The Mars Volta – Octahedron (2009)

Octahedron (2009) was conceived by the Rodriguez-Lopez/Bisler-Zavala duo as a brooding, acoustic contrast to the chaotic, deafening predecessor, Bedlam in Goliath (2008). Dubbed "our pop album" by the members, the release in fact retains the band's signature surreal dramaturgy and complex polyrhythmic structure, but transposes it into an intimate, song-driven space. It is the most melodic, spatial, and emotionally open work in the band's discography.