Release Date: August 30, 2024
Label: Deko Entertainment
Listeners cannot expect to have one original member left and
still have the same sound. Bands change, move on, and take chances, and sometimes,
it is forced upon them if they want to continue, which was Nektar's scenario.
The only original musician left is Derek "Mo" Moore
(bass), who now handles the vocal duties, but some longtime members are still
contributing. This release is a mixture of rock and progressive. The music gets
better quickly with many changes on three of the tracks, and keep in mind there
are four tracks on this LP. Some good parts are progressive but not what
longtime fans would expect to hear.
Side one begins with a rock and blues-tempered title track,
"Mission To Mars," which you expect to be prog, but it's not at
first. Once it started, I thought they sounded like today's Cactus (with the
gruff-edged vocals), which threw me off until things moved along more. There
are some substantial lead guitar parts and good harmonizing. A cool keyboard
comes in at the midpoint; it becomes more of a jam with excellent
instrumentation. Musically, some prog elements towards the end sounded more
like the band I remembered. The vocals are not top-notch, but to be fair, they
are adequate and have room for improvement. In any event, it turns into a
strong track.
"Long Lost Sunday" starts with a mellow riff as the
bass and drums jump right in, then it changes with more energy as the guitar
chords start getting thicker, and then it goes back to mellow again. Some nice
keys enter the mixture with layers and take a very progressive direction with
more change to a more rhythmic riffing, and then the bass/drums follow as the
vocals are steady and match all these shifts in direction musically. Then, it
goes to a heavier sound and again transfers over, rotating the three
significant changes you will hear in the composition. It is very complex and
impressive. As you get closer to the end of the side, a strong bass chimes in
with a sharp lead guitar as it changes one last time. Now it's time to flip the
platter over to side two.
Side two starts with "One Day Hi One Day Lo," which
has an excellent orchestral beginning like you may hear on a movie soundtrack
or documentary. Then, a heavy bass starts as the drums follow. A superb guitar
gets your attention as the vocals begin. You hear some good harmonizing,
something they do well consistently. A slower pace is now in place, and a more
defined guitar. Some pedal effects and stinging leads grab you. It changes to a
more straight-ahead rocker, then another quick shift, sounding more like a
pop-rock commercial band than prog rockers, which was interesting with a
prominent bass to remind you who you are listening to. Harmonizing happens
again, and then a funky bass makes things more interesting. A good keyboard
section, then an uplifting guitar part featuring some speedy playing, is
impressive. They show off their chops often on this recording, which I
appreciated.
"I'll Let You In" closes things out softer, with the
acoustic guitar beginning this slow mover. Then, a more upbeat electric guitar
comes in, with some good rhythm and harmonizing. The music quality is
high-level, with some sophisticated playing; however, this track should have
started side two so they could have ended the album with more intensity and
excitement with "One Day Hi One Day Lo."
A richer sound makes up for the weaker lead vocals when this band sings together. The musicianship, as I have mentioned several times, is beyond reproach. If Nektar gets a different lead singer with a more robust and precise set of pipes, their direction will improve. An entirely new audience will be waiting to embrace them, and then getting longtime fans back on board may also happen. The older fans, including myself (although it is good music), may consider Mission To Mars mediocre compared to their earlier catalog.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR
Reviews Founder
December 18, 2024
Tracks:
Side One:
1.Mission To Mars
2.Long Lost Sunday
Side Two:
1.One Day Hi One Day Lo
2.I’ll Let You In
