The Mars Volta was formed a few years after the Texas bred At The Drive In broke up... have never heard The Mars Volta, but am a huge fan of At The Drive In\'s 1998 release In Caino Out.. Cedric and Omar (guitars/vocals) moved on to form the Volta... a lot of this "emo-core" shit is riding on the coattails of ATDI\'s sound...In Casino Out is a good record to listen to when angry or feuding with loved one\'s...
sidenote: one of my favorite musical experiences came when seeing Gang Starr, At The Drive In and Rage Against The Machine all on the same bill