Line #79 Music/MonsterMagnet


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MonsterMagnet_6653.jpg]]
2
3	Monster Magnet are a seminal Stoner Rock[=/=][[DoomMetal Stoner Metal]] band (technically slightly different things, but they count as both), who have had significance influence on the genre. They're also one of the most commercially successful and popular of Stoner bands, and are well-known for the semi-hits "Negasonic Teenage Warhead", "Space Lord" and "Powertrip".
4
5	Their music combines 70s-style HeavyMetal and HardRock with PsychedelicRock and SpaceRock, as well as DoomMetal and {{Grunge}} influences. They're known for their [[WordSaladLyrics rather nonsensical lyrics]], as well as their loud, grindingly heavy (and [[EpicRiff memorable]]) riffs and Wyndorf's [[MetalScream wailing]] voice.
6
7	Formed in 1989 by main man Dave Wyndorf, John [=McBain=] and Tim Cronin, after releasing a demo and a single, they then expanded to a five piece and produced more demos and their self-titled EP (on an obscure German label, oddly enough). Cronin left shortly after, though the next couple records credit him as a "creative consultant" in [[RunningGag various hilarious ways]]. They released their cult classic first album, ''Spine of God'', in 1991 on the slightly larger Caronline Records. After this, they went on tour with Music/{{Soundgarden}}, which got them signed to Soundgarden's label, to boot. Their final release on Caroline was ''Tab'', a 50-minute collection of [[EpicRocking long jams]] that the band calls an EP for some reason.
8
9	They released a strong of 4 albums on [[Creator/AAndMRecords A&M]] that expanded their fanbase significantly and helped them come to be known as a key band in the emerging Stoner movement (alongside Music/{{Kyuss}} and Music/{{Sleep}}). Of these, ''Dopes To Infinity'' and ''Powertrip'' were the most successful, spawning the minor hits "Negasonic Teenage Warhead" (with a video memorably spoofed on WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead) and "Space Lord" (the band's breakthrough song), respectively. Just before the recording of ''Powertrip'' (the band's first gold record and best-selling album), they added another guitarist, Phil Caivano. However, after just one more album, they found themselves dropped from A&M due to their inability to follow "Space Lord" up with another similarly large hit. Calandra and Kleiman quit shortly thereafter.
10
11	In spite of the setbacks, Monster Magnet managed to replace the lost members (with Jim Baglino and Michael Wildwood, though Wildwood was quickly replaced by Bob Pantella) and even managed to record the theme song of WWE superstar Wrestling/MattHardy. In 2004, the new lineup released ''Monolithic Baby!'' on SPV and had another (minor) hit with "Unbroken (Hotel Baby)". In 2005, Caivano left amicably. This was followed by Wyndorf's near-death in 2006 due to a prescription drug overdose. Thankfully, he got over it.
12
13	The band released ''4-Way Diablo'' the next year and ''Mastermind'' in 2010, the latter on Napalm Records (another new label). Mundell left (on good terms with Wyndorf) in 2010, and was replaced by Garrett Sweeny. Also, Caivano [[HesBack returned]] in 2008. With the release of 2013's ''Last Patrol'', the band began fusing the more hard rock-oriented style they had been performing since ''Powertrip'', with the space rock stylings from earlier in their career. The following year, they released ''Milking the Stars: A Re-Imagining Of Last Patrol'', an UpdatedReRelease of sorts that took the material from ''Last Patrol'', [[Main/{{Retraux}} altered the production as well as instrumentation to make it sound like a space rock album from the 1970's]], and threw in a few original tracks in the same style as well as a couple live performances. This formula was so well-received that the year after, they gave ''Mastermind'' the same treatment with ''Cobras And Fire: The Mastermind Redux''.
14
15	Oh, and if one of their song titles seems familiar to you, it should: Creator/GrantMorrison gave one of their new characters in ''Comicbook/NewXMen'' the codename Negasonic Teenage Warhead after the Monster Magnet song.
16
17	----
18	Bandmembers (past and present) include:
19	* [[IAmTheBand Dave Wyndorf]], vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, theremin (!) (1989-present)
20	* Tim Cronin, additional vocals, bass and drums, credited on later albums as a creative consultant of some sort (1989-1991)
21	* John [=McBain=], guitar (1989-1992)
22	* Tom Diello, drums (1990)
23	* Jon Kleiman, drums, percussion and bass (1991-2002)
24	* Joe Calandra, bass, guitar (1991-2002)
25	* Ed Mundell, guitar, bass (1992-2010)
26	* Phil Caivano, guitar (1998-2005, 2008-present)
27	* Jim Baglino, bass (2001-2013))
28	* Michael Wildwood, drums (2002)
29	* Bob Pantella, drums (2002-present)
30	* Garrett Sweeny, guitar (2010-present)
31	* Alec Morton - bass (2020-present)
32
33	Discography:
34	* ''[[SelfTitledAlbum Monster Magnet EP]]'' (1990)
35	* ''Spine of God'' (1991)
36	* ''Tab EP'' (1991) (also known as Tab 25 or 25 Tab, long enough to be an album but called an EP by the band)
37	* ''Superjudge'' (1993)
38	* ''Dopes To Infinity'' (1995)
39	* ''Powertrip'' (1998)
40	* ''God Says No'' (2001)
41	* ''Monolithic Baby!'' (2004)
42	* ''4 Way Diablo'' (2007)
43	* ''Mastermind'' (2010)
44	* ''Last Patrol'' (2013)
45	* ''Milking the Stars: A Re-Imagining of Last Patrol'' (2014)
46	* ''Cobras And Fire: The Mastermind Redux'' (2015)
47	* ''Mindfucker'' (2018)
48	* ''A Better Dystopia'' (2021)
49
50	----
51	!!Tropes that apply to Monster Magnet:
52
53	* AuthorAppeal: Wyndorf has admitted to thinking that music videos for rap are often cooler than music videos for metal, which is why a number of his music videos feature scantily clad women and the band members dressed in flashy outfits and waving around stacks of cash.
