The Mars Volta is an American band founded in 2001, known for combining elements of rock, jazz fusion and latin/salsa music to create their sound. Their debut album, “De-loused in the Comatorium,” was released in 2003, selling over 500,000 copies. While on the supporting tour for this album, Jeremy Michael Ward, a founding member of the group, was found dead of a drug overdose. On the heels of this tragedy, the band canceled the second part of their tour, and two members of the group were apparently inspired to stop their own drug use.
The Mars Volta has released four additional albums since 2003, most recently 2009’s “Octahedron,” which reached #12 on the U.S. charts. They embarked on a supporting tour for that album in June of 2009, performing all over the world for several months. The tour continues through December.
