Album Review: Monster Magnet - “A Better Dystopia”

 

Still very much out there and kicking, Monster Magnet's most recent album, 2018's Mindfucker, was a much welcomed return to form from Dave Wyndorf and his stoner rock veterans. Now in 2021 we get the prospect of a Monster Magnet covers album and I'm not quite sure what to expect here. Certainly, it's fair to say that there's literally only two tracks on here I'm even vaguely familiar with in the form of Hawkwind's psychedelic rave-up Born To Go and the Pretty Things' sinister spaced-out Death. Wyndorf and co definitely do a credible job on these, keeping the spirit of the originals intact and adding the unmistakable Monster Magnet stamp to 'em.

The rest of the songs I'm not familiar with from their original forms so you're going to have to excuse my ignorance here but highlights include the lurching riff of Solid Gold Hell (originally by the Scientists), the belligerent Mr Destroyer (originally by Poobah), the pure Stooges style chaos of Motorcycle (Straight To Hell) (originally by the Table Scraps) and the Cavemen's It's Trash (not the UK based garage rockers, a '70s psych band with the same name). Okay so there's a couple of songs on here that kind of meander a bit as well such as the group's take on Pentagram's Be Forewarned but that tends to be an occupational hazard with Monster Magnet albums in general really.

A Better Dystopia definitely strikes me as a bit of a niche album which is more for fans of the band and psychedelic die-hards than those with just a casual interest. But if you fancy a glimpse into the weird and wonderful mind of Dave Wyndorf then it definitely won't disappoint you.

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Album Review: Diablofurs - "Neon Satellites"

Image
  Diablofurs have previously shared a split release with the very under-rated Deadcuts (RIP) and feature at least one ex-member of semi-legendary "we were the Manics before the Manics" Coventry indie-punks Birdland so the initial omens for this release were pretty promising. Put any thoughts of the scuzzier end of early '90s alternative music out of your mind though because on this evidence, Diablofurs appear to have set their controls for a good decade earlier with a full on power-pop/new wave sound. The opening duo of Chase The Beat  and Everybody's Dreamin'  come on like Parallel Lines  era Blondie being fronted by Gary Numan and it's not an unpleasant sound at all. The album continues on the early '80s vein throughout with the title track coming on like Tubeway Army going pop while the epic Obsession/Meteors  is probably the closest thing stylistically to Birdland on here but the bubbling synths certainly mark it as being a new evolved version of the s
Read more

Album Review: Silver Sun - "Switzerland"

Image
  Ah the memories. Silver Sun were the great should've-been band of the mid-'90s. Taking the '70s Cheap Trick style power-pop formula and giving it a liberal dose of Britrock meatiness, they should have in an ideal world coasted to Top 20 stardom in the wake of the Wildhearts and Terrorvision, both of whom they definitely owed a sly debt in their sound to (although with their own spin on the formula obviously). Instead, they were lumped in with Britpop whose retro footy shirt clad laddishness never really suited them, and when that ship went down in 1998 or so they quickly found themselves sunk. They never officially split up though and frontman James Broad has continued to put releases out under the Silver Sun name with various collaborators old and new in the 20 years since with Switzerland  being their sixth album no less. It kicks off in fine style too with Earth Girls Are Easy  (a tribute to the cornball '80s musical film of the same name) sounding like some great
Read more

Album Review: Rossall - "The Last Glam In Town"

Image
  John Rossall is probably best known as the musical leader of the Glitter Band way back in the '70s (for those unaware, the band actually had a whole separate music career away from their disgraced singer and chalked up a fair few hits on their own). Last Glam In Town sees him making a comeback with an impressive backing case including John Robb (Membranes/Goldblade) and various members of '80s indie stalwarts the Nightingales who comprise his backing band nowadays. If you're expecting some flat trip down Memory Lane here then prepare to be surprised - this is very much the '70s glam sound but much as Joe Elliott and the Quireboys did in their Down 'n' Outz side project, it gives the formula a much-needed 21st century makeover. Opener Fear of a Glam Planet uses Robb's sinister whispered vocals to create something that owes as much to imperial phase Marilyn Manson as it does to Marc Bolan and it's not a bad sound at all. Elsewhere, Neon Lights , featur
Read more