Genre/Influences: Rock-wave, post-punk

Background/Info: “Mars” is a re-edition of the Venus Fly Trap-album originally released in 1988 by Danceteria. This CD-edition features exactly the same tracklist, but the cover is different. This album was released for the first time on CD format by SPV Poland in 2002.

Content: The Venus Fly Trap gave us an interesting look into their ‘archives’. This work smells like a good-old 80s release. There’s a delicious merge between post-punk, cold-wave and dark-rock influences. Some guitar parts remind me a bit of Echo & The Bunnymen. The songs have something raw and unpolished with singer Alex Novak’s typical timbre of voice.

+ + + : I like the pure vintage-style and sound emerging from this release. It’s also one of the best Venus Fly Trap releases in history. I’m especially pleased by the great guitar play, excelling on tracks such as “Shadows Whisper Mecca”, “Morphine”, “Ruby Red” and “Catalyst”. I also have to mention “Violins & Violence” for the poignant atmosphere running through the song and created by the guitar.

– – – : I noticed a few songs suffering from the weight of time and becoming a bit monotonous.

Conclusion: This is an interesting re-issue of an early Venus Fly Trap-album. I’m still convinced this band has always missed a great hit!

Best songs: “Violins & Violence”, “Morphine”, “Shadows Whisper Mecca”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.spiralarchive.com / www.facebook.com/thevenusflytrapuk

Label: www.facebook.com/glassrecordsoflondon