As we’ve said in the past, cover albums in general are hit or miss. Give Monster Magnet the reins on one, though, and watch out! A Better Dystopia, the upcoming covers collection from New Jersey’s real favorite sons, sees Monster Magnet at their absolute gnarliest and Psych Rawk best throughout 13 tracks that sounds more like the latest Monster Magnet banger than a consistent nod to the past.
From the moment Hawkind’s “Born To Go” fires it up following Dave Wyndorf’s recitation of a classic monologue by DJ Diamond Dave on the aptly titled “The Diamond Mine”, it’s pretty apparent that this is wholly a Monster Magnet vehicle filled with all the riffs, all the rigor, and all the RAWK that fans have come to expect from the quintet throughout their storied career.
“Solid Gold Hell” (Originally by The Scientists) is Groove-laden and sexy, laying it on thick with a hypnotic vibe from the way that Wyndorf’s voice flows alongside his repeated guitar refrain with accompaniment from lead guitarist Garrett Sweeny and rhythm guitarist Phil Caivano. Elsewhere, The Macabre’s “Be Forewarned” is a righteous stomp and if “Mr. Destroyer” wasn’t already an anthem for Poobah in 1972 then Monster Magnet has surely transformed the track into one with their modern take.
Speaking of Monster Magnet takes, “When The Wolf Sits” (By Jerusalem) immediately sounds like one of their own classics thus confirming that MM were surely birthed in the wrong era…or maybe just the right one so as to bring the Psych rawk revolution into the future! Pretty Things’ “Death” brings out the sitar and even more trippiness with some subdued soundscapes from Bob Pantella and Alec Morton’s drum and bass rhythmic synchronicity until the full on Rawk returns in Josephus’ “Situation”.
“It’s Trash” as done by Monster Magnet takes The Cave Men’s jangly, Bluesy original and cranks it to eleven with Wyndorf sounding particularly wild and then “Motorcycle (Straight To Hell)” is a driving boogie woogie penultimate blow out that pays a loud tribute to Table Scraps. Dust’s “Learning To Die” wraps this sucker up (Unless you shell out for the vinyl version to get Morgen’s “Welcome To The Void” as a bonus cut) in a fittingly rollicking fashion, blurring the lines between what’s vintage Monster Magnet and vintage whoever they choose to pay tribute to here as our modern heroes Rawk the eff out for an epic six and a half minutes before bowing out to leave fans chomping at the bit for their next sonic adventure.
A Better Dystopia lands on May 21st through Napalm Records. Pre-orders are live now and can be found when you look here or here. For the latest on Monster Magnet, follow them across the information superhighway when you click here, here, or here.