Monster Magnet
God Says No
A&M
Considering the glowing press Monster Magnet were getting across the pond earlier this year, it’s damn near shocking that their latest, God Says No, is less than underwhelming. Not that Magnet necessarily had to make good on the promise of predecessor Powertrip’s chart-terrorism, but that would’ve been halfway more exciting than this. Clever title or not, God Says No is similarly laced with hooks, but perhaps with ones that are too drug-addled • in other words, boring (yeah, I know lead Monster Dave Wyndorf’s been clean n’ sober for a few years now, so maybe the inverse is true) • for their own good, ones that are cycled and recycled to the point of exhaustion, both for band and listener. In fact, this record kinda reminds me of my few Flamin’ Groovies experiences: dull hooks repeated ad nauseum, and overrated all the while. Sure, things cook up toward the end • “My Little Friend” and “Cry” pound away into the ether all Loop-like, and “Queen Of You” and “Take It” maintain some alluringly restrained old-school electro tendencies, ala Suicide or Tubeway Army • but having to slog through nearly 40 minutes of tedium to get to such is, again, exhausting. And, again, color me underwhelmed, and more than a bit disgruntled • indeed, God Says No.
A&M, 2220 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404; http://www.monstermagnet.net
