Sleazegrinder.com
Marat — Again
Marat is a local supergroup back home in North Carolina, sprinkled, as it is, with members of Snatches of Pink, Teasing the Korean (!), The Veldt, and Dillon Fence. To most, only the stellar dirt-glam of Snatches will be readily familiar, which is why Marat are just plain ol’ super to the rest of us. This is their second album, and after hearing it, you’ll probably be clamoring for the first one, too, since it’s a sweet, decadent slice of glammy raunch n’ roll and sugar-powered pop, all of it played with the conviction and generosity of seasoned rock n’ roll vets. It opens with the hell-for-leather sleaze of “Sex Boy Sex Girl”, a tambourine shaking cock rocker that’s half Ziggy, half Stones, and all chest thumping action. It’s a killer, and although the album rarely revisits that pure groin thunder, the rest of the tracks slither along nicely, somewhere between the platform glitter of Slade n’ Sweet and more contemporary practitioners of the darkest arts like, I dunno, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Tsar. It’s got hand-claps, it’s got rattlesnake grooves, it’s got million dollar pop hooks, it’s got hot buttered soul. I can dig it.

Performer Magazine
Marat — Again
Produced, recorded, and mixed by John Agnello,
Mmastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, NYC
Engineered by Ted Young

Again has an amiable manner of igniting the room’s speakers with its highly delectable hybrid of punk and post-grunge rock. A feeding frenzy of nine well- crafted, buzzing melodies for hungry ears, this record is a finely- crafted rock album that may be enjoyed for some time to come. Instantly recognizable as feel good, emotional, and energetic rock, this band soars to great heights with their sharp sense of wit and character, emitting a sense of great creative control. This quality is perhaps due to their collective experience, wisdom, and knowledge, which has ensured their place as rock veterans.Carle’s percussion steams up the record, as Rank’s guitars and White’s bass lines further bring together a sound sizzling with hyperkinetic and powerful dynamics. Ensslin’s vocals are vulnerable and as emotionally compelling as any lead singer heard on your best modern rock tune.

One highlight of Again is the grungey and growling “Sex Boy, Sex Girl.” Other notable songs are the gritty and greasy charm of “Little Birds” and “Bad Channel,” and the melancholy ballad “Superheroes.” Something to point out about Marat that makes them unique is their uncanny ability to throw in quirky, witty musical statements vocally, sonically, and instrumentally. The candid, haunting beauty of “A Ritual Girl” offers a nice contrast to much of the remainder of the album. In this song, Ensslin declares, “She’s so fine / I’m half out of mine/ she’s so fine / I just might make her mine / Brambles and feathers / tangled together / It would be better / I never met her.” And for those who are superstitious enough to believe in lucky numbers, the seventh “Dog Days” coincidentally mesmerizes the listener with its magic spell of pure melody with a riveting chorus hook. Again is a genuine rock record worth noting as one of the year’s most infectious. (MoRisen Records) - Shawn M. Hane

Indie-Music.com
"The right blend of melody and crunch."
By J. Wallace

These well-dressed gents from North Carolina are hardly newcomers. Members of the group have a past that includes Snatches of Pink, Dillon Fence, and The Veldt. Some people compare them with early Cult, but ignore all that and go straight to track one, the nice-n-loud "Sex Boy Sex Girl." Things get even better from there.

Marat is in your face without being overwhelming. The vocals have a nice swagger, especially on "Bad Channel." The attitude disappears completely on "A Ritual Girl" in favor of a nice Radiohead-style delivery, the kind of versatility that really sets the group apart from their indie peers.

There’s only one little tiny dent on this otherwise mint-condition release. Singer John Ensslin is guilty of a Mick Jagger vocal turn on "Cheyenne." That aside, the song is decent enough (for a ballad) and fortunately, Ensslin never overdoes it. The group tosses in a great, over-processed guitar warble for effect, plus an instrumental break with the right blend of melody and crunch. The final part of the song goes right off into Suede territory which, when done properly, is never a bad thing. Keep it up, boys.

Expertly produced and recorded by John Angello, this CD has a great combination of indie rock grit and slick production values. The band does everything right, the album never wears out its welcome, every track stands on its own two feet.

