Mick Mars' 'The Other Side of Mars' - Album Review

There are quite a few musicians out there who we just, sadly, have never heard enough from. Some musicians are more prolific than others, but some who have had long and prestigious careers do not have as much of a back catalogue to look back on - and I think it is fair to say that one such musician is Mick Mars. Whilst the 72 year old former Mötley Crüe guitarist has Mötley Crüe's generally pretty strong back catalogue to be proud of, with albums like 1983's Shout at the Devil and 1989's Dr. Feelgood in particular standing out for me, he only really has nine albums to look back on - with nothing having been released by him since Mötley Crüe's 2008 release Saints of Los Angeles. He has done the odd collaboration over the years, co-writing and appearing on songs with acts like Crashdïet and Papa Roach, but he has never previously branched out on his own, either as a solo artist or as part of a side project, seemingly funnelling all of his creativity into Mötley Crüe's dwindling studio activities. Talk of a solo album from Mars, though, has been reported quite regularly over the past few years - particularly following Mötley Crüe's disbandment at the end of 2015. At first it looked like he was going to hook up with John Corabi, Mötley Crüe's frontman between 1992 and 1997, to record his solo album - but this plan clearly fell by the wayside. The talk of Mars' potential solo album started to be referenced in interviews so regularly but without any real update that it became one of those 'I'll believe it when I see it' albums. I had hoped that Mars would eventually record something, but given the lack of any real information I was not going to hold out much hope - but over the past year or so the interviews and information started to ramp up. Mars was, of course, involved in a lot of drama with the reformed Mötley Crüe last year - first retiring from touring due to his much-publicised health issues and then seemingly ousted from the band proper - with lawsuits between the two parties ongoing. Perhaps knowing that his time in Mötley Crüe was done, despite the band's return following their 'final' tour in 2015, spurred Mars on to finish his long-awaited solo album - and when it was officially announced a few months ago I was shocked that it was finally ready. It dropped at the end of last month, then, and I have been listening to it quite a bit since. I went into the album without any real expectations, but I enjoyed it from the off - and each subsequent listen has only improved my overall opinion. There are moments which remind me of Mötley Crüe, but this is largely confined to some of Mars' guitar riffs - as the album feels slicker, heavier, and more modern-sounding overall. Mars' riffing style is unmistakable, though, and his songwriting here is tight. He was always probably the true talent behind much of Mötley Crüe's output and this album shows that he can go it alone. His main two collaborators here are vocalist Jacob Bunton (Mars Electric; Lynam; Adler) and keyboardist Paul Taylor (Alice Cooper; Winger). Bunton and Taylor co-wrote most of the album with Mars, and Bunton sang seven of the 10 songs - with Brion Gamboa singing two and one being an instrumental. The bass was handled throughout by studio hand Chris Collier, who also mixed and mastered the album, with the drums being played by Ray Luzier (David Lee Roth; Army of Anyone; Korn; KXM).

An old-school musician, Mars has created an old-school album which is around 40 minutes long. There is very little fat here but a surprising amount of variety - with plenty of light, shade, and even a hint of the blues. The album kicks off with lead single Loyal to the Lie, a thick, riff-heavy song which is typical of the album's core sound. Cold-sounding synths pulse as the song opens, whilst Mars' first big riff slowly fades into view - before Luzier's drums crash in and the song gets going proper. The riff would have definitely not have sounded out of place on a Mötley Crüe album, but that is where the similarity ends - with the verses largely featuring a sparse arrangement thanks to Collier's big bass playing and Bunton's effects-heavy vocals. I have heard Bunton sing previously, but I have never really digested anything he has been a part of. He is not the most original singer, but he does a great job throughout this album - with his gritty delivery a perfect foil for Mars' riffing, whilst Taylor's keyboards add a depth not common in Mötley Crüe. The verses have a bit of an industrial feel, then, but the chorus is up-tempo and hooky, with plenty of big riffing, whilst Mars' shredded solo shows just how fiery his playing can still be. Arrangement-wise the song is pretty basic, but the chorus is catchy, the main riff sounds great, and the production, courtesy of Mars and veteran producer Michael Wagener, is huge. Broken on the Inside slows the overall pace, with Mars laying down a doomy, bluesy riff from the off - which Luzier soon adds a shuffling groove to. The track is much heavier than Loyal to the Lie overall and it could well be one of the heaviest things that Mars has put his name to. The song is pretty varied, too, with the verses generally being pretty slow, with Bunton delivering a very gruff vocal performance, only for the chorus to explode in a burst of speed which returns to the sound of the previous song. Bunton unleashes a couple of big, unhinged screams throughout the song, too, which only add to the overall heaviness. The mix of speeds helps the song to stand out, though, and Mars' riffing sounds as good as ever. Towards the end of the song he starts to utilise more of a lead-based approach, which then morphs into an atmospheric solo - before digital effects give the impression of the disc being scratched before the song grinds to a static halt. Alone is the album's first ballad, which opens with Taylor's piano - over which Mars soon adds some aching guitar leads. Bunton sounds great here and his vocal delivery is more varied than I had expected. He is a much more diverse and expressive singer than I gave him credit for, with the low key verses here seeing him in an emotional state - whilst Mars' guitar gently adds colour behind Collier's ringing bass and the aforementioned piano. A proper power ballad, the song ramps up towards its chorus - which sees bigger riffing taking over, before Bunton races through the gears to deliver a more full-bodied performance against the ever-present piano. I really like the song, but it feels like a missed opportunity not to include an aching, bluesy Mars guitar solo here. His lead work throughout, and the weightier riffing when needed, is great - but he never really cuts loose. I like how song-based the album is, but this song is crying out for a big solo - so it a shame that one was not included.

