After the conclusion of Noctourniquet tour Omar Rodriguez-Lopez decided to put The Mars Volta on hold to fully concentrate on his new project, Bosnian Rainbows, which also features Deantoni Parks. When asked in an interview if the band will reunite, he stated, "I don’t know, and I'm not insecure enough to have to ask myself that. It’s like, we've done that for ten years, eleven years. Now we’re all doing different things, and everything that we’re doing informs how we express ourselves, and so if that happens then it happens and if it doesn't it doesn't. It’s not something to be worried about. It shouldn't occupy a space in the mind. There’s way too many things that are much too important to occupy space in the mind."[8]

On January 23rd 2013, Cedric Bixler-Zavala revealed that he was no longer a part of The Mars Volta on Twitter, stating:
“ Thank you to all Volta fans you deserved more, especially after the way you rooted for us on this album. I tried my hardest to keep it going, but Bosnian Rainbows was what we all got instead. I can't sit here and pretend anymore. I no longer am a member of Mars Volta. I honestly thank all of you for buying our records and coming to our shows. You guys were a blast to play in front of. We could never had done it without you. My dream was to get us to the point where Jon and Ikey came back but sadly it's over. Thank you a million times over for ever giving a fuck about our band. For the record I tried my hardest to get a full scale North American tour going for 'Noctourniquet' but Omar did not want to. I guess a break from Mars Volta means starting another band and ignoring all the support the fans gave us. I tried my hardest, guys. All I can do is move forward with my music and just be happy that Volta ever happened at all. God Damn we had a blast! Thank you again. I just feel really guilty for not even really saying the truth because a hiatus is just an insult to the fans. To all our fans all over the world: thank you for giving a fuck. You all ruled! I don't think I'll ever hear a fist full of dollars the same. My record will see the light of day soon and I'm excited because it sounds nothing like my previous endeavors. I'm not joking about any of this, I owe it to you guys (all fans) to be serious about this. Thank you to all past members who helped Volta along, as well. We blasted through like a comet and left our mark! If you ever see me in person and want to know why I'll tell you my side of the story. Finally, Please just be happy that it happened at all, remember all the opposition we were met with for just starting a new band back in 2001."[9]