Monster Magnet Serves Evil And Fun
By Staff in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 19, 2013 11:00PM
Monster Magnet
Everyone attending Monster Magnet's Saturday show at Bottom Lounge knew they were in for a wicked rock'n'roll trip as soon the band launched into "Nod Scene" from their 1991 release Spine of God. It was clear that this show was going to be for longtime fans of Monster Magnet and the stoner rockers didn't disappoint as their 11-song set focused on earlier material with just two songs from their latest release Last Patrol—the desperate "End of Time" was wedged into the middle of the set and the title track was saved for the encore.
The New Jersey quintet served up heaping slices of spacey, psychedelic rock classics like "Dopes to Infinity," "Twin Earth," "Look to Your Orb for the Warning" and the mind-expanding "Spine of God." Frontman Dave Wyndorf worked the crowd like an evil hippie preacher who might just reveal the secrets of the universe through ritualistic sacrifice, altered states of consciousness and eventual self-destruction. Monster Magnet always is at its best when it gives a giddy wink and a nod to all things subversive in its own brand of rock music.
"I sold a hundred hits to a hundred heads/That will never come back/ You know what I mean!" Wyndorf bellowed during "Spine of God." He followed that up with "Peace, brother, is what you get/From the Chemical King/ Yeah, yeah!" Wyndorf also managed to cram in lyrics from Don McLean's "American Pie" into the song with an emphasis on "This will be the day that I diiiiiiiiiie!" It's rock that will truly offend the squares and scare the bejeezus out of your parents. We must protect the children from this disgusting filth! If we don't they might think sex is something to be enjoyed! There's a sense of danger to it and it is territory where few modern rock bands dare to tread.
Of course, Wyndorf doesn't hold the keys to anything too cosmic, but he sure knows how to play the part. Monster Magnet's touring band includes the musicians that appear on Last Patrol, with the addition of Chris Kosnik (Black Nasa/The Atomic Bitchwax) on bass. The band sounded good and emitted great tones. However, during some of the elongated jams they tended to look at each other too much, as if they weren't quite sure when to come out of a certain movement and transition into the next. But it was rare when they missed a change.
After the vicious version of "Spine of God," the band delved into their 1998 release Powertrip, performing three songs from the album—"Crop Circle," the title cut "Powertrip" and "Space Lord." It served as a reminder, at least to this writer, as to how much a disappointment that album is. Sure, it's the band's best-selling release, but it also was the follow-up to Dopes to Infinity, which is a much stronger work. When they came out for the encore, Monster Magnet got it back, playing "Last Patrol" and finishing the night with "Tractor," which also appeared on Powertrip, but die-hards remember it from the Tab EP. "Got a knife in back/And a hole in arm/When I'm driving the tractor on the drug farm." Such tasty filth!
Compare that to the opening act Anti-Mortem, a metal act that can't wait to get wasted with you and party with their heavy metal schtick. It's a gag so overdone that it barely gets a mouth agape from even the most uptight of high school principals. "I just don't want to see another five-piece rock band that wants to party" an acquaintance told this writer.