Reviews roundup – Monster Magnet vs. The Lazys vs. The Robert J Hunter Band vs. Heaven & Earth

Reviews roundup – Monster Magnet vs. The Lazys vs. The Robert J Hunter Band vs. Heaven & Earth

 

MONSTER MAGNET
Mindfucker
Napalm

Oh, baby. Monster Magnet. One of my favourite bands. Ever. I still remember tearing up when they cancelled a UK tour back in the day due to Dave having “health issues”. Mainly because I’d taken the week off work to follow them round the country. And I was a grown up. The only other band I’ve done that for was Hawkwind. ‘Nuff said.

But not even I can defend some of their later period albums. Not that they’ve ever made a bad album. Although I rarely (well, never) play their debut. But I’ve checked the MP3 player and “4-Way Diablo” is the most recent entrant to be ripped. But that’s about to change because this is fantastic. Strange, for a man in his sixties, Mr Wyndorf has decided that he really needs to rawk out a wee bit harder than he’s done in a long time. So they crash into ‘Rocket Freak’, rip off a monster riff and proceed to blow the bloody doors off. As always the lyrics are gibberish. It’s all “blastin’ out science, chewin’ up the moon”, “I’m gettin’ rained in garbage, baby” and “well they call me the son of the cobra”. But This Is What We Want!

It’s an album full of fuzz, early Alice Cooper Band and honest to goodness rock. He’s obviously given up on the notion of commercial success with the album title. Which was unlikely to arrive twenty years after their sales peak. The man himself says “The first thing you’re gonna want to know is why such a dumb title? Number one, I can’t go my whole life without calling one record Mindfucker. I’d be shirking my responsibility as a rocker! Plus, the way things are going these days stupid is the new smart. Yeah, things are that fucked up. The people who understand my not so subtle reasoning here will get it. How many people will that be? I don’t know.” And who can argue with that.

Fans who like their MM stoner riffs will like the title track best and he’s back on his one man crusade to convert the world to Hawkwind with another cover. This time around it’s ‘Ejection’, which appears on the Robert Calvert album “Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters” which featured all of Hawkwind as well as Brian Eno, Arthur Brown and Twink from the Pink Fairies, amongst others. You’ll find the Hawkwind version on the expanded edition of “Doremi Fasol Latido”. Advert over.

Back in Monster Magnet land, this is as good as it gets. It rocks hard, Dave proclaims ‘I’m God’, the riffs are big, the swirls are swirly, and this will be one of the albums of the year. No question, baby.

 

THE LAZYS
Nothing But Trouble
Golden Robot

And if Monster Magnet want a hard rocking support, I’ll turn up early to see The Lazys.

The latest in the Antipodean attempt to restore the world of AC/DC to the mainstream, this single sees The Lazys churning out a great riff, some none more rock lyrics and a boundless attitude.

It’s promoting their new album “Tropical Hazards”, and certainly does the job for the “we may be from the mythical continent of Australasia but we’re big in Canada”, you know outfit. It’s true. When their debut album came out in 2014, two singles from the album co written with Ian D’sa (Billy Talent) and produced by GGGarth Richardson (Rage Against The Machine, Biffy Clyro) went top 10 at active rock in Canada. So you it to the world to rescue them from a world of fur coats (but nae nae panties). This rocks hard. Check it out.

 

THE ROBERT J HUNTER BAND
Self titled
independent

Safe to say that Robert J Hunter is the best bluesman on the whole of Alderney. No arguments.

Mind you, it’s about the size of my back green that wouldn’t be difficult. But now relocated to that there London he’s proving himself to be gifted on a grander scale.

I was quite taken with his “Before The Dawn” album from a couple of years back and this carries on the good work. He looks back to the days when classic rock and blues rock were crossing over, so it’s the likes of the Rolling Stones and Rory Gallagher that infuse his songs. Add in a gruff singing style that really suits the music and it all brings songs like ‘Loving Unfortunately‘, ‘Bringing Me Down’ and Poison’ to life. But he can also turn his hand to a softer style with ‘Every Heart Has A Home’ the standout.

A really enjoyable release that blues rockers should be checking out.

 

HEAVEN & EARTH
Hard To Kill
Quarto Valley

I remember getting very excited about Heaven & Earth back in the day. So excited I went to the Royal Mile currency shop, bought some dollars and posted them off to Stuart Smith over there in the American colonies. Online shopping? No such thing, kiddies. Ask yer da.

That was the one that featured Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi), Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Kelly Hansen (Foreigner), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow), Bobby Kimball (Toto) and others alongside Stuart Smith. After another release he ended up spending a few years in a new version of The Sweet (check out “Live! In America”) so when it came to a new Heaven & Earth release he aimed for more of a band vibe. That saw Joe Retta on vocals from The Sweet and “Dig” was the result. But this new one might be their best yet. It’s full on classic rock, rooted in the seventies, with nods to the more commercial side of Ritchie Blackmore and his Rainbow as well as the post Rodgers Bad Company. For sure, they’re not reinventing the wheel. But the wheel works very nicely, than you.  Even down to the Whitesnake-alike cover.

The current lineup – Joe Retta on vocals, Stuart Smith – guitar, Kenny Arnoff on drums, Lynn Sorenson on bass and Ty Bailie on keyboards have put together a release that would have been a sure fire number 1 rock album back in the day. Big choruses, great melodies, soaring solos. You name it, this has got it. Only the by the numbers ‘L.A. Blues’ lets the side down. I could never figure out why the first two Heaven & Earth albums never broke big and it makes even less sense now. In a world where The Dead Daisies can make a name for themselves, there has to be a place for songs as majestic as ‘Anthem’ (natch), ‘Monster’ and ‘Hard to Kill’. It’s a faultless album and one that classic rock fans should either buy or spend the rest of the year punching themselves in the face.

It even looks magnificent what with the gatefold, bonus DVD with videos for all the songs and a download card. Really. Why are you still here.

 

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