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Review from The Rocker.co.uk July 2008

Now, see, that's cheating. If you were confronted by a band called The Golden Chariots of Mars purveying an album called "Tales of Talos and Other Automatons", you'd be expecting an array of swooshes, bleeps, riffs and lyrics about Elric The Enchanter. In other words, a Hawkwind tribute band. You would not be expecting female fronted garage rock, laced with grunge. Cheats, I say, cheats!

So, it's actually a bit like The Pixies but with actual tunes, crossed with early, indie Monster Magnet. Which is quite enjoyable, even if it doesn't live up to the promise of the title. They're using the late sixties as a starting point for their own aural adventures, especially with that oh so psychedelic guitar sound. One that the folks over at Shindig magazine will get very, very excited about.

One of the little twists is having an alt-rock Grace Slick taking lead vocals, something that lends an extra edge to their sound, giving them something a bit special. Catie Larson may not be the greatest singer ever, but she has attitude in spades. The band are at their best when they slow the pace down a bit on tracks like 'Now You Don't Want My Love', as the uptempo numbers seem a wee bit forced in places.

Overall, it's a good, interesting album that promises much for future endeavours.

Review from Rock-City.co.uk July 2008:

Ten out of ten for the title. This lots are a female fronted band from the home of Prince. Musically, the album is a mix of rock n roll, blues and psychedelia. A rocking, almost stoner, opener in 1955 kicks us off, and is followed by the slightly Led Zep intro of Electric City, Now You Don't Want My Love is slow blues and Keep On is a country tinged ballad.

A guitar led sound is the common flow through the album. The band have a rare organic dirt about them; they don't sound too polished or over produced and it lets the music really come alive. There are hints of Zeppelin, Zappa, Blondie, Neil Young and Stevie Nicks, and with a mix of influences like this it would be hard to make something that is not worth seeking out.

7/10

Kris

Review from GirlPunk.Net July 2008:

If you miss the good old fashioned sound of rock and roll, The Golden Chariots of Mars may just be what you need to spark that flame once again.

The Minnesota quartet definitely pull from their roots with a classic sound that would make predessors like Husker Du and the Replacements proud. Vocalist Catie Larson has the kind of sexy swagger in her voice that perfectly complements the crunchy guitar sounds and straight-forward drumming. This band isn't using any fancy distractions to make their music appealing. It is what it is - raw, pure and to the point.

Favorite tracks include : Electric City, Now You Don't Want My Love and T. F. K.

-Jessica Ocasio

Review from Music-Reviewer.com June 2008:

That name sure is a mouthful. It sits among the ranks of Coheed and Cambria in terms of pretentiousness. But that is where comparisons with anything similar to the aforementioned band need to stop, because The Golden Chariots of Mars play a solid brand of rock and roll that is both straightforward and unpretentious in its execution. Nothing will prepare you for the lucid classic rock flashback you are about to have.

Minnesota is probably the last place you would expect such a cool rock band to hail from. The Golden Chariots of Mars play their rock like it's still the 60s, with groovy bass lines, chunky riffs, psychedelic solos, and solid drumming. At its best moments, Tales of Talos lingers somewhere between Zeppelin-esque classic rock and a style of contemporary stoner rock that is reminiscent of Monster Magnet. But there is a twist: the vocalist is female. Catie Larson has a dominating voice that is perfectly suited to the melodies being laid out by the rest of the band. The vocals are hauntingly mysterious, yet never lose sight of that rebellious rock attitude. Larson's vocals are obviously feminine, but they are edgy in a way that puts her miles ahead of other female vocalists. All that she has on the agenda is rocking out, and the rest of the band follows suit with great aplomb.

While Tales of Talos is an engaging homage to psychedelic rock's roots, the album is not without its flaws. Upbeat songs such as T.F.K come across as a little annoying when compared to cool stoner rock jams such as 1955 and Now You Don't Want My Love. While no songs garner a particularly negative opinion, the overall flow of the album is disjointed, unable to decide on a unified sound. They don't try to push any envelopes, either. That should not deter fans of classic rock from checking out this album, but people looking for something completely different might go elsewhere.. The Golden Chariots of Mars have spunk that has gone missing in the music scene today. With this kind of potential, I expect great things from this band, and I highly recommend you go hit up their myspace and check them out.

Review from BiggestLetdown.com Spring 2008:

Thank God that there's still rock bands who allow girls to sing. I'm pissed off that there's not more of this. Anyways, I like The Golden Chariots of Mars. I like their name, too. It's mysterious. It's strange. It makes me wonder what I'm getting into when I pop this CD into my stereo.

The Golden Chariots of Mars are from Minnesota. Now, before you go judging them on that fact - this about this: Didn't Bob Dylan, Prince, Husker Du, and the Replacements come from Minnesota? Ohhh, I think I'm right! So, if you're judging this band solely on that fact, then you're a discriminator, and I don't like you anymore. For all of you other people out there, let's kick back and enjoy this album.

My current favorite songs on this album are 1955, Halloween, and Keep on. I can't explain why I like them so much - I just do. I think that for each person, it's a different experience. This band has something that's great - and you need to get a hold of it to know what I'm talking about.

Buy this album. Meet this band. Thank them for me.

- Written by Andy