Violin, viola, cello, bass, percussion, and hints of programming interpret the work of
the Mars Volta on this string quartet tribute to the restlessly experimental combo. It's one of the stronger entries in Vitamin's long-running tribute series, incorporating stretches of intimacy, sudden swooshes of melody, and even the insularity that with
the Mars Volta usually threatens to overwhelm the listener. With no vocals and less instrumentation the songs are more concise, but because the originals teeter with imagination and detouring ideas there's plenty for the musicians to work with. They're free to draw inspiration from
the Mars Volta, to use them as a starting point, instead of just shoehorning rock & roll into chamber music shoes. ~ Johnny Loftus