Rough Edge: Monster Magnet CD Reviews

MONSTER MAGNET

"4 Way Diablo" (SPV; 2007)

Reviewed by Mike SOS

After a few tumultuous years, Dave Wyndorf returns with another Monster Magnet album, the grizzled "4 Way Diablo."

A 13-track account of rock'n'roll lived to the fullest, Wyndorf and crew (whose commendable musicianship and camaraderie shines brightest here) take the rock back from the fashionistas and fakers and inject their own special serum of sex, drugs, women, and the blues.

From the stadium-shaking space rock of "Slap in the Face" and "You're Alive" to the cosmic cover of The Rolling Stones classic "2000 Light Years from Home," all of the trippy dynamic shifts and garage rock soul you come to expect from Dave and company are showcased in spades. Add in some Stooge-esque freakouts ("Wall of Fire"), the obligatory spy movie instrumental ("Freeze and Pixelate"), explosive hard rock ("No Vacation"), and reprised psychedelic sonic bombast ("I'm Calling You," "Cyclone"), and Monster Magnet's rekindling of the rock spirit is now complete, a welcomed return for an underrated underground institution.

For more information, check out http://www.monstermagnet.net.

"Monolithic Baby" (SPV; 2004)

Reviewed by Mike SOS

The prolific psychedelic groove that Dave Wyndorf and crew have laid down since the late 80s is back, taking you to places rock music hasn't gone in decades.

On Monster Magnet's latest 12-track collection, the pulsating "Monolithic Baby," the New Jersey burnouts roll out some of the finest array of tunes the band has ever recorded. Frontman Wyndorf, still wild-eyed and brimming with the passion that has made him the consummate rock'n'roll spirit, spews forth the twisted tales that the hard rock lifestyle yields, as the expert musicians behind him wail away with the kind of abandon that the greatest rock bands of all-time display.

Yes, Monster Magnet is still singing about drug-induced visits to motels across the globe with the kind of questionable company all rock stars should travel with. And, they sound as mighty as ever doing so, as tracks like the earth-shaking rhythms of "Supercruel" and the heavy-handed "Radiation Baby" fit nicely alongside the fist-pumping declarations which comprise "Unbroken (Hotel Baby)" and the seven-minute opus "Ultimate Everything," showcasing the band at the peak of its rock 'n' roll high.

Welcome back, boys.

For more information, check out http://www.monstermagnet.net.

"God Says No" (Divine/Priority; 2001)

Reviewed by Snidermann

Holy shit! I was totally unprepared for the pleasant surprise when I picked up the new Monster Magnet CD, "God Says No." It absolutely blew me away! Of course, I have heard a few cuts from Monster Magnet over the past few years, but what I heard on "God Says No" blew me the fuck away. It takes this band to another level!

The music is witty, readily identifiable, great fun to listen to and it solidly kicks ass. Simple expression with some retro 60's shit mixed in along with some serious heart combine to make this one of 2001's top metal CDs. Simply fucking brilliant!

Check Monster Magnet on the web at www.monstermagnet.net.

Monster Magnet is: Dave Wyndorf - vocals, guitar and keys; Ed Mundell - guitar; Joe Calandra - Bass; Jon Kleiman - drums; Phil Calvano - guitar; Tim Cronin - hallucination bombs and psychic pyro.

"Powertrip" (A&M Records; 1998)

Reviewed by Jeff Rogers

Most of us probably discovered Monster Magnet when we first heard that catchy little ditty entitled “Space Lord.” It was a stoner rock tune with acoustic guitar until about 1:30, and then the chorus just blasted. If you were driving when you heard that song, statistics would show that half of us floored it and the other half cranked it up loud.

The album was written with Dave Wyndorf flying to Las Vegas and renting a hotel room about ten miles from the strip. There, he would write one song a day for 21 days. Most of the songs are about strippers and people loosing their money. This was the CD that put them on the map; I mean, you won’t see Monster Magnet Avenue anytime soon, but it illuminated their talent for 70s space rock.

When this was released in 1998, nobody was doing this type of music so Dave and company pretty much had the world eating out of their hands. Their music is part Rob Zombie with spooky references and stoner rock with a metal guitar blasting out solos. I’m sure this release was one of the knives that carved out the cadaver that music needed to climb out of because it sure was in a rut then.

It's now ten years later and "Powertrip" is still a trip to listen to, especially when you know the basis for the songs. Plus this solid never liquefied, even after a few bands emulated Monster Magnet’s style, so that’s a credit to the leaders who created something everyone wowed over.

"Powertrip" is an hour of unforgettable hooks and memorable choruses. Come back to the future and listen again. The most magnetic tracks are “Crop Circle,” “Powertrip,” “Space Lord,” and “19 Witches.”

Monster Magnet: Dave Wyndorf – vocals, guitar; Ed Mundell – guitar; Joe Calandra – bass; Jon Kleiman – drums.

For more information, check out http://www.monstermagnet.net.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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