Killing Breed returns to a heavier sound and is the first of the two songs here sung by Gamboa. I had not heard of him before, and cannot find out much about him, but he does a good job here. I am not sure why he sings in place of Bunton, but his richer delivery does add a little variety. I do wonder if the two songs were part of a different session to the rest of the album, but Killing Breed still feels at home here despite Gamboa's presence. Mars' riffing throughout is heavy and cutting, with jagged leads dominating early on, but the song in general is quite atmospheric. Collier's bass once again provides the main drive, whilst stabbing guitar riffs add accents throughout the verses - which are also drenched in keyboards. This allows Gamboa's rich voice to shine; his deeper tones suiting the synthy and grating environment - before a much more cinematic chorus with more of a guitar backing and some piano melodies delivers something of a post-grunge feel. Mars does solo here, though, and his fairly lengthy solo is slow-burning and melodic - which suits the overall atmospheric feel of the track. Returning to Bunton and a ballad approach, Memories is the album's slowest piece. I am not even sure that Mars is featured at all here - as the song is dominated by Bunton's croon against Taylor's piano, along with some subtle strings also provided by Bunton. Bunton's emotional vocals and his subtle violin playing are great, and Taylor's piano has just enough weight to create an effective ballad - but it is strange that Mars stepped back here. He is clearly a humble and 'for the song' musician, but this is another song which really could have done with a big solo - it is his album after all! As much as I like the song, as it is very well-written and performed, it just feels strange that Mars has included a song on his debut album which he likely had very little input in - despite co-writing it. He was certainly involved in Right Side of Wrong, though, as the big riff from the off is another classic Mars-sounding pattern of notes. The riff is another which could have sat on a Mötley Crüe album, but, like the rest of the album, the song itself is pretty modern in style. I could never see Vince Neil singing this song's chorus for example, despite the chugging verses being more typical, but Bunton soars during the arena-ready chorus - with Taylor's keyboards making everything sound that bit bigger. The chorus hook and the overall heaviness makes the track one of the album's strongest cuts overall in my opinion, and a simple guitar solo adds a little flurry of extra melody. Ready to Roll opens with some sound effects and synths, but gets going proper when a staccato riffing kicks in. This riffing sets the tone for the rest of the track, which is generally a mid-paced, groovy rocker. It is probably the song here which sounds the closest in style to Mötley Crüe. Mars' guitars slash and cut through the mix perfectly, whilst the chorus reins in some of the atmospherics heard elsewhere to go for a sleazy, bluesy approach which I actually could imagine Neil singing. Bunton handles the style well, though, and the chorus is one of the most aggressive and hard rocking moments on the album - with some subtle gang vocals adding to that Mötley Crüe feel nicely.

Undone is the second song to feature Gamboa, so the track returns to the richer sounds of Killing Breed somewhat. Taylor's keyboards took a step back on the previous song, but they are back here in a big way - and the mix of Mars' heavy riffing and Taylor's piano and synths once again creates a big sound. Mars goes for a bit of a different approach guitar-wise here, too, despite a number of strong riffs. There are moments here where he adopts a much more slow-burning, lead-based approach instead, and these parts act as great bridges between the riffing found elsewhere. He still cuts his way through the mix with his massive tone, though, and a later breakdown section is very riffy - before an aching guitar solo apes the aforementioned leads to create an almost symphonic instrumental section thanks to the synth backing from Taylor. Gamboa once again sounds strong during the chorus in particular, with another cinematic approach allowing his deeper voice to shine. The last vocal-led track on the album, Ain't Going Back, is therefore Bunton's last contribution here. It is another pretty heavy, riffy track - albeit more mid-paced overall. Collier's bass sounds big as ever, helping to propel the verses along, but Mars' riffing is of course what stands out. Taylor is higher in the mix during the chorus, which again goes for a bit of a post-grunge feel, but elsewhere the guitar really shines - and the verses are potent thanks to Mars' playing. The mid-paced groove is classic Mars, but the chorus feels more modern overall - and Bunton does a great job with the chorus melodies, which are very hooky. A brief solo adds some screeching leads - but overall this track is more about big riffing and vocal hooks, and Bunton bows out on a high as a result. It is left to L.A. Noir to close out the album, then, which is a guitar-led instrumental - which is essentially Mars' big blues showcase. Collier and Luzier lay down a shuffling groove from the off, over which Mars adds an old-school rock 'n' roll riff and plenty of bluesy soloing. Given the lack of big solos throughout parts of the album, having a track dedicated to Mars' guitar playing is welcome. It is not overly long or flashy, but it nicely sums up his old-school and no-nonsense approach. His soloing style and overall tone changes as the song progresses, too, which is nice - and the instrumental feels like  a curated piece rather than a random, contextless solo. It is a nice way to close out the album - and it feels fitting, given that this is the debut solo album from a notable guitarist, that the spotlight is shone on Mars in such a way. Overall, then, I think that The Other Side of Mars is a really strong effort from Mars - and it is great that he has finally struck out on his own and done something properly outside of Mötley Crüe. It is a shame that he does not cut loose a little more, though, but, in truth, he has rarely ever been that sort of guitarist. He clearly favours songwriting over showboating - and The Other Side of Mars feels tight and well-composed, even if a bit more soloing would have been welcome. Whether we hear more from Mars remains to be seen, but I would certainly not object to hearing more from this group of musicians should Mars ever fancy writing a few more songs.

The album was released on 23rd February 2024 via 1313. Below is Mars' promotional video for Loyal to the Lie.