The album opens with "I Live Behind the Clouds". A single guitar note is played hypnotically, before crashing guitars and some killer screams from singer Dave Wyndorf really kick off the album. Wyndorf definitely sounds a little ragged after all his years of intense singing, but his voice still has tons of power, one of the most unsung singers in modern rock. Guitars trade off leads, and the band makes a tremendous racket. The song gets quite trippy when a buzzing guitar plays constantly. I like the tune, a classic Monster Magnet track that could have easily come off the superb "Dopes To Infinity" album. "Last Patrol" takes us on another trip through the cosmos, this time sounding more like something off the incredibly underrated but commercially successful "Powertrip" album. Think the Fantastic Four going up against Galactus in musical form. If you don't get what that means, let me simplify: f**king power. Massive power chords play over Wyndorf's spacy and powerful vocals. Some great leads from Garrett Sweeney round out a great song. A return to form indeed.
The album continues with a cover of Donovan's "Three Kingfishers". You may think that the song is too mellow for Magnet to cover, but think again. The band add some pretty heavy riffs to the track. Wyndorf sounds great, as do the sitars from Sweeney, a great trip. "Paradise" is next. Opening with repetitive note-playing like "I Live Behind the Clouds", it's equally as much of a slow-burner of a song. Monster Magnet is all about build-up, and this song has it in spades. Hendrix-like leads increase the psychedelic feel of the song, very retro. Unfortunately, the song builds, but never reaches the "climax" musically speaking. I felt the song could have been heavier in the middle, but it's still a decent song. "Hallelujah" bears no relation to the Leonard Cohen classic. Instead, we get a song that sounds like Steppenwolf meets Hendrix. Bluesy, from a vocal standpoint, Wyndorf supplies some great vocals and lyrics. But the song is a bit boring to be honest, it sits on the same notes for a long, long time, never feeling like it is going anywhere musically speaking. An average Magnet track.
"Mindless Ones" is another song very influenced by the 1960s. The psychedelic lyrics and copious amount of flanger are very typical of the band, and it does feel very familiar. Longtime fans of the band will enjoy the return to the classic Magnet sound, and it's hard to disagree with that. The song is a bit too loud in terms of production for me, and while the album sounds vintage and raw, at times it suffers from being too distorted. Drummer Bob Pantella is a highlight of the track, and his drumming is solid and powerful throughout the album. "The Duke (Of Supernature)" is the albums' answer to massive hit "Spacelord". Mellotron strings add a great vintage vibe, as do the percussion jangly acoustics. The song never reaches the heights of "Spacelord", but does get heavy near the end, with a great solo and groove, as well as some nice slide guitar. This album will certainly please guitar players, as the band has three guitarists including Wyndorf. One of the best songs on the album by far.
"End of Time" is one of the few fast songs on the album. Think the Rolling Stones on speed. After the last tune, the song really picks you up. The lyrics are the most druggy on the album, despite Wyndorf supposedly being sober, the song is certainly a trip. Good stuff, and classic form for the band. "Stay Tuned" borders on progressive rock, and again features Mellotron. Desolate and paranoid, the song is apocalyptic in feel, sounding like the tale of the last man alive on Earth. Wyndorf delivers some cryptic lyrics about not trusting those in power. I like the "Planet Caravan" laid-back feel the song, a great song to chill out to. The guitar leads at the end of the song are superb, and only increase to isolation of the track.
The deluxe edition of the album contains two bonus tracks. "Strobe Light Beatdown" is the closest in feel to 2000s Monster Magnet. Very bright sounding, the song should have been included on the album proper in my opinion. Easily one of the best songs by the band in years, it's straight up rock and roll to the core. A great song. "One Dead Moon" is another bonus track. Acoustic through the first half, it comes in with a heavy riff that sounds great. Again, I don't know why this song was not included on the album, a great heavy song that builds tension in all the right ways. Listen for yourself.
"Last Patrol" has moments of greatness. The band's glory days are possibly behind them, but this album is their best effort in years. If you at all like the band, give the album a shot, especially if you liked their mid-90's output as it more closely resembles "Dopes To Infinity" and "Superjudge" than "Powertrip".
Rating-7.5/10
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