Which alternative rock band released the 2005 album Frances the Mute?

The Mars Volta released the 2005 alternative progressive rock album Frances the Mute. It was the band's second studio album and followed De-Loused in the Comatorium.

The album was inspired partly by a journal found by band member Jeremy Michael Ward, who had died before the group's debut was released. The title character and the record's narrative were developed from that source, although the story is intentionally fragmentary and surreal.

Frances the Mute combines progressive rock, jazz, Latin percussion, and experimental production. Its five principal tracks include the lengthy title suite "Cassandra Gemini," which is divided into several sections. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, making it the band's highest-charting release in the United States.