Release Date: October 01st 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD
Exploring The Brane - Tracklist
1.Psynker 04:55
2.Space Cakes At Dawn 05:24
3.Two Minute Window 11:04
4.Never Look Back 04:00
5.Plight of Ursa... 09:25
6.C Side Be 07:06
7.Hemlock 07:07
8.Farewell... 05:51
Members
Steve Zaniac Richards - Drums
Dave Bear Evans - Bass
Spring - Keyboards
Tony Lewis - Guitars
Review
Exploring The Brane is the debut album from Instrumental Stoner Metallers It’s All About Mary which was recorded and never released before the band went on a decade long hiatus. The band are now reformed and have decided to release their debut album and it’s one that embraces the classic era of Instrumental Stoner Metal with some cool modern Progressive based elements.
It’s All About Mary are influenced by the likes of CLUTCH, KARMA TO BURN and TOOL though the band aren’t adverse to venture into areas of experimental rock. This is quite an in-depth and highly involving record lasting around fifty minutes in length as It’s All About Mary navigates around the world of Desert Rock, Doom and Psych Rock just for good measure.
There is a lot to digest here but It’s All About Mary is never boring nor do they play the same type of song twice. Everything is played meticulously and highly calculated with that epic TOOL influence allowing the band to create highly expressive different styles of Instrumental Stoner Rock/Metal on tracks such as Psynker, Space Cakes At Dawn and Two Minute Window. You can hear some freaky PRIMUS funk rock melodies forming amongst the gritty Stoner Metal surrounding landscapes with some cool sounding keyboards played by Spring.
Exploring The Brane impresses the most within the epic longer tracks as It’s All About Mary has more time and space to create different styles of Heavy Rock which allows an aggressive Blues Rock and Alt-Metal vibe to fully form. The sounds are more varied with real intelligence behind the instrumental playing and with the added use of different Ambient themes and delicate Post-Rock vibes.
You begin to appreciate how refreshingly different the album really is. If this was released back when the band were originally active, this could be considered a forward thinking record. Well, that’s the experience I encountered when listening to the album on tracks Two Minute Window, Plight Of Ursa…, C Side Be and Hemlock. The music drifts further into a Prog Metal abyss than the standard Stoner Rock/Metal sound within the shorter tracks.
There’s a lot of different musical variety from It’s All About Mary though their core Doom, Desert Rock and Stoner Rock grooves are never too far away with that style of music being the main order of business. The instrumental playing is first rate with It’s All About Mary proving what damn fine musicians they really are.
This is a different type of Instrumental Rock Album with it’s moody progressive textures but one that has a warm hearted “riff” driven approach as well which you feel mostly on the sublime tracks of Space Cakes At Dawn, Never Look Back, Hemlock and Farewell. There’s something for everyone here and with It’s All About Mary never playing by the rules, this is quite a bold and highly expressive record which will surprise a lot of people who give this the time and dedication the album richly deserves.
Exploring The Brane has all the hallmarks of a true cult album and should allow It’s All About Mary to become more well known within the underground scene.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
Official | LinkTree | BandCamp | Instagram
