While I am partial to Sparta, the other offshoot of El Paso’s At The Drive-In, I respect The Mars Volta‘s music and typically buy what the group has to offer. When I read about the latest release, Octahedron, I was anxious to hear how the band’s sound had progressed. In the past, the songs always seemed disjointed and I could rarely get though an entire album in one sitting.

The new album, however, is a real change of pace for the band. The prog-rock influence is still strong, though not overpowering, and overall it’s a more mellow affair–and one that promises to rank among the year’s best releases.

You can catch The Mars Volta live tonight (Thursday, 9.17.09) at Verizon Wireless Theater in downtown Houston.