54	* BadassBiker: Dave Wyndorf seems to be going for this. He mostly pulls it off. Some of the other members have affected the look as well.
55	** Coincidentally, one of Wyndorf's favorite hobbies is mountain bike riding.
56	* {{Bowdlerize}}: "Space Lord" was hit with a case of preemptive bowdlerization, changing "Space Lord motherfucker" to "Space Lord, mother mother". The Intergalactic 7 Remix used the original phrasing however, as do most remixes. Also, the line "I drink from your tit, I sing the blues every day" is often censored to "I drink from your ''tin'', I sing the blues every day."
57	* BreakupSong: "One Dead Moon" off ''Last Patrol'' is Monster Magnet's serenade to an ex
58	-->But you ain't as clever as you think you are\
59	And the fact is I miss your body more than I miss you\
60	Can't be worried bout no wounded pride\
61	Cos for just this once I gotta tell the truth...
62	* CoolShades: Wyndorf seems to never leave home without his.
63	* CoverVersion: Many: "Sin's A Good Man's Brother" (Music/GrandFunkRailroad), "Evil" (Howlin' Wolf), "Brainstorm" (Music/{{Hawkwind}}), "Kick Out The Jams" (Music/{{MC5}}), "There's No Way Out" (Ken Baker, also covered by [[Music/PinkFloyd David Gilmour]]), "The Right Stuff" ([[Music/{{Hawkwind}} Robert Calvert]]), "Venus In Furs" (Music/VelvetUnderground), "2000 Light Years From Home" (Music/{{The Rolling Stones\|Band}}) and "Three Kingfishers" (Music/{{Donovan}}).
64	* EchoingAcoustics: Quite often. Dopes To Infinity is perhaps the most notable of their albums for this, but it pops up all over their records.
65	* EpicRocking: Pretty often, but Tab (from the EP/album of the same name) takes the cake- it's OVER 30 minutes long!
66	* {{Fanservice}}: Almost all the music videos feature sexy dancing girls (see Author Appeal above). The video for "The Duke (of Supernature)" didn't have dancers, but it did have the protagonist hallucinating a lesbian encounter between his secretary and the "siren"[[note]]The video tells a story about how American armed forces captured a beautiful Japanese woman with strange powers during World War II, and use her powers and super-genius intellect to create weapons[[/note]]
67	* IAmTheBand: The Magnet is Wyndorf's baby, for sure.
68	* IcyBlueEyes / CreepyBlueEyes: Dave Wyndorf, which may be why he wears CoolShades all the time.
69	* IntercourseWithYou: "Ozium" is a particularly trippy example of a song about this.
70	-->Arms up overhead, a Goddess in the ancient song\
71	Work that mighty world to the mindless groove\
72	They say we got a lifetime but we know that ain't true\
73	I will not be denied, I will not be denied
74	* MetalScream: Wyndorf does this a few times. "Crop Circle" has a pretty good one ("C'MONNNNNN!").
75	** His shout of '''''"I talk to planets, baby!"''''' in "Ego, The Living Planet" stands out as well, as it's the only thing he says in an otherwise instrumental song.
76	* NonAppearingTitle: About half of their songs.
77	* [[DoomMetal Stoner Metal]]
78	* RevolvingDoorband: Just look at the list above!
79	* RuleOfCool: A particularly drugged-out version of this trope is what fuels their entire existence.
80	** Wyndorf has admitted that when he gets stuck on a song, he often just writes a random line about tornadoes or volcanoes. Because tornadoes and volcanoes are cool and lyrics about them tend to sound cool automatically. From "Silver Future"
81	--->You know the truth and you're so put together\
82	Baby I could stick you on the lip of forever\
83	Even a volcano has a price to pay
84	* ShoutOut: Many, mostly to various comics (Dave lists Creator/JackKirby as his favorite comic artist) and sci-fi works. In return, there's a Marvel comics character named Negasonic Teenage Warhead after the song ([[Creator/GrantMorrison someone there]] was a fan, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negasonic_Teenage_Warhead_%28comics%29 apparently]])...
85	** The band's name is also inspired by a toy Dave liked a child. And there's a song on their first album named after an old air freshener from the '70s ("Ozium", in case you were wondering).
86	** Dave sometimes refers to them as doing "Space Rock," a reference to {{Music/Hawkwind}}, whom they covered in Superjudge.
87	* TheStoner: Their fanbase and overall image, though Dave Wyndorf actually averts this, oddly enough.
88	* SurprisinglyGentleSong: They have a few. "Black Balloon", "Blow 'Em Off" and "Your Lies Become You" are all good examples, but they have others.
89	* TakeThat: "Negasonic Teenage Warhead" is one both to {{Grunge}} and any rock stars who dwell on (in Wyndorf's opinion, anyways) negativity. [[WordSaladLyrics Not that it's obvious]]...
90	* TropeCodifier: Arguably a somewhat under-acknowledged one for Stoner Metal/Stoner Rock.
91	* WordSaladLyrics: To be expected from a band who writes vaguely-druggy songs. For example, from Negasonic Teenage Warhead...
92	-->I can tell just by the climate and I can tell just by the style\
93	I was born and raised on Venus, and I may be here a while\
94	Cos every supersonic jerkoff who plugs into the game\
95	Like every subatomic genius who just invented pain

Context Music / MonsterMagnet