Customer Reviews

God Says No

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have all Monster Magnet's albums, so was eager to hear their latest release. However, as with the previous album 'Powertrip', this record suffers from too much filler (Heads Explode, Doomsday, All Shook Out and Silver Future are all nothing special). There are some great songs here though- Melt is a slab of classic Magnet, Gravity Well is raw and bluesy, and Queen Of You is dark and moody. The album as a whole is generally more diverse than previous releases. One thing about Monster Magnet is that the last couple of albums have seen them shift from their raw pyschedelic noisefest to a more focussed, slicker approach. I have to say that I prefer the earlier sound, rock music sounds much better with a more spartan production, not with a layer of gloss. Depending on where you stand may affect which Monster Magnet album you prefer, but for what it's worth, here is the order in which I rate Magnet's work.... 1)'Spine Of God' - debut album, raw garagey sound and classic tunes, the title song is their absolute best ever. 2)'Dopes To Infinity' - a consistent collection of big riffs. 3)'Superjudge' - patchy but has some glorious moments. 4)'God Says No'. 5)'Powertrip'- very disappointing, only three or four decent tunes. If you are new to the Magnet I'd get their albums in this order, if you have all their albums then the new one is worth owning but not classic. (PS the self titled six track EP is also very good and makes a good companion piece to 'Spine Of God', but it is only available on import I do believe. 'Tab..25' is another long EP, worth owning but is largely one long psychedelic jam with no vocals. Very trippy). For those who have never, ever heard Monster Magnet, they play heavy rock (with more than a nod to Black Sabbath), and sing about cosmic imagery, mountains and drugs. They are a bit more cerebral than yer typical 'stoner rock' and are a good band, check them out.

Nothing much new here (and that is a very good thing). More of the same wonderfully trippy stuff that we have come to know and love from these psychedelic masters throughout their 10 year career. An eclectic sonic blast that will surely take the listener from the 70's to the year 2000 in no time. From the wonderful groove of "Kiss of the Scorpion" to the power of inital single "Heads Explode" this has it all. Snippets that could fit in easily with any of the prior varied gems in the Monster Magnet catalog. Breath easy as not a shred of music contained here is commercially viable so don't expect to hear these songs on the radio. Album rock personified with each and every track gelling together to create one satisfying piece of work. A very worthy follow-up to the mind-blowing masterpiece "Powertrip". Easily the best album I've heard in the new millenium. Monster Magnet remain truly one-of-a-kind and I am very thankful for that.

I am a loyal Magnet fan. I'm not some top 40 listener who got into them with "Powertrip." I love "Spine of God," but I think their directional changes ARE A GOOD THING! I think you can hear the band maturing. True, they are not as F*#cked metally as they uesed to be, but Wyndorf's attitude is still there! He's still way over the top, and still has his god-sized ego. From "Spine of God" and "Dopes to Infinity" Magnet is immerging tall, flying the flag of rock music for all to see. The chords and lyrics are irresitable on this album. "Heads Explode" is a great song, sounding like a combination of "See You in Hell" and "Crop Circle." "Gravity Well" harkins back to the days of Dopes or Spine, with it's smashed blusy riffs and Daves drawly vocals. "God Says No" is everything we love about Monster Magnet, showing once again they are the champions of excess and sin. The bonus track "Silver Future" while repetitive and nothing special musically is a soaring track showcasing Dave's vocal range. So stop screaming "Sell Out!" Magnet is back and just as decadently wonderful as ever!

Good 2001 stoner/psych metal CD release from Monster Magnet,have always dug this band.Old school fans shouldn't be too let down,as 'God Says No' is about as decently written,produced and put together as it possibly could be.Guess what I'm trying to say is,WHO could ask for more?Tracks that I found myself playing repeatedly were "Heads Explode","Doomsday",a reworking(?)of "Medicine"(off their 'Spine Of God' disc-see my review),"Kiss Of The Scorpion" and "Silver Future"(also featured on the 'Heavy Metal 2000' soundtrack).A should-have.

In my opinion, nothing Magnet could do could compare to the earlier Spine or Superjudge. That said, this album definitely breaks away from the poppy undertone on Powertrip. So do not expect another Space Lord for the passive fan. This goes more towards Dopes, or even slightly pre-Dopes. Not all the way back to the initial "Satanic drug thing we wouldn't understand," but a step in the right direction for those Magnet fans that still love that Nod Scene and Lizard Johnny.

