Stellar Strolls And Stompdowns...

Mother Mars - On Lunar Highlands (2017)

Like the rest of Pepper Shaker Records' line-up, we're big fans of Mother Mars here at The Burning Beard, even if their Australian location does preclude us from catching them live.  So it was a jolt and a thrill to hear that the heavy psych group has another album coming up, and we jumped at the chance to give it an early listen.  And while it's been a couple of years since their last full release, the very fine Black Coffee and Good Advice EP (and four years since their last album, Steam Machine Museum), there's no rust to be heard in the quartet's jammy performance as they launch right into a groovy roller with “Wrecker's Reunion Ball”, getting down and turning it out.

And as they ride on, Mother Mars show that they've been brewing up plenty of new tastes for their fans, while staying true to the fuzzy funkiness and bluesy bent (not to mention a strong shot of spaciness) that makes their heaviness so damn enjoyable. Whether cruising along on a steady riff or blowing it up into expanding madness, the band keeps a through-line of deep-toned rock going, balanced with enough exotic elements to help them stand out even more from similar acts. There's chill material, fiery stuff, goofy fun, and serious rock. Whether you're new to the band or a long-time listener, you're gonna have a good time with this album. Don't miss it, you hear?

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Crown Larks, Frozen Planet....1969, JPT Scare Band, Mondo Drag, Weedeater

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Mother Mars - Soap Bar Pick-Up Joint (320 kbps)

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Not Necessarily Sober...

Mother Mars - Black Coffee And Good Advice EP (2015)

It's been a while since we've heard from Mother Mars, as their last EP (Claimed by the Cloner) popped up back in 2014, and their last full album (Steam Machine Museum) was in 2013.  Happily, they're back in fine form with this new three-track release, brandishing a harmonica and other bluesy touches to their heavy rock style.  The title track is a loose-hanging chunk of friendly bleariness and fat-tubed riffing, done as an instrumental alternate take for the closing song.  In between, "On The Trail (Short Trip)" picks up to higher energy with some hooky grooves, frenzied guitar-work, and spacy beams of energy conveyed by synths and pedals.
At eleven minutes of run-time, it's primed for a 7" release (though they'll need to do the two "Black Coffee"s back-to-back on the same side if they go that route, and as of now, the band says it's digital-only), and a reassuring reminder that Mother Mars have their heavy/psych/space/desert grooves fully intact, with some new tricks to show once their next LP rolls out of the dunes.  Until then, tuck this into your ears and have a good time.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Blackout, Frozen Planet....1969, Powered Wig Machine, Queen Chief, Slow Season

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Mother Mars - On The Trail (Short Trip) (320 kbps)

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A Wild Clone Appears...

Mother Mars - Claimed By The Cloner (2014)

This new EP from Mother Mars finds the boys back in their gritty rock swing, starting off with “The Cloner” as it will appear on their 7” split with The Grand Astoria (release date to be announced). The song takes them into some blues rock territory, with some slow and low harmonica weaving in and out of their big bass chunks and spidery guitar-work. There's a good driving riff, the drums keep things moving, and the hard rock wails of the vocalist fit right in with the rest of the atmosphere.

After that, the band finds themselves with “Another Flat Spare Tyre”, and they make the best of the situation by riding along on a stompy fuzz riff, tightening up and letting loose in alternation. It's a fully instrumental trip for this track, and they pull that riff through some strange surroundings, lavishing it up with some feedback/synths as the drummer gets down on in the groove, sounding like he's using his sticks to dig through the earth as everything gets deeper and deeper.

For the closer, there's the full version of the opening track, which nearly doubles its run-time with more fuzz, more blues, and some killer break-downs. Between the two full tracks, there's a strong EP's worth of sounds; the included 7” edit works well if you want to just kick back and listen to some heavy rock without messing about changing albums for a little longer. Stay tuned to RWTD for more news when the split arrives, and 'til then, get this coming out of your speakers ASAP.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Groggy, Merlin, Celophys, Olde Growth, Albino Rhino

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Mother Mars - The Cloner (vinyl edit) (320 kbps)

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Full Head Of Steam...

Mother Mars - Steam Machine Museum (2013)

As the third and most recent album from the Australian rockers of Mother Mars, Steam Machine Museum is a toothsome piece of heavier-than-heavy desert rock core encrusted in stoner doom flavor, rumbling like the engine of an El Camino streaking down a broken highway.  Crunch and groove are available in heaping helpings, with the guitarist laying down some very respectable slides of hard-worn psychedelic flares.  The general atmosphere of big skies and craggy landscapes is developed nicely by the wide range of approaches taken by the vocalist, and the drums match that range just as admirably.   The instrumental songs will make your head swim as they plow along, losing themselves in a fog of feedback and ever-sharper guitar howling.  Truly mad and inventive work, with enough audio samples dropped in to let them nod to the influential work of acts like Electric Wizard while having a good time with their own strain of the music and crafting some monster tunes.  Don't miss out on this one!

~ Gabriel

For Fans Of; Salem's Pot, Celophys, Major Kong, Norska, Electric Wizard

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Mother Mars - Spacegirl (320 kbps)

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Under The Influence...

Art As Catharsis Records - Drone From The Underside Of The Earth (2012)

Once again I'm out the country at the moment so I've cheated a little and sorted this little compilation for y'all. Bit of a cop out I know but you will love it, trust me.
All tracks from the best Aussie stoner, prog, psych, doom and hardcore bands around today. What more could you possibly want?

For Fans Of; No Anchor, Mother Mars, Shellfin, In Trenches, Moth

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Drone From The Underside Of The Earth (320kbps)

Deep, Deep Southern Stoner Grooves...

Mother Mars - Take The Ride (2011)

Another Bandcamp find here, and good god what a find! Mother Mars first grabbed my attention when I read their tags on the aforementioned site's page. Amongst 'heavy' 'psychedelic' and 'stoner' was 'beer'... Sorry, but how the hell could I pass up a (potentially) free 5 track download from a band that list BEER in their tags!? Thats some genius marketing!
So they can sell themselves, but how do they sound? Dirty desert rock psychedelic riffs? Gravely deep vocals? A swirling mesh of classic rock and modern day stoner grooves?... Yes, yes and yes! I shouldn't really need to go on to be honest. If you've got a brain in your nut then you should have already have left here and be checking these guys out. But if you are some what lacking in the brain cell department I will just leave you with this...
Think Kyuss like vocals with Orange Goblin subject matter backed to a fusion of Yawning man and Fu Manchu and occasional Dozer esque riffage...
Exactly. Now go!

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Orange Goblin, Nebula, Planet Of Zeus, Aver, Daredevil

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Take The Ride (320kbps)