American progressive rock group The Mars Volta was founded in El Paso, Texas, in 2001. Omar Rodriguez-López (guitar, producer, directing) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), the band’s sole continuous members, together make up its core. Together with founding member Eva Gardner on bass, Omar Rodrguez-brother López’s Marcel, Linda-Philomène Tsoungui, Leo Genovese, and Marcel Rodrguez-López make up the band’s current lineup (keyboards, saxophone).
After Rodrguez-López and Bixler-previous Zavala’s band, At the Drive-In, disbanded, The Mars Volta was created. They are well-known for their energizing live performances and concept albums. In order to experiment and broaden their sound, Rodrguez-López and Bixler-Zavala formed The Mars Volta with Gardner, Jeremy Ward (sound manipulation), Isaiah “Ikey” Owens (keyboards), Jon Theodore (drums), and Gardner. Before making their debut album, De-Loused in the Comatorium, the band issued their first EP, Tremulant, in 2002, and Gardner left the group. At the recordings, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea took her place. The 2003 release of the Rick Rubin-produced album was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics.
With Gardner, Marcel Rodrguez-López, and drummer Willy Rodriguez Quiones, Rodrguez-López and Bixler-Zavala created The Mars Volta, their first studio album since their covert reunion in 2019. Leo Genovese, a jazz pianist, and Linda-Philomène Tsoungui, a drummer, were added to the lineup for the band’s live comeback, which took place in June 2022, ten years after the group’s last performance in front of the public.