Monster Magnet albums traditionally open LOUD, and 'God Says No' is no exception. This is more in the spirit of 'Dopes to Infinity' than 'Powertrip,' which is fine by me. I prefer Monster Magnet's Hawkwind-esque space-rock style, which is well represented here along with more experimental songs (some work well, some don't). With lines like 'I was thinking how the world should have cried/On the day Jack Kirby died,' you can't go wrong. It may not be a Planet of the Apes and a third-eye kind of thing, but it still rocks.

Monster Magnet had masterpieces with SPINE OF GOD and DOPES TO INFINITY. Now, they try to make a case for another classic album, and nearly come close with GOD SAYS NO. Unfortunately, it isn't their best album...but it is worth hearing without a doubt. I figured since I own most of the Monster Magnet collection, GOD SAYS NO would be a welcome addition.
"Heads Explode" is a good song, but it's far from the best one. "Melt" is a great tune, with guitars that slowly drill into your brain. "Queen of You" is one of the most haunting tunes I have ever heard from them, and it's one of the strongest on here. "Take It" was an interesting track, as it features no guitars and mostly keyboards and, of course, the vocals of Wyndorf, which on the album are pretty nice. This track was a big departure from the sounds you have heard from the Magnet, but it was catchy. "Kiss of the Scorpion" has a great rhythm; "Gravity Well" is a real gritty Delta blues number with nice slide guitar work; and "My Little Friend" has atmosphere. However, "Silver Future", although a good song, could have been better.

Overall, GOD SAYS NO is a good album, and if you are a big fan of these guys, it really wouldn't hurt to add this to your collection.

P.S. For those who own the UK version of this cd (I happen to own that import and the regular version), "Down In The Jungle" is a great hard-charging Monster Magnet track. Probably my second fave on the album.

Longtime masters of the metal underground, Monster Magnet are finally getting some well-deserved recognition. With their newest offering, God Says No, the quintet serves up another hour of their own particular mix of heavy blues/metal riffs and B-movie lyrics. Songs like "Melt" and "All Shook Out" are exactly what previous fans are looking for, with subtle verses, crashing choruses, guitar riffs that range from nonstop crunch to short staccato segments to Middle Eastern sounds, and lyrics like "just set that plastic soul on fire and watch it melt." But that's not all. For the listener who prefers a variety of sounds, God Says No also contains some more exotic numbers, from the Indian-sounding "Cry" to the evil calypso of "Take It" (which even has singer Dave Wyndorf whistling the melody for the length of the entire last verse). The surprises and the `70s blues-rock influence combine on the amusing "Gravity Well," which consists mostly if a slide guitar riff which is suspiciously reminiscent of Led Zeppelin's "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp," but with the usual Monster Magnet lyrical content ("there's two suns in the sky today and one at your door," etc).

For all the fun, there is one drawback to this album - it gets a little too long and drawn out at times, especially with the 7-minute-plus "Queen of You" and "Cry." While the music is certainly great stuff, it tends to get repetitive after a little while; not over the whole album, but within each song at least. Fortunately, the band put in enough interesting and occasionally unusual songs to keep your interest just as you start to get tired of it. The result is a good album which could stand to lose a few minutes, but is nonetheless a fine piece of work from these straight-up hard rock kings who only now are being presented with their throne.

I myself am not a huge fan of Monster Magnet, but I found this CD to be quite refreshing. Instead of thick powerchords and loud yelling, MM go on a more trippy, psychadelic trip than their previous works. A lot of the CD sounds influenced by Queens of the Stone Age and 50's Sci-Fi movies. All in all, it is a well pieced album. I am more partial to Dopes to Infinity myself, but you should be able to enjoy this CD. I recommend it to anyone who likes Fu Manchu, Queens of the Stone Age, etc.

As with Powertrip and Dopes...this cd takes a few listens to get into (most good cd's do)...I guess the first single is Heads Explode....I would have picked the title track...that song is going to be an FM rock station staple...very rare that great songwriting and excellent musicianship come together in this genre...I'm going to have this CD in my stereo for a long time to come!!!!!