payment left
There may be consequences beyond what has already been suffered
To be left behind
Abandoned or forgotten in the wake of chaos
A pair of the insults
Two offenses, possibly related
It involves
Connected to, or affected by
Rays upon the entrails and the novel
Unpleasant exposure to inner workings and new, disturbing information
A missing chromosome walks
Something is not quite right or complete, possibly resulting in aberrant behavior
And now we wait for the fate of the others
Anticipating the outcome for those who share our experience
Mass call of this plague
An overwhelming affliction, affecting many
Fondling with pitchforks
Preparing for a confrontation with tools symbolic of danger and threat
In a cattle prodded sea
Amidst a tumultuous and crowded environment, controlled by external forces
Signaling the sedatives
Requesting chemical calm, to mitigate anxiety and fear
To emaciate their queen
To starve, weaken or overthrow those in power
No one's getting out
There is no escape or refuge
Of the fetal camps alive
From the oppressive and inescapable confinement of restrictive ideologies
The trenches have been flemming
Violent conflict, putting those in trenches at risk of injury or death
To take theyre proper heights
To establish dominance or superiority, even at great cost
(just follow.. they will swallow)
(Instructions to remain compliant and avoid resistance)
Might it be the town unscope
Is there a hidden, neglected or disregarded piece of information that is crucial?
To know lantern jackal tula?
To uncover a hidden mystery or secret
Let us nurse the vipers
To nurture those who are deceitful or harmful
And the presence of your sins
Confronting one's own moral transgressions, and those of others
Contributed by Callie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aerobako
This is one of my favorite songs from A missing chromosome, it energizes me and keeps me from having anxiety attacks.
Kylol
BIG AGREE
george thirty-seven
sounds like a heart attack coming on..... followed by the beautiful ending.... 10/10
Andrew Dalrymple
Very strange, but the alot of the lyrics are from Day of the Baphomets. Funny how you find alot of similarities with TMV's albums since Omar records several records at a time. Truly a genre-defying band
Osvaldo Moreno
the band reunited this year
Trint Martin
Other way round man. This is what the lyrics for D.O.B. were cannablized from not the other way round
Trint Martin
Other way round man. This is what the lyrics for D.O.B. were cannablized from not the other way round
Counter-Strike HorseBob
This sounds really good, kinda sounds like something that would have been put out following Relationship of Command in their ATDI days
TheBirdyFantana
I have this song on a bootleg vinyl, its pretty awesome
Bea Reptile
That's fucking sick