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MONSTER MAGNET: POWERTRIP - 1998
A&M Records |
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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!
This album revels in the stupidity of the easily mainipulated media watchdogs.
In the very first lyrics of 3RD EYE LANDSLIDE, Dave and crew hit all the
censor hot spots at once.
"THINGS
ARE LOOKING GOOD FROM WHERE I SIT /
IN THE UNITED STATES OF WHO GIVES A SHIT? /
SUCKIN' LOVE FROM WHEREVER I CAN /
CASHING SATAN'S CHECKS WITH MY DICK IN MY HAND /
I'M TALKIN' 'BOUT A FREE RIDE."
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 Perplex Skulls.
This review
copyright 1998 by E.C.McMullen Jr.
Return to Shadow
Music |
*
Since this review was written, the April, 1999 events in Littleton, Colorado have affected
Marilyn Manson to the point where he/they have cancelled their tour.
For the record, multi-millions listen to
Marilyn Manson, Monster Magnet, and KMFDM,
Yet there was only one incident. Obviously it isn't the music's
fault.
The Copy Cat Crimes spawned by the Columbine High School Massacre,
were due to irresponsible news media induced hysteria, not music
or video games, since many of the Copy Cats didn't even listen to
the bands listed above, but knew that writing
Marilyn Manson,Monster Magnet,
and KMFDM all over their bookbags
would get them the attention they lacked at home and make the other
kids/tormentors afraid of them.
What happened at Columbine High School is not unique, new, or unexpected.
How many hundreds of movies have been made about the bullied and
tormented kid or kids flipping out and attacking their tormentors
right back?
How many books and short stories have been written about this same
thing?
How many country and rock songs?
The one and only problem the U.S. is having with this situation
is that 12 of the 13
victims were well-to-do white kids.
This was also not the fault of guns, as the two killers also planted bombs all over the school.
Do you know what the two vicious idiots would have done if they could not play "Bad Boy" with their guns?
100% DEATH!
In the midst of the mindless hysteria, some schools
(KLIEN High School in
Houston, Texas, for example) suspended children who were simply
guilty of being picked on by the spoiled lying elite of said school.
If You Believe that listening to this type of music will make your kids go on a
murderous rampage, then go out to your garage right now and tell your children to
stop building those bombs. Then go to their bedrooms and collect all of their guns and
ammo. Then take their racist hatemongering website off of the internet.
Lastly, get some professional help, for the whole family.
Make it your business to be a parent again. |
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