ALBUM REVIEW: The Task Eternal – Mars Red Sky

Having built a solid reputation on producing mind bending, otherworldly stoner rock for the best part of a decade, The Task Eternal, the new album from Bordeaux’s MARS RED SKY carries with it a weight of heavy expectation. The band made their mark with their second release, 2014’s Stranded In Arcadia and enhanced that reputation further with Apex III (Praise For The Burning Soul) in 2016. With The Task Eternal the band solidify their stature further, once again delivering an album of hypnotic melodies, tightly played progressive stoner rock, and immersive genre busting sounds.

The album opens with The Proving Grounds, a relatively gentle introduction to the album. With more than a nod to 70s prog rock, it ambles along at a steady pace as the faraway vocals of Julian Pras float effortlessly above a sizeable and chunky groove; it’s a track which gingerly draws the listener in to another world. Collector is a touch heavier, with a deep and dirty riff taking lead before the floaty vocal harmonies of Pras once again take centre stage – “Brace yourself / I know he’s back in town” is a hook that stays in your head after just one listen. Indeed, it demonstrates one of the band’s strengths: the ability to produce intricate, overlapping yet memorable melodies.

Reacts (which follows the psychedelia, moody vibes and gorgeous melodies of Recast) is simply devastating and one of the album’s highlights; the way the opening guitar and bass riffs are intertwined with the drums demonstrates a band in their prime, effortlessly interlocked and in tune with one another. The whole track is an absolutely glorious beast of riff after riff adorned with life affirming guitar solos. Often an instrumental track amongst an album filled with standout vocal harmonies can stick out like a sore thumb and may even tempt the listener to skip – here this is not the case; if anything it feels much more like a musical centrepiece for the whole album and is one of the strongest offerings here. Similarly A Far Cry, the album’s other instrumental piece, closes the album in a bewitching and beautiful fashion. Affecting acoustic guitar lines are bolstered by ethereal and subtle strings that push and pull their way through a repeated refrain to mesmerising effect, before fading out to nothing.

Whilst it is easy to identify individual high points, it’s the way in which this album flows as a whole that is the heart of its true strength. The Task Eternal is an album to get absorbed in rather than simply just listen to. With each successive release, MARS RED SKY continue to accumulate a growing body of acclaimed work and The Task Eternal is more than a worthy addition.

Rating: 8/10

The Task Eternal is out now via Listenable Records.

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