Monster Magnet - Monolithic Baby!
Nothing like getting dropped by a record label to send a band scurrying back to their trademark sound. If you've been keeping up with Monster Magnet releases you know that they've strayed from their stoner rock roots on the last couple releases which got them a lot of new fans but alienated their core audience. Sounds like a lot of bands after they get a taste of the big time but
Monster Magnet was smart enough to return with something that can please both camps.
Right from the get go you can hear the return to form with the up beat "Slut Machine" and stony mid paced chugger "Supercruel". There's even a hint of the "Superjudge" era sound on the next cut "On The Verge" complete with an alternate tuned sitar sounding intro. These are all solid cuts but longtime fans will notice the continuation of the more stripped down sound of the last couple albums. No bong hits in the background, no swirling feedback, no more psychedelic fuzz and other odd assortments. Some fans may appreciate the lack of what could be viewed as distractions but I always thought these elements made the songs richer and more complex, really helping set Monster Magnet apart from their more straight laced Sabbath clone peers. Not that this is totally missing, there's brief glimpses of it on songs like "Radiation Day" but certainly nothing like their early work.
Gripes about their current sound aside, there's enough stony riffs on here to please even the most hardcore stoner rocker but they seem to be concentrated on the front half. The later part of this record has a few of the slower, space rock cuts that fall a little flat, being a tad long and repetitive and more importantly lacking the punch of the harder rocking tunes at the start of the disc. The one standout on the latter half is "Too Bad", which like "On The Verge", sounds suspiciously similar "Black Balloon" off of their "Superjudge" album. That's cool though because I always really liked that song so it's nice to hear a reprise.
Overall, I think this is a pretty strong return to form as there are several strong stoner rock cuts on here but it never quite reaches the brilliance of their earlier work. Still, at least it surpasses their somewhat lackluster last couple of albums and may be the start of better things to come.
Right from the get go you can hear the return to form with the up beat "Slut Machine" and stony mid paced chugger "Supercruel". There's even a hint of the "Superjudge" era sound on the next cut "On The Verge" complete with an alternate tuned sitar sounding intro. These are all solid cuts but longtime fans will notice the continuation of the more stripped down sound of the last couple albums. No bong hits in the background, no swirling feedback, no more psychedelic fuzz and other odd assortments. Some fans may appreciate the lack of what could be viewed as distractions but I always thought these elements made the songs richer and more complex, really helping set Monster Magnet apart from their more straight laced Sabbath clone peers. Not that this is totally missing, there's brief glimpses of it on songs like "Radiation Day" but certainly nothing like their early work.
Gripes about their current sound aside, there's enough stony riffs on here to please even the most hardcore stoner rocker but they seem to be concentrated on the front half. The later part of this record has a few of the slower, space rock cuts that fall a little flat, being a tad long and repetitive and more importantly lacking the punch of the harder rocking tunes at the start of the disc. The one standout on the latter half is "Too Bad", which like "On The Verge", sounds suspiciously similar "Black Balloon" off of their "Superjudge" album. That's cool though because I always really liked that song so it's nice to hear a reprise.
Overall, I think this is a pretty strong return to form as there are several strong stoner rock cuts on here but it never quite reaches the brilliance of their earlier work. Still, at least it surpasses their somewhat lackluster last couple of albums and may be the start of better things to come.
