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HEAVY METAL |
| STORY TIME | FANBOY | HORROR MOVIES | CONVENTION NEWS | HORRIBLE NEWS |
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HAVE I GOT SOMETHING WRONG FOR YOU I've been listening to MONSTER MAGNET for some time now, thinking that they could be the U.S. version of the next DEEP PURPLE or even MOTORHEAD. With their new album POWERTRIP, Lead singer/Song writer Dave Wyndorff has thrown the band right into CULT: SONIC TEMPLE territory. Down at the local Metal Music shops, not all the fans are pleased with this. We are generally a conservative lot who tend to view a band taking new directions as selling out rather than growing up. MONSTER MAGNET: POWERTRIP does neither. Personally, I loved THE CULT, and I went bonkers for SONIC TEMPLE. Wyndorff gives a wink to that album with a picture in the CD booklet that resembles the Guitar Hero from the SONIC TEMPLE cover. What I am
saying is, this album ROCKS! It is hard Heavy Metal with Wyndorff,
Ed Mundel, and newcomer Phil Caivano providing plenty of fist slammin'
guitar riffs. Jon Klieman makes sure that his drums are beaten unmercifully
and all of this flows on a lava river of Joe Calandra's heavy duty bass,
which is as it should be. With POWERTRIP,
Wyndorff has taken the Hollywood hype machine and made it work for him.
The album takes all the media apporved tools for public offense and plasticizes
for the non-issues that they are. Look for plenty of cars, cash, devils,
Catholic clergy, and lots and lots of scantily clad babes. With any other
album, this would mean that the band was lost and floundering, as with
the SUGAR RAY: LEMONADE AND COOKIES cover of the naked blonde in the doggie
position. Not so with POWERTRIP. These are just symbols of tired tantrums thrown in our face once again for little more than garish carnival decoration. The photos and artwork are there to let you know that this album is going to make fun of all your lost causes. In many cases, this album has a sixties southern rock feel to it, or even the brief Rock-a-billy resurge of the eighties. Thank Quentin Tarantino for this most likely. Since he re-introduced us to the wonders of Dick Dale and the rest of that crew from 1960 to 1965 period, many bands have tried to recapture that sound for their music. Don't look
for any political statements on this album though, POWERTRIP
was meant to Kick Ass, and if Cock Rocking Guitar Hero posturing is part
of the package, so be it! "THINGS
ARE LOOKING GOOD FROM WHERE I SIT / Unlike many who have posed and jabbed at society using these same banners, MONSTER MAGNET hits the target precisely because they ARE so accessible. They are not tucked in the back of a small indie music label catalogue somewhere in Kentucky, they are right up there on a major label with major distribution. Currently they are touring with MARILYN MANSON and life is looking good. Sharp eyed MM fans may have noticed Twiggy Ramirez riding around the Las Vegas strip in the MONSTER MAGNET: POWERTRIP video. The album finishes off with a spooky little lounge number called YOUR LIES BECOME YOU. It is a very fitting end to a damn fine album, MONSTER MAGNET'S best so far and a true Rock classic. I give it 5 P-Skulls.
This review copyright 1998 E.C.McMullen Jr. |
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