In 2001, following the break-up of influential post-hardcore punk outfit At The Drive-In, singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez moved forward with several new projects that would eventually culminate in the formation of The Mars Volta.

The original line-up consisted of Rodríguez-López, Bixler-Zavala, keyboardist Isaiah “Ikey” Owens, bass player Eva Gardner, Jeremy Ward, and drummer Jon Theodore. Theodore was later replaced by drum prodigy Thomas Pridgen, in 2007.

Through a series of member changes, their discography evolved from the post-hardcore psychedelia of De-Loused in the Comatorium to the aggressively progressive Bedlam in Goliath, eventually landing in a more electronic realm with 2012’s Noctourniquet.

Following a hiatus, the band officially broke up in 2013. However, in late May 2019, Pitchfork reported on a possible reunion following a Twitter exchange between Cedric and a fan.