Comments about Ward’s departure

In 2017, Bixler-Zavala stated that Ward was not ready for a new album and tour: “His head wasn’t there. His head wasn’t trustworthy. Because of the way Omar and I exploded [with the Mars Volta], I completely understood that. You know, you either let it go and keep going forward, or the train goes on without you. We have to honor what is happening now, which is age and the want to do it. I love him. He’s a beautiful human being. A beautiful artist. I just wish he would remember that he’s an amazing guitar player. I don’t know if he does.” Reflecting upon his departure years later, Ward later stated: “Even if all five of us talked about it, I’m not sure we’d understand what happened. What I do know is that I wasn’t in a good place mentally, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t have done my job. But I think getting kicked out, as painful as it was, was probably a blessing in disguise. A lot of things have happened since that have been beneficial. It’s why I don’t hold any bad feelings. I still don’t speak to Omar and Cedric but if either of them called me and said they needed a kidney, I’d be on the first plane. I have a connection and a love for them that is beyond any drama.”