Guitarist Mick Mars’ long-discussed solo album is finally done. The Other Side of Mars is crushing modern metal with gothic touches, violins and violas, prog-like soundscapes, and more. If you’re expecting a carbon copy of Mötley Crüe, you’re in for a shock.
The album features the core of keyboardist Paul Taylor (Winger, Alice Cooper), drummer Ray Luzier (Korn), bassist Chris Collier, and vocalists Jacob Bunton and Brion Gamboa.
How did this album finally come together?
Right after the final (Mötley Crüe) tour, I started writing new kinds of material compared to what I’d done prior to that. I went, “Nope, too dated. Nope, too old.” I had to keep writing and stay current to me. I reinvented my way of thinking and playing.
When I was with Mötley, I wrote Mötley Crüe songs, but I had a lot of other stuff in my mind that was more me. I started rewriting before The Stadium Tour, and after that, I finished what was left. I had these things rolling around in my mind for quite a while. I’d hear back some of this earlier stuff that I did, when we did the final tour and I started writing, and then when we went back out after The Dirt movie and I listened to those songs, I went, “That’s not what I’m hearing anymore.” I just moved on and kept writing and redoing stuff.
Is it fresh material or does some of it go back?
All of it is pretty fresh.
You worked with well-known and unknown musicians. You could have used all-star friends.
I felt really strongly about the steps I took to do this. I didn’t want an all-star group. When I was shopping this music, a lot of people were going, “The new modern way is to get a cool singer that’s a big name.” Please don’t take this as an ego thing, but I go, “I’m already a big name. I don’t need that. I would like to have some fresh talent.” I wanted different flavors and a whole different way of being me.
Talk a bit about the first single, “Loyal to the Lie.”
That’s a heavy, in-your-face, modern-sounding song, not the ’80s again. I think people expected me to do blues or an ’80s-sounding thing, and I didn’t want to do that.
“Undone” has a smooth guitar riff and piano and string parts played on a synth.
I’m very happy with the way that song turned out. It’s the kind of thing I really like – not just, “Here I am wailing away on a solo.” It’s not mellow – it’s aggressive – but 100,000 notes don’t need to be played to get your point across.
I’m going to be honest with you. I think guitar solos are getting old. It’s been done for years, and if it wasn’t a guitar solo it would be a saxophone, piano, or drum solo. I’m not trying to weed out all guitar solos, because people love to hear them. But, to me, it’s a little redundant; here comes the verse, here comes the chorus, here comes the guitar solo. I’m trying to rethink the way I write songs. I don’t feel you need a guitar solo. Sometimes it sounds like an interruption.
The instrumental “LA Noir” is great fun.
I wrote that a long time ago and rediscovered it. I looked at old black-and-white sleuth movies, with the private eye. They always had that music that was kind of sleazy, played on trumpets and trombones. For the lick, I was thinking, “What would a saxophone do?” But I can’t play those instruments, so I made it all guitar (laughs)! It’s really slinky and loose.
Which guitars did you play on this album?
My normal guitar, the white [’96 Custom Shop Stratocaster] I use onstage, through my regular setup. I call her Isabella. On “Undone,” I used an Ibanez seven-string that Steve Vai gave to me many years ago.
Have you thought about live performances, such as a residency?
I don’t give a s**t about money, but if the demand for a residency was there, I would probably do that. Also, I would probably need to Youtube it so the people who couldn’t make it could still see it. The grueling part of touring is way in the past for me.
This article originally appeared in VG’s March 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
