Prog-rock outfit The Mars Volta will mount a brief US tour this fall as the band continues to work on the follow-up to its current studio effort, "The Bedlam in Goliath."The group, which is preparing to barnstorm Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Europe on a summer international trek, will kick off the autumnal run Sept. 12 in Columbus, OH, yet another try at making good on a show that's already been postponed twice due to various difficulties. The band has lined up seven cities on the outing, which runs through late September.All US dates are included below; the band's overseas itinerary can be found at The Mars Volta's websiteIn a press release, the Calfornia-based group--led by former At the Drive-In members Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals) and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (guitar)--described "The Bedlam in Goliath" as a concept record that tells the tale of a Ouija board nicknamed "Soothsayer" owned by Bixler-Zavala, "and its mutation from a source of amusement during the tour supporting the band's 'Amputechture' album into a malevolent psycho-spiritual force that nearly tore the group apart, collectively and individually.""The Bedlam in Goliath" follows 2006's "Amputechture," which featured guest performances from Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante on all but one track. The new album, which surfaced in January, debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart.In a recent article in Relix Magazine, Rodriguez-Lopez talked about the band's follow-up to "Bedlam," which is apparently well along in the recording process. "It's a mellow album," he told the magazine. "The last one was our most aggressive. The next one we keep calling our acoustic album."Rodriguez-Lopez recently appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine along with Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen and B.B. King. The cover shoot highlights the magazine's 100 Greatest Guitar Songs special issue, which features an interview with the Mars Volta guitarist.
