PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Almost a quarter of a century after their formation, stoner rock legends Monster Magnet show no sign of letting up. They’ve been releasing a new studio album every three years consistently since 1995 and Last Patrol, their ninth effort which was released on Tuesday, continues the trend. And whilst four of the current quintet have been present since 2010’s Mastermind, another new member has joined the fold in the shape of bassist Chris Kosnick, replacing Jim Baglino.
If their live show in August was anything to go by, the band enjoy mixing sprawling epics of psychedelia with stomping rock anthems and Last Patrol is no different: ‘I Live Behind the Clouds’ opens the record and threatens to send the mind drifting into the stratosphere, particularly when combined with the title track which ebbs and flows for almost ten minutes, distorted guitars taking you far, far away into the distance and, for want of a better expression, ‘spacing out’ your thoughts. It doesn’t last though; ‘Three Kingfishers’, a cover of the Donovan Leitch song, brings everything back down to earth with a faster-paced number, with ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Mindless Ones’ following suit. The band sound as good as they ever did – whether or not Kosnick or Baglino provided bass for the album is unknown, but messrs Caivano, Sweeny and Pantella are all excellent, particularly on stand out track ‘The Duke of Supernature’, which is a more mellow affair that is effortlessly cool and proves that, despite being 56, frontman and kingpin Dave Wyndorf still has a great ability to hold a tune, his deep voice really getting under your skin – although whether or not that has anything to do with lyrics of I remember that I did you back in LA 49 is anyone’s guess.
But I digress – the bottom line is that Monster Magnet are continue to show the younger groups how it’s done and done well; Last Patrol is another leaf to plant in the hat of Wyndorf and Co and wear with pride. So put on your headphones, light up and prepare yourself for a rollercoaster of images and sounds.
Lineup:
Dave Wyndorf – Lead vocals, guitar
Phil Caivano – Rhythm guitar
Bob Pantella – Drums
Garrett Sweeny – Lead guitar
Chris Kosnick – Bass
Track Listing:
I Live Behind the Clouds
Last Patrol
Three King Fishers
Paradise
Hallelujah
Mindless Ones
The Duke of Supernature
End of Time
Stay Tuned
Links:
Website: http://www.zodiaclung.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/monstermagnet
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/monstermagnetnj
