The Mar-Mars Demo 2025 cassette

Quirky lo-fi punk rock from Savannah, GA. Demo 2025 is the second full-length cassette from the MAR-MARS, and their first release featuring a full-band lineup. Their self-titled cassette was released as a solo project and has something of a dark, broody street punk aspect to it. This new MAR-MARS release has versions of five songs off the first cassette, so it’s easy to listen back and forth to the progression of the project. A solo project turning into a full band can bring a new excitement to what was once only able to be a recording project. Unfortunately, in the case of the MAR-MARS, the main things that seem to have changed are that the recording of this new cassette is considerably more lo-fi, and the songs sound as if they are holding on for dear life to keep from falling apart at the seams. I was surprised to see that there was a label associated with the release of this, presumably run by someone from the band, as their other release is also on it, but nowhere on the cassette or shell can that information be found.

• Reviewer Biff Bifaro
• Label Split Ends
• Issue MRR #510 • November 2025