The invasion is coming - quick, grab your surfboard! Only California could spawn such a band like MONSTERS FROM MARS. This latest 4-song EP "Surfing Through a Creepy Castle" takes the listener back to the glory days of 60s surf and garage rock with an infectious classic horror movie twist. From the opening of "Escape from Castle Wolfenstein", we are treated to some of the most authentic retro sound of the digital age, from the sloppy wet reverb on the guitars to the rickety vibrato of the organ. This authenticity really shouldn't be a surprise, though, since this EP was recorded on reel-to-reel tape with the most old-school equipment the band could find. It just goes to show that sometimes those new-fangled computer programs and digital recorders just can't beat the original hardware (or, for that matter, the original format - the record crackling is indispensable here). At the same time, these guys make some effective use of modern influence, such as the frantic punk sounding climax of "Driving the Monkey to the Airport". And I for one was so sucked into the vibe of this EP that I initially had no idea that track 3, "Toxic", is actually a Britney Spears cover! Yes, they're that effective. Finally, the closing track "Telstar", another cover from British rock obscurity THE TORNADOS, is easily the catchiest pop tune of the bunch (and the only one in a major key). Not sure if it's a result of extraordinary production skills or just a brilliant accident, but the guitars on "Telstar" occasionally sound very close to steel drums - very unique.

It's a shame that "Surfing Through a Creepy Castle" is so short, but at least they have their now out-of-print 2002 full length "Play Some Surf Guitar" available for free download through their MySpace page (see below) for those who dig the EP and don't want the ride to stop. And that, of course, should mean pretty much everybody who hears it.

- Cardona

OFFICIAL SITE: www.myspace.com/monstersfrommars

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