Monster Magnet
Last Patrol
Napalm Records
15 October-21 October 2013
The band:
Dave Wyndorf - lead vocals, guitar
Garrett Sweeny - lead guitar
Phil Caivano - rhythm guitar
Jim Baglino - bass guitar
Bob Pantella - drums
The songs:
1. I Live Behind The Clouds
2. Last Patrol
3. Three Kingfishers
4. Paradise
5. Hallelujah
6. Mindless Ones
7. The Duke(Of Supernature)
8. End Of Time
9. Stay Tuned
Monster Magnet are a band that has been in and out of my life. Discovered them when Superjudge came out but with their two last releases, 4-Way Diablo and Mastermind I bowed out. Those albums didn't do it for me to be honest which is a shame but that's how it goes sometimes. So it was with mixed feelings I hit play to listen to Last Patrol, their brand new wax.
Any fears I had of Monster Magnet not making it the whole distance and beyond were washed away immediately because this is shit hot! Dave Wyndorf and company aren't doing a thing wrong as they mix early Monster Magnet with acid blues, psychedelica, fuzz and a whole lot of groovy no-bullshitting attitude. But also a lot of dark acoustic stuff but fret not because it's awesome and fits the album perfectly. Never really hitting warp speed, they build from the ground up, gradually increasing the heaviness while sonically reducing my ears to dust.
Starting off slow, trippy and mainly acoustic I Live Behind The Clouds is musically spacy, kind of floating on clouds for the most part when Garrett Sweeny isn't soloing til his fingers bleed. Vocally it's more of a claustrophobic feel with a pinch of shizophrenia added to make this song fantastic. The title track, Last Patrol, follows and with it's almost tribal-like drumming mixed with an rampaging riff and solo-fest it comes across as a madman on the loose, especially the way Wyndorf belts out the lyrics.
Donovan's Three Kingfishers follows next and Monster Magnet gives us a lesson in how to record a cover...by turning it into something new. It's folky background blended with the band's electric rock makes it sound like Jethro Tull gone sonic on an intense acid trip with Dave having replaced Ian Anderson at the mic. Heavy people, this is heavy!
On Paradise Monster Magnet refers back to I Live Behind The Clouds in that the song is part of the darker acoustic stuff I mentioned earlier. Acoustic guitars back up the lead guitar that soars above it all with only a hi-hat keeping the beat. Beautiful! Seguing into Hallelujah where the band throws down the gaunlet big time. It reminds me of 1000 Homo DJ's version of Black Sabbath's Supernaut gone cosmic instead of industrial. Mindless Ones is next and continues down the fast lane as the band rocks out hard.
They slow it down again on The Duke(Of Supernature) as acid-blues seeps out of the speakers. It's very trippy in all it's beauty and again Garrett plays an amazing solo. End Of Time is by far the fastest track on Last Patrol and it's as if the band is leading us towards armageddon. They are all hammering away on their instruments creating chaos, organized chaos. Stay Tuned is the perfect track to follow End Of Time as it work as as an open end. What I mean is you can see it as what you might experience after armageddon...if you experience anything at all. To me it also poses the question to us listeners..."will there be another Monster Magnet album after this one or is this the end?".
Alright people, Last Patrol is a fantastic album and I am very happy to have re-discovered Monster Magnet. They are in absolute top form and have created a monster - no pun intended - that is one of my top ten releases of 2013. But it's more than that because it will make a lasting impression on it's listeners for years to come. Welcome back to my world Monster Magnet, it is a pleasure to make your aquiantance again!
Written by Håkan Nyman
Well folks another great review from Håkan, Last Patrol is fucking incredible. Simply Unmissable.
Thanks to Jon at Freeman Promotions and Napalm Records for sending us a promo to review.
Last Patrol will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from all good stockists from the dates below.
16.10.2013 ESP/SWE/NOR
18.10.2013 GAS/FIN & BENELUX
21.10.2013 UK/Rest of Europe
15.10.2013 USA/CAN
Check The Band From Links Below:
http://www.zodiaclung.com/
https://www.facebook.com/monstermagnet
