| you are a god send for asking this, because I have been thinking the same thing since their last couple of CDs. So much so, I could pass as a MarsVolta-DrumoPheliac who doesn't know anything about how they were recorded, but the question is always on my mind.
After much pondering, I think they had to of used a lot of saturation or recorded drums on a 2'' tape machine in the new CD, because they are really well hidden in the mix, but provides much more than just glue. There probably is a little compression on the kick and snare.
Microphone wise, I am almost sure they had to have used a lot of ribbon mics on the drum set, that would be my second guess as to how the drums blend in with the guitars and everything else.
This is all speculation of course |