Mastermind
Monster Magnet’s Dave Wyndorf is an old school stoner-doom-metal guy who loves his Stooges mixed with a little Hawkwind and a spritz of garage rock. His 1998 release *Powertrip* was a definitive hard-rock statement and *Mastermind* revisits its playbook with a few new harmonic twists. “Hallucination Bomb” trudges with a powerful grudge that’s matched by the whiplash riff that guides the title track. “Dig That Hole” channels Jim Morrison, who is further quoted in the psychedelic garage-rock of “Time Machine.” “Gods and Punks” and “Perish In Fire” build with a punkish skip in their steps while “100 Million Miles” is about as close to a hardcore punk tune as this barbiturate-laced music can get. “Ghost Story” is a kicking, swaggering piece of hard-rock pop. “The Titan Who Cried Like a Baby” plays with a cinematic sweep. The world may very well end with the doomed tonalities of “When the Planes Fall from the Sky.” Monster Magnet know how to pull out all of the hard rock and punk moves they need to remain on top of the landfill. The “Deluxe Version” includes several notable cuts and a video for “Gods and Punks.”
8th Album from the Legendary US Band. The Space Lord Is Back. Dave Wyndorf, legendary Monster Magnet frontman, established himself as a driving force in the rock scene no later than with the mega hit "Space Lord". The band's 8th album, "Mastermind", impressively continues the tradition of delivering larger-than-life riffs and killer grooves. Some of the best examples of this inclination are its first two tracks, "Hallucination Bomb" and "Bored with Sorcery", which also loudly declare that regardless of Dave Wyndorf's recent personal difficulties, he has not forgotten how to sing. Such an authentic and sweeping vocal achievement is rare in this day and age. The track "Gods and Punks" is the ultimate rock song, and will certainly find a revered place in the annals of guitar rock history to serve as a blueprint for future generations. "Mastermind" was produced by Matt Hyde (Staid, Slayer, Hatebreed), who provides the final mix with the most resounding and clear blast of power ever to escape from a set of loudspeakers. Invisible Creature, a company also know for its work with Wolfmother, Chris Cornell, and Foo Fighters, is responsible for the album's artwork. "Mastermind" can be summed up in one short catch phrase: The Space Lord is back! © NAPALM RECORDS
By his own admission, Monster Magnet frontman and songwriter Dave Wyndorf works better when faced with a tight deadline, so he once again took the drastic action of sequestering himself in a seedy motel room when churning out material for his band's eighth studio album, 2010’s Mastermind, came down to crunch-time.
Even without the lyrical cues, it'd be almost irresistible to play armchair psychoanalyst at the decade-in-the-making slo-mo trainwreck that has marked Dave Wyndorf's descent from the gold-record peaks of "Powertrip", through fan-dividing records like "God Says No" and "Monolithic Baby". The story h...
A review of Monster Magnet - Mastermind, to be released in the USA on the 26th of October and on the 29th of October in Europe.
Who thought stoner rock titan Dave Wyndorf would end up sounding so safe, wonders <strong>Jamie Thomson</strong>