Monster Magnet - Tab (Reissue)

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After the first of their heavy psych LP records, “Spine of God,” MONSTER MAGNET, still in their lysergic period destined to fade away, replaced by a more polished modern rock, released in 1991, this four track “Tab” EP, now being reissued by Napalm Records. Is it possible to hold the whole space in 32 mins? Hearing title track “Tab” will confirm this absurdism: with no standard structures, no ties to the Earth anymore, we are taken into this ambitious space trip, with pioneer Wyndorf eerie shredded screaming vocals as the only earthly residues. “25” seems more tied to a structure, physically we can finally see here a “sense” and direction in how drums and all the instrumental section proceed as a whole, but it’s just a more ordered mess: mentally we’re still stuck 93 million miles away from earth, in some nebula high in the night sky.

“Longhair” is a safe return to this planet, into a heavy riffed psych rock track, back to a more familiar stoner sound. “Lord 13” closes this EP with an epic crescendo, or, more accurately, dissolving itself in fuzzy tones, with some winking to VELVET UNDERGROUND. Although not technically a debut, as it was released after “Spine of God,” this might be the prime example of MONSTER MAGNET sound and freedom: who, in their debut years, would release such an ambitious EP with a 30+ min track to open the gates? This is a small jewel, a compulsory listening to anyone with space rock fuzziness and mind blowing in their heart, able to keep you orbiting synesthetic visions of MONSTER MAGNET sound.

Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Memorability: 8
Production: 7