Radio One show. An e-mail sent to people who had signed up to The Mars Volta's newsletter on May 16 confirmed details of the album and provided a link streaming four songs ("Since We've Been Wrong," "Cotopaxi," "With Twilight as My Guide," and "Desperate Graves") upon inserting one of the band's four previous studio albums into the disc tray of the user's computer. The promotion also provided a chance to win a pair of tickets to their show at the ICA, London on June 18 and a link to pre-order the digipack, limited edition of the album exclusive to HMV. Also, an interactive website was launched, which featured "Since We've Been Wrong" and "Cotopaxi", as well as their lyrics, and several pictures of Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala. Vinyl release The 2x12" LP was pressed on white vinyl and was limited to 5,000 copies for the United States on Rodriguez Lopez Productions. The first 500 orders of the vinyl album included a limited vinyl slipmat. Reception The album has a score of 66 out of 100 from Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The New York Times gave the album a favorable review and said, "The panache of the singing and the radiant complexity of the music—an achievement shared by Mr. Rodriguez Lopez and a handful of regular collaborators, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante—drive the album relentlessly forward. And it's the subtle touches, no less than the sweeping ones, that leave an impression." The Boston Globe also gave it a favorable review and said, "Guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala are the creative duo driving the band and once again deliver on a standing promise to blow any mind that is willing to stay open." Planet Sound gave it a score of seven out of ten and called it the band's "most chilled-out and approachable record." NME also gave it a score of seven out of ten and said it "might be their 'reflective' effort, but it's classic MV." Under the Radar gave it seven stars out of ten and said, "We already knew The Mars Volta could shred. Now we know they can slow the pace too and be equally as compelling." Tiny Mix Tapes gave it three-and-a-half stars out of five and said it "isn't a representation of the best The Mars Volta are capable of, but it is a glimpse into the power they possess