Hailing from Monterrey, Mexico, Vice Market by indie rockers Captain Mantis is as authentic as it gets.
The band’s first releases were their singles, “The Game” and “Which One of Us,” which greeted the world and introduced the band in early 2020. Five years later on August 15th, 2025, they’re back with their first EP featuring four distinct tracks.
In Vice Market, the sound is a bit more subtle than in their previous project. The EP was produced in Monterrey’s Sultana Records by two accomplished producers, Paco Lazo and Andrés Lavalle. The album is complex, but has cliches: it’s strong with soft spots, but above all, it is true to the Captain Mantis brand.
The first track, “Moonshine Alley,” starts off hot, and produces an especially strong combination from bassist Ignacio Alvarez and drummer Charly Lowry. Much like how moonshine distilled illegally or under wraps, the song reflects this in its chasey vibe, like a midnight heist. A cheeky six-second violin snippet wraps up the song nicely.
Track two, “Simon Frost,” is a mix between the cliches Captain Mantis uses and their own true twist. It’s a tale of a musician who is at the lowest point of his career, yet at the peak of his power, still yearning an hungry for more. Ultimately it revolves around an obsessive man and everywhere his guitar can take him, as well as all his guitar can’t give him. The tempo and rhythm switches plenty, which coincides with the subject’s life story having ups and downs. It’s unpredictable and authentic, and a memorable track.
At about three-and-a-half minutes, track three, “Galatea,” is the shortest song in the EP. It’s a more mellow tune with guitarist Pato Sepúlveda and lead singer Checo Ruizesparza in the spotlight. In Greek mythology, Galatea was a sculpture created by Pygmalion that was brought to life answering Pygmalion’s prayer. The song goes on about how the moon reflects “memories yet to come” and how we strive to live out those memories. This can be compared to Galatea in sculpture form, and Pygmalion’s wish to see Galatea in life-form.
The titular and final track, “Vice Market,” fully showcases the instrumental and lyrical range Captain Mantis manifests. The song deals with the darker, unheavenly side of things, as the “market” becomes nearly unescapable for those wrapped up in it. The last line translates to “If in this life you stay / You burn, all that remains is to pray.” It’s the only track in the album featuring Spanish, true to Monterrey and their heritage.
Vice Market is a welcoming first EP from a talented band with much to say both with their instruments and with their words, and time will tell where it takes them next.
Photo by Tebah Gonzalez
