De-Loused in the Comatorium

De-Loused in the Comatorium
Cover art by Storm Thorgerson
Studio album by The Mars Volta
Released	June 24, 2003
Recorded	2002–2003
Studio	The Mansion, Los Angeles
Genre	Progressive rock art rock post-hardcore[1] alternative rock[2]
Length	60:51
Label	GSL Universal Strummer
Producer	Rick Rubin Omar Rodríguez-López
The Mars Volta chronology
Tremulant (2002) De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003) Live (2003)
Singles from De-Loused in the Comatorium
"Inertiatic ESP" Released: 2003 "Televators" Released: 2004
Alternative cover
Alternative cover by Storm Thorgerson found on certain limited editions and on the reverse side of original cover

De-Loused in the Comatorium is the debut studio album by American progressive rock band the Mars Volta, released on June 24, 2003, on Gold Standard Laboratories and Universal Records. Based on a short story written by lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and sound manipulation artist Jeremy Ward, the concept album is an hour-long tale of Cerpin Taxt, a man who enters a week-long coma after overdosing on a mixture of morphine and rat poison. The story of Cerpin Taxt alludes to the death of El Paso, Texas artist—and Bixler-Zavala's friend—Julio Venegas (1972–1996).

Co-produced by Rick Rubin and guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López, it is the only studio album to feature founding member Jeremy Ward, who was found dead in an apparent heroin overdose one month before the album was released. Following the departure of Eva Gardner who had appeared on the band's early demos and EP, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea performed on De-Loused.

The music contained in De-Loused is distinguished by its enigmatic lyrics, Latin and jazz rhythms, and Rodríguez-López's frenetic guitar riffs, which are often strongly dissonant. The title of the album is taken from the lyrics of the song "Eunuch Provocateur" on the band's previous release, Tremulant (meanwhile, "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt" contains the title of Tremulant). The cover artwork is by Storm Thorgerson.