Conference napalm::heavy_metal

    
    Sean,
    
    I don't have their newest disc (yet) but do have an older one. Kinda
    like some alternative heavier rock. I  hear their new one is much
    tighter than the older stuff. They have I *think* three discs now.
    
    MIke
    

    Monster Magnet have been around for about 4 to 5 years and have 3
    albums out.
    
    1992
    "Spine of God" - Excellent low-fi late 60s influence heavy psych,
    featuring an excellent back of album photo shot of black'n'white
    fish-eye angled lens shot of the band, looking like Blue Cheer or Crow,
    with the message "Its a Satanic Drug Thing you wouldn't understand"
    over it! I bought this album on the strength of this photo and wasn't
    disappointed! 
    
    1993/4
    "Super Judge" - Major Label/Bigger Budget. Tighter music. Excellent
    cover of Hawkwind's "Brainstorm". In fact this band are obviously very
    influenced by Hawkwind, all their product features heavy, spacy blues
    with excelleny psychadelic effects.
    
    1995
    "Dopes to Infinity" - The Big Time threatens. Play Reading festival (I
    missed this as the tent they were playing in was so packed I could only
    get within 200 yards of it!) with extensive tour of Europe. Single off
    album "Teenage negasonic Warhead" almost charts (British record buyers
    show taste - exclusive!). The vinyl album is a double with the 4th side
    being "Forbidden Planet" studio noodling which should never have been
    released. So for a change the CD might be better value!
    
    All their records are worth buying, especially if you like
    Hawkwind/Pink Fairies/Social Deviants British stuff or MC5/Stooges
    American stuff.
    
    They are American, and I think the main songwriter is called Dave
    Wharlberg (he plays the guitar and sings as well!).
    
    Guy
    

    
    Thanks Guy,
    
    I just picked up "Dopes To Infinity" with hopes that the song
    I heard on the radio was there, and it was.  "Look To Your Orb
    For The Warning" was the one...  kind of Ozzy Ozbourne meets 
    Pink Floyd meets Metallica (wait, that's Spinal Tap  :^)  ).
    
    Not until I played the CD did I realize that "Negasonic Teenage
    Warhead" was sort of a major hit - WAAF has (over)played this a lot,
    and it's a little too, I dunno, grunge-like, for my tastes.
    
    The rest of the CD is very interesting, though, and I may have to 
    check out their earlier stuff.  
    
    Cool CD covers.
    
    Oh, also, they had some computer CDROM in the bin, too, with
    a couple of tracks you could play on your audio CD.
    
    - Sean

    
    "Dopes" is now officially one of the best pure Heavy Metal CDs I own.
    
    I don't really see the MC5/Stooges influences (but only have a few
    CD's of their stuff) - they seem to tight, too well produced.  More
    like early Ozzy, heavy riffs, no speed crap, importance placed on
    vocals.  
    
    It's nice to really schlock out to this stuff, you see so little
    "cosmic" lyrics these days (really really really early Deep Purple, 
    Uriah Heep, etc.).  
    
    - Sean

    schlock?

    
    Well, I just picked up "Spine of God" and now I get the references
    to MC5.
    
    I think I like the newer, tighter sound better.  That CCR-on-acid thing 
    is best left to the professionals like the Stooges.
    
    - Sean

    
    Finally got the last of the ones mentioned in .2, "Superjudge"...
    
    "Dopes To Infinity"  remains their best, although it borders more
    on space-rock type 70's stuff.  The production is really good on
    it, though, unlike "Spine Of God" which was recorded on a Walkman
    in the rain.
    
    "Superjudge" is the heaviest metal and the title track cranks.
    
    One of my favorite discoveries of the year.
    
    - Sean