With its very first lines, Mars Red Sky's third album and second for Listenable Records, Apex III: Praise for the Burning Soul, affirms its continuity from the 2016 Providence EP (review here) that preceded it. The parenthetically titled intro "(Alien Grounds)" leads the way into the push of "Apex III," and guitarist Julien Pras begins the first verse with, "Sapphire Vessel gaining speed," referring back to the name of the closing track of the three-song EP. What ensues is a sci-fi metaphor for the status of the band, who as the album plays out are, in fact, going places they've never gone before (and boldly), while also holding firm to some of the core methods that have allowed them to undertake this creative sky.