Monster Magnet – Monolithic Baby! (SPV)
Whoooo! It’s been a long time since their last album, but these stoner rock purveyors are finally back. This time around it’s less stoner, more rock. Awesome, catchy, guitar riffs with the kind of killer, amazing tone you get by simply plugging a great guitar into a great amp, solid rhythm section, and Dave Wyndorf’s unmistakable vocals and tripped-out lyrics. Pepper this with great solos, weird FX, and some really unconventional song constructions, and this is what you get. Really catchy material, really cool songs, really awesome vibe all-around; put this on, knock down a few cold ones, and smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

Tracks:
1) 20 seconds of build-up, but then wastes no time, driving rhythmic rocker with processed vocals. Sexy and sleazy and dirty...
2) Another sleazy rocker, FCC (“hot shit baby”) at –3:00, otherwise incredible chorus.
3) Acoustic start with smooth vocals, then a countdown, and a bombastic explosion of psyche rock and fuzzed solos that speeds up to a frantic pace.
4) More dirty rock and pure driving mayhem, accompanied by yet another must-hear-to-believe chorus. FCCs (“shit”) at –3:09 and -2:23 and “big fucking baby” at –1:58 and –0:34.
5) More subdued musically, but with a scathing lyrical message.
6) The press sheet describes as “breathtaking”, and it’s spot-on. Huge, anthem feel, but still a short, driving rocker played by a bunch of dudes in a garage.
7) Cover of Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters, with vocals like he’s in a well, probably the most “stoner” of these songs. Awesome song.
8) Another cover, this one from David Gilmour’s first solo record. More mellow, acoustic guitar strumming and drums to start off, and then a killer riff with guitar noodling and FX.
9) Electronic drums, and then an amazing guitar line and vocals that make for the catchiest of choruses.
10) A more mellow track, introspective and really heartfelt, manages to sound happy and poppy. This is the equivalent of “Take It” from God Says No.
11) Oh yeah, best song on the CD. Long, epic, a dopesmoker’s dream with slow, meandering riffs and overworked vocals that sound killer. Unfortunately sounds like a rehash of “Look to Your Orb for the Warning”. FCC (“bullshit”) at –6:36.
12) Mostly instrumental with just a lullaby as its lyrics, driving percussion with mid-Eastern/Indian guitar. Huge, buoyant song that makes me wanna be a flower child.