Former Mars Volta members unite with Flea to form new band

LOS ANGELES, April 9 (UPI) -- Former Mars Volta members Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Omar Rodríguez-López and Dave Elitch have joined forces with Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea to form the new band Antemasque.

Zavala and Lopez had formed The Mars Volta in 2001 after they decided to end their previous project, At the Drive-In, amid increasing fame. Elitch served as drummer for the band on tour in 2009, after their regular drummer, Thomas Pridgen, abruptly departed.

The Mars Volta officially broke up at the beginning of 2013 after Lopez made his new band, Bosnian Rainbows, his priority. The split was contentious and rife with bad feelings, and Zavala compared his and Lopez's broken relationship to a divorce at the time.

The two seem to have patched things up, however, and have been spotted in the studio together alongside Flea. Red Hot Chili Peppers had a longstanding relationship with The Mars Volta, and the bassist has performed with Zavala and López at several different times in the past.

The video shows Antemasque in the studio as they work on their new song, "4AM." The song is currently available to purchase on iTunes.