The Mars Volta was an American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band's final live lineup consisted of Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, producer, direction), Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), Juan Alderete (bass), Marcel Rodríguez-López (keyboards, percussion), and Deantoni Parks (drums). The band formed following the break-up of Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala's previous band, At the Drive-In. They are known for their energetic live shows and their concept albums.
In 2009, the band won a Grammy Award in the Best Hard Rock Performance category for the song "Wax Simulacra". In 2008, they were named Best Prog-Rock Band by Rolling Stone magazine.
Following a run of reunion shows with At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta entered a hiatus in September 2012. Omar Rodríguez-López and Parks then formed a new project, Bosnian Rainbows. Four months later, the band formally broke up. Bixler-Zavala and Alderete subsequently formed a new band, Zavalaz. Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala eventually reunited in 2014 for a new project, Antemasque. At the Drive-In reunited again in 2015 before splitting in 2018.
Comments from the pair have indicated that they plan to reunite The Mars Volta in the future, but as of 2021 there is no specific information on the timing of a reunion.