“It’s a little bit shorter album, 10 songs, full-ahead Detroit style, early 70’s, MC5/Stooges type of rock.”, shared Dave Wyndorf while we were talking on the phone an year and a half ago and he shot me with the news that obviously there’ll be a new MONSTER MAGNET album very soon. Because with two records with revisited old albums (which are brilliant, especially ‘Cobras and Fire’), I was worried if and when there will be brand new music from the band.
Fast forward from October 2016 to March 2018 and ‘Mindfucker’ is already in the player. If there’s something that is sure about me (besides my passion for beer) is that I trust unreservedly in MONSTER MAGNET and CLUTCH and when these two bands are releasing new album, I buy it directly, listen to it and enjoy it. The only thing stronger than my trust is my impatience while the album is released. But when I first released ‘Mindfucker’, I slightly slowed motion.
If you are used to the last albums of MONSTER MAGNET – from ‘Mastermind’ ahead, you know perfectly well what thunderous and dense sound they have and what monumental guitar riffs and violet cosmic psychedelia they bring. This is why my first encounter with ‘Mindfucker’ is a bit surprising. And it fucks with my head. The album is exactly what Dave promised – hard, straight forward and neat of any pomposity heavy rock.
If you remember the often neglected but possessing special value ‘4 Way Diablo’ (2007) and ‘Powertrip’ (1998) who made them stars for a few years and add a pinch of The Stooges, you can predict the direction of ‘Mindfucker’. MONSTER MAGNET have stepped on the pedal to the metal and this time, instead of rocketing you in Space, they take you on a wild ride on the highway of the cocky rock’n’roll from Detroit through the decades from the 70’s until today. There are songs that enter immediately in your heartbeat and level up your blood pressure (‘Mindfucker’, ‘Rocket Freak’, ‘Brainwashed’). We have again a great cover song as if it has been written especially for MONSTER MAGNET – ‘Ejection’ by Robert Calvert (formerly of Hawkwind). And for everyone who loves the glorious epic of Monster Magnet here are the songs ‘Drowning’ and ‘When The Hammer Comes Down’.
It shows that the guys of MONSTER MAGNET are together on the same wave of straight rock – you just have to hear ‘Force Field’ by The Atomic Bitchwax which was released a few months ago and includes the rhythm section of Monster Magnet. And even though the album may not become one of your MONSTER MAGNET favorites right away but the fact itself that it is out there and that they are still here – strong, pure and honest, makes me breathe calmly and look ahed towards our Silver Future. And Dave Wyndorf is in killer form, he sings, growls and his presence here is as strong as in any other album of the band. So when he screams “I’m God” you can only salute him with horns up.