I’ve been sitting on my duff, these past few days. It really isn’t that different from any other weekend. This is how they usually go. However, I’m waiting for some individual to email me. (More on this later…maybe.)

In the mean time, I’ve been playing Zelda: the Minish Cap all day. It’s got that retro RPG gameplay that I love. It’s basically Zelda: A Link to the Past, but with a new story and a few new twists. It’s simple and fun.

The new Nine Inch Nails album comes out this week. I’ve been listening to it since it was first made available streaming on the NIN website. I probably like the progressive marketing that has been surrounding it’s release more than the album. First, a viral marketing team created a few websites to reinforce the underlying theme of the album, and they leaked a few songs. The album includes an ANTI-RIAA anti-piracy warning. The CD, also, supposedly has a heat sensitive face, which changes color when hot and cold. While I was following all this hype about Year Zero, it got me thinking about another concept album and band.

A concept album is one which is unified by a central theme. Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon is probably one of the most notable concept albums. It explores the nature of the human experience with themes such as birth, time, greed, conflict, travel, mental illness, and death. But, the group I’m thinking of is The Mars Volta.

In 2003, The Mars Volta released their first album De-Loused in the Comatorium. The album is an hour-long tale of Cerpin Taxt, a man who tries to kill himself by overdosing on morphine. The attempt lands him in a week-long coma during which he experiences visions of humanity and his own psyche. Upon waking, he is dissatisfied with the real world and jumps to his death. The story of Cerpin Taxt is based on the death of one of the musicians’ friends.

Back in the day, I had this album and only listened to Televators (This is the song in which Cerpin Taxt commits suicide. Listen Here.) But now, I really have to hear the album from beginning to end. It’s perfect for the commute to and from work. If you’re a lyrics person, this band really isn’t for you. They make little sense and are difficult to decipher. Albeit, the music is monumental. The Mars Volta have two follow-up albums, which are equally great but not as epic as De-Loused in the Comatorium. Give it a listen, if you can.

Now, please excuse me while I check my email.