CD review: Omar Rodríguez-Lopez

Having formed Mars Volta in 2001, guitarist and producer Omar Rodriguez-Lopez has established a reputation as someone unafraid of twisting soundscapes into forms both brutal and beautiful.

Sworn Virgins finds him pushing further into the former camp,  in-your-face, chant-like vocals sitting atop  beds of fuzzed-out guitars, murky loops and digital  burbles.

If he was attempting a commentary on all the background noise of modern life, then mission accomplished, although occasional chilled ’80s synth washes offer a brief respite.

• Omar Rodríguez-Lopez. Sworn Virgins. Ipecac Recordings. 
• Three stars (out of five)

Single download: To Kill A Chi Chi
For those who like: P.I.L meets early Beck

— Shane Gilchrist