Monster Magnet – Mastermind

“Mastermind” is the 10th Monster Magnet album and is freshly released by Napalm Records. We know the musical style of our friends from Uncle Sam’s country who evolve in stoner rock with a slight touch of doom. At least now cause in their beginings they had a more doom/psychedelic style buried in a not so legal kind of smoke!

So is this new record in the continuity of their present style or a back to the basics one? Both answers are correct as the band decide to put in “Mastermind” a bit of everything. “Hallucination Bomb” is a perfect example of what the band used to make, more beautiful space rock
passages, reminding a bit of Hawkwind. The same elements are found in “bored with Sorcery” with breathtaking guitar solos. Enormous Sabbath-like riffs. Mid ranged stoner voice switching to throaty yells, followed by heavy constructed solos, this two first songs are a real kick ass start! But the rest that follows really cool things down.

The other titles are in a more groovy rock style full of dust and motorcycle, but not really well performed. “Dig that Hole” tries a sludgy aspect with no real success, and “God and Punks” is surely the poorest song of the album. Things get more interesting on the next song “The Titan Who Cried Like A Baby having a more dark, atmospheric style. The rest is full of up and downs with fast tracks like “100 Million miles” and heavy loads like “When Planes Fall From The Sky”. Catchy choruses which won’t quite your brain. I think we will hear most of the titles in the future concerts.

Everything seems alright but in the end the album is a little to long as the record last about an hour. The first sensations of fresh inspirations soon pass away and the sensations of deja vu and old rusted riffs come in. Not that is a bad record but we can’t say it’s a fresh one. The heavy grooves and dusty riffs will surely pleased every Monster Magnet fan and despite some lazy moments, “Mastermind” is a very strong stoner record!