Marat could do a hell of a tour with The King Cheetah; together, the two bands might well take over the world. Marat is doing a fine job of conquering their corner of it from North Carolina. The band’s website mentions the group doing “rare live gigs." With Again debuting on MoRisen Records, there’s hope that those gigs get a lot more frequent. Bottom line, if you like indie rock, you need to get your hands on this. Watch this bunch. They are definitely going places.

High Bias
Marat
Again
Remember when bands put out an album a year? Marat does, as Again quickly follows up last year's solid self-titled debut. This particular collection keeps the North Carolina quartet's glam/pop melodies flowing on "Dog Days," "Sticks" and the iconically titled "Sex Boy Sex Girl," but also takes dips into pools of midtempo pop ("Superheroes," "Ritual Girl"), moody alt.rock ("Captives") and even power balladry ("Cheyenne"). Variety suits the band well, making Again a stronger album than the first. Michael Toland

"Marat"
Marat
(MoRisen Records)
J.R. Oliver
“Miami” sounds like Mick Jagger fronting a pissed off Smithereens. Sounds cool huh? Well, it is. John Ensslin can sing like Jagger used to ‘cause he’s got the spunk that Jagger lost years ago. “Salt” still has that Stones link but it’s a little less noticeable. “Crush” sounds like a cross between Jack White of the White Stripes and Tom Verlaine of Television. “Straw Dog” still has the Tom Verlaine thing going on. “Startime” mutates into a Robin Zander / Tom Verlaine outting. Hey, I’m beginning to get this guy. The only way I know how to describe it is Tom Verlaine meets Jack White with flashes of Jagger in the mix. The band is tight and rocks with the best of them. I’m not trying to be critical about the vocals, I’m just trying to describe what I hear. Personally, I think the whole album well worth a listen.


"Marat"
Marat
(MoRisen Records)
B Y G R A Y S O N C U R R I N
Marat's appeal is apparent: Here are four guys from notable local bands of yore, coming together at last to give their album rock-inspired, testosterone-induced reading on the state of modern rock. And their interpretations of frontman John Ensslin's work are convincing, at least on the surface. Ensslin is a guttural vocalist, passionately bearing the weight of his own heartaches and misgivings in a scream n' sing hybrid that somehow sounds like Eddie Vedder fronting a dark power pop act. Michael Rank's guitar work is intelligent and inspired. He snaps out of dreamy, reverbed riffs throughout "Apache" to return with shards of dissonance, his bent strings putting the immediacy and intensity in place during one of Ensslin's more reserved attempts. His playing comes packed with echoes of the Pacific Northwest, too: the feedback reckoning of Mike McCready creeps in for "Crush," and the chorded crunch of Mark Arm slams down full-throttle during "Straw Dog." During "Salt," it sounds as though Soundgarden's Kim Thayil is listed in the album credits, but--moments later--the guitars shift into a solo that nearly any teenager with a Fender could identify as being the immortal "Stairway to Heaven" break. The echoes are occasionally overbearing, but as Ensslin puts it during the same song, "All God's children wanna rock and roll."


High Bias
MARAT
Marat
(MoRisen)
Marat is sort of a regional supergroup, made up of North Carolina music vets from Snatches of Pink, Dillon Fence, the Veldt and other local faves. Fronted by Michael Rank's muscular guitar and John Ensslin's bratty sneer, Marat puts enough lipstick onto its grimy face to give tunes like "She," "Startime" and "Salt" a perfectly snotty edge. For Marat, grit + glam = good times. Michael Toland [buy it]


Amplifier Magazine
Marat
Though he doesn’t possess a broad range and his timbre fails to distinguish him from the hoards of other modern rock shouters, Marat singer John Ensslin is still an extraordinary vocalist. He can be as brash as Chris Robinson, as reflective as John Lennon, as angry as James Hetfield, as silly as David Lee Roth or as low-down dirty as Iggy Pop. Unfortunately, the band and the songs are strictly workmanlike, plowing the usual hard riffs, innocuous lyrics and driving rhythms. “Startime” is as close Marat comes to a potential hit on this outing, forging a pop melody atop a time-tested descending chord pattern peppered with a shrill falsetto harmony that’s somewhat engaging. However, when the smoke clears on Marat, it’s the singer, not the song. -Tom Semioli