GLIDEMAGAZINE.COM
[...] This German band defies convention: shunning pop and choosing the complex forms of jamband music. Love it or hate it, this style of music requires hours of dedication and practice, with little payoff but the joy of it. MM is no exception, they effortlessly slide through all sorts of sonic styles and emotional textures. There is depth on this record which cannot be casually denied. Darkness and death are present here as a counterpoint to the boundless musical joy of the jam. Even the title is well developed and thought out. The name Transparent Eyeball is taken from the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson: "I become a transparent eyeball. I am nothing. I see all."
The songs here are wonderful. [...] Of course the place where mars mushrooms really excels is the improvisation in-between the lyrics, where the music stretches out and grooves.
[...] mars mushrooms jamming can be pretty or intense and it can turn on a dime. This is what the ancients called tight. It can leave you guessing and it can leave you floating. It gets better with each listen. It's good music to put in your walkman to go for a run. There's energy on this album, even when the music isn't turned up loud. (This is what the ancients called swing) [...] - Kenny Bohlin, 12/02/2005
GLIDEMAGAZINE.COM
[...] Now I certainly didn't expect the Germans to produce a great band in the next wave of jam music. [...] The first song, "Rubber Ball," is so catchy it imprinted itself on my brain over a Six Flags commercial, essentially erasing it. If this album does nothing else I would thank it for that. How did it accomplish such an amazing feat? Once the lyrics and the catchy riff are established the song dissolves into a thumping didgeridoo jam, defusing the hook and unraveling it as if by magic. The breakdown at the end works so well, I was astounded. It sounded like the work of a seasoned jamband, hardened by endless touring. Each of the songs are good, but some, like the first one are pretty outstanding.
One of my favorite tunes falls late on the album. It's called "Get on the Bus" and features a long didgerido part. Anyone who has tried this strange Australian instrument knows it's deceptively hard to master. In this case it is played with the fine virtuosity. The bassy growl is almost more animal than musical and it adds a powerful funky feel to the swinging groove.
[...] It's got all the groove and intensity of the best American jambands, and better yet, it's a brand new take. [...] - Kenny Bohlin, 07/13/2004
JAMBASE.COM
Who would've thought that a decidedly American sub-genre of rock 'n' roll called "jamband" could be effectively exported to Europe? Also, who would've thought that a group of kids from Germany would master the genre to such a degree of specificity? I sure didn't think so, but then again, I guess I never even considered it. Has anyone?
With Throwdown, the first live offering from the Nürnberg-based mars mushrooms, it's all there: positive and playful lyrics, thumping bass, bopping drums, brawny organs, wacka-chicka wah-wah guitars, clinking and clanking percussion accents, frenetic guitar solos, and a didgeridoo to boot. [...] Bits and pieces of all the streams of past, present - and possibly future - jam styles are represented here: trancey Bisco-inflected workouts, bluesy shout downs, hippie funk, Makisupa-reggae, Dead-styled rock Americana, Meters-influenced Galactic funk, a smorgasbord of Phish-isms, odd-metered boplicity. Yes, the whole shebang... and it's all sung in English, too. [...]
From what I hear, this band is pretty much one of only a handful of acts in Europe doing "jam rock," and they do it very well. [...] I guess these guys have plans to tour places beyond Europe, and chances are they probably will. In fact, it is rumored that Dave Schools of Widespread Panic has taken a personal shine to their sound. [...] On first listen, I thought I was hearing The Big Wu. But these guys are better, more youthful, wacky, creative, challenging, yet not particularly avant-garde.
[...] Yes, mars mushrooms' Throwdown is just that: a throwdown. With material like this, it's just a matter of time before they turn it into a knockout. The road to this particular goal, however, won't come without training, preparation and letdowns. Beating Yanks at their own game can be a difficult task. - Yoshi Matsumoto, 04/21/2003
SCHALLPLATTENMANN.DE
Independent rock - space age hippies funking and rocking until the grass turns greener. It's good to know that there's no need to change rock history every two weeks because of some new kind of futuristic hype. The mars mushrooms are not being caught in marketing traps, but count on organic growth. Their latest album "Transparent Eyeball" is not a bundle of undefined improvisations but gives you a very direct impression of feelings. More than that, the album covers a huge range of feelings. After two singles, the first album "Dive [daiv]" and the live album "Throwdown", their way points directly to the green green grass. The mars mushrooms take elements of rock, funk, americana and retro hippie sounds to create a new sound of space-age-hippie-funk-rock-superstition. Theres nothing here that reminds you of the major music labels.
Deadheads and Phishheads will enjoy it. Everybody who likes to dance to the music of Trey Anastasio, Big Head Todd, Widespread Panic and Mars Volta should urgently think about making the move to the sound of the mars mushrooms. - Gerald Windl, 04/18/2005
HOME-OF-ROCK.DE
[...] The moment you stop paying attention to a band for a few months they strike back with the best album ever [...] I haven't seen a cooler band since the emergence of STOCKHOLM SYNDROME and more or less TISHAMINGO. The mars mushrooms have now been working together for seven years and have accomplished things no one would dare to consider possible. There's a couple of reasons. First, the band has embraced the notion of self control. The longest song on this album lasts only six minutes. That's usually the timespan a jamband needs for a guitar solo. Second, the band from Frankonia definitely had melody-cereals for breakfast. Third, all kinds of effects that are typical for this music genre were averted. The songs were simply recorded one after another as it suits a grown up band. [...] The opening track "Mr. Caveman" instantly convinces the audience. Not only are the vocals wonderful, the guitar sound is outstanding. No hints of stoned 60s loops. Mr. Schmidt is changing fluently from Duane Allmann, to funk, and to heavy guitar sounds. All Tony Iommi fans will be surprised by the song "Heat". [...] - Fred Schmidtlein, 04/07/2005
ZENTRALNERV
"[...] It took the guys in "mars mushrooms" only a short period of time to evolve from an insider tip to a band that has ambitions of international dimensions. After recording three albums during the last three years [...], they are now offering a live album recorded [...]
in front of 300 enthusiastic fans! The mars mushrooms are definitely a live band touching you with playfulness, a ton of new ideas and a lot of improvisation. With their songs they are evolving constantly, changing and creating compositions that always have the potential to become a hit you just have to dance to . [...]" - 02/21/2002
