MONSTER MAGNET: SPINE OF GOD

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.

MONSTER MAGNET: 4-WAY DIABLO

Monster Magnet's 2007 release "4-Way Diablo" is their strongest and most focused album to date The mood of this disc is much darker than their earlier efforts, and the songwriting is superb, with a lot of attention paid to melody and strong hooks. "4-Way Diablo" has a glossy 1970's production, and Dave Wyndorf's vocals are commanding, lysergic, and stronger than ever. HIs voice seems to get better with age. The reason for the dark edge to this album is that Dave Wyndorf almost died of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills before he wrote these songs. Not to say that Monster Magnet has lost their powerful trippy edge. Far from it. "4-Way Diablo" is loaded with heavy space rock, retro 1970's metal, and starry eyed drug and libido driven 1970's rock. There is a very faithful cover of The Rolling Stone's space rock classic "A Million Light Years from Home". A few of my favorite tracks are the world devouring spacey "Cyclone", and the burnt out 1960's garage punk psychedelia of the title track. There is also a surprising use of piano in a few songs, most notably and effectively in "I'm Calling You". "4-Way Diablo" is an excellent album from a band that has been around a good while and keeps getting better with every release. Highly recommended. Can't wait for them to come out with a new one.

Here's the title track and "I'm Calling You". Enjoy.

MONSTER MAGNET: "SUPERJUDGE"

I've been a fan of the band Monster Magnet for years. The first ablum of theirs I bought was "Superjudge", way back in 1993. I love all of their material, but for some reason, this album always stands out to me. Maybe it is because it is the first album I heard by them. Who knows, but I will tell you this: "Superjudge" is in my opinion the most perfect space rock album ever made. Dave Wyndorf and crew were definitely channeling the powers of the psychedelic space lords on this release.

"Superjudge" is the perfect blend of Hawwind(they even cover "Brainstorm"), the euphoria of Blue Cheer, the retro-doom riffing of Black Sabbath, and a giant, 1970's arena rock sound and vibe. Monster Magnet blasts you off into outer space from the first few seconds of the first track "Cyclops Revolution", and they don't let you land until the closing notes of 'Black Balloon". By then you are exhausted from such a long and intense, yet highly enjoyable journey through space. Dave Wyndorf's lyrics are the perfect blend of psychedelia, science fiction, and intentional rock star cliches. His commanding, lysergic vocals perfectly fit the world eating euphoria of the music. All of the tracks are incredible on this album. I can't think of any real standouts because "Superjudge" is best appreciated as a whole. Listen to it all the way through, play it loud on some good speakers, and have a safe trip.

Here's the videos to "Twin Earth" and "Face Down".