After the demise of The Mars Volta was abruptly announced via Twitter, it was a relief to find out that vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez joined forces once again and formed Antemasque earlier this year. This eponymous debut contains 10 cuts of a more concise and straight-forward rock band than the proggy, long jams of their last project together. Rounding out the line-up on the album is drummer Dave Elitch and Flea of the Chilli Peppers on bass.
Antemasque is the most stripped down project the big-haired duo have played in together. Less grand than The Mars Volta and significantly less abrasive than At The Drive-In. Though the work of both bands shine thru throughout the album in a subdued way. The first 6 songs are the more aggressive of the album, whereas the last 4 consists of the longer and slightly experimental moments where acoustic guitar, keyboards and vocal effects come into play.
Highlights include the franticly-paced bursts of “I Got No Remorse” and “In The Lurch”, and the equally explosive “People Forget” with its trippy, memorable, TMV-esque choruses.
While the album is a bit too subtle on either end of the spectrum, the album is a decent debut for a band that seemingly rushed out a release within a year of its existence. Certainly worth checking out if you’ve enjoyed any of their previous work, even if it may not top anything Cedric and Omar recorded together previously.