Goliath (song)

Goliath (song)

The Bedlam in Goliath is the fourth studio album by the American progressive rock band The Mars Volta, released on January 29, 2008 on Gold Standard Laboratories and Universal Motown Records. Produced by guitarist and songwriter Omar Rodríguez-López, the album's creation was subject to "bad luck controversy" after an experience with a ouija that Rodriguez-Lopez bought as a gift for vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala. The album is the first to feature drummer Thomas Pridgen, and the last to include both guitarist and sound manipulator Paul Hinojos, and wind multi-instrumentalist Adrián Terrazas-González.

The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, becoming the band's highest charting release after selling over 54,000 copies in its opening week. "Wax Simulacra" was released on November 19, 2007 as the album's first single, coupled with a cover version of "Pulled to Bits", originally by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Vinyl editions of the album include a ouija inside the gatefold, claimed to be the band's own take on the board they previously owned. "Wax Simulacra" won at the 51st Grammy Awards for Best Hard Rock Performance.

Having previously contributed the artwork to the 2006 release of Amputechture, Jeff Jordan was again brought in to handle the illustrations for the album, creating 11 original paintings to coincide with the theme of The Bedlam in Goliath, as well as including a piece from his own gallery. The piece used for the cover is entitled "Agadez".