I'm a huge fan of Monster Magnet, as all of you should know by now. Although I enjoy all of their material, I may have been mistaken on one count. In a previous review I had stated that that "Superjudge" (1993) was their best release hands down....well, I've been listening to their previous release "Spine of God" (1992) a lot lately, and let me tell you, it takes the new title of Monster Magnet's greatest.
Why have I not given this album the credit it deserves, you may ask? First of all, "Superjudge" was the first Monster Magnet tape I had ever heard. I soon discovered "Spine of God", but I was disappointed. The production was weak in my eyes....it was too hazy and not loud enough for me at the time. Also the guitar playing was different, not as metal driven as I was used to from the space lords, so I set this album aside for a while.
Later on, as I grew wiser in my years, I slowly rediscovered "Spine of God" and I can't get enough of it. This is one hell of a heavy psych metal album. Not as visceral as their later works but it is ten times more potent. They are more blues and heavy psych driven here. The main difference is the guitar work of John McBain, who would leave the band after this album. His guitar playing is not quite as intense as Ed Mundell's on "Superjudge" but every note is fuzzed out, feed back ridden, and lysergic....his playing leads you deep into the reaches of inner and outer space netherworlds that are nigh obtainable. Dave Wyndorf's vocals sound more drug addled and slurred than ever. The perfect Monster Magnet album. Eight tracks...all heavy, brain melting madness. Prepare your spaceship for blast off in 666 seconds and don't forget to pack plenty of beer and whatever else you may need.
Why have I not given this album the credit it deserves, you may ask? First of all, "Superjudge" was the first Monster Magnet tape I had ever heard. I soon discovered "Spine of God", but I was disappointed. The production was weak in my eyes....it was too hazy and not loud enough for me at the time. Also the guitar playing was different, not as metal driven as I was used to from the space lords, so I set this album aside for a while.
Later on, as I grew wiser in my years, I slowly rediscovered "Spine of God" and I can't get enough of it. This is one hell of a heavy psych metal album. Not as visceral as their later works but it is ten times more potent. They are more blues and heavy psych driven here. The main difference is the guitar work of John McBain, who would leave the band after this album. His guitar playing is not quite as intense as Ed Mundell's on "Superjudge" but every note is fuzzed out, feed back ridden, and lysergic....his playing leads you deep into the reaches of inner and outer space netherworlds that are nigh obtainable. Dave Wyndorf's vocals sound more drug addled and slurred than ever. The perfect Monster Magnet album. Eight tracks...all heavy, brain melting madness. Prepare your spaceship for blast off in 666 seconds and don't forget to pack plenty of beer and whatever else you may need.
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