Live at Parkteateret in Oslo, Norway on January 23rd 2014
After making an impressive return to form with last year’s Last Patrol, New Jersey stoner legends Monster Magnet are embarking on a two-month European tour. This time they’ve brought along the Japanese hippie-killers Church Of Misery, who are way overdue for their big break. After making stops in Sweden and Denmark, tonight the two groups of misfits and freaks arrive in Oslo to blow our minds.
Local promotion for tonight’s gig has been sparse, and as a result the attendance is meager when Church Of Misery take the stage. As the bell-bottom wearing foursome descend upon us, the audience consists of only around 50 potheads and rockers. Despite the disappointing turnout, the band rips straight into the dangerously groovy “El Padrino”, wowing those of us who bothered to show up with an overabundance of energy and ferocity.
Since the headliners’ equpiment is already rigged up behind Church Of Misery before the show begins, the band is confined to a tiny space at the front of the stage. They manage to destroy what little room they have with their Black Sabbath-worshipping murder-hymns, but come into some trouble when the hastily duct-taped microphone dies in the middle of the set. Despite these setbacks the band serves up 45 minutes of brutality, showcasing tracks from their brilliant new album Thy Kingdom Scum.
After the boys from Japan bow out, the venue is rapidly filling up. Although Monster Magnet’s wonder years is firmly rooted in the 90s, it’s obvious that they can still attract a crowd. For this tour they’re performing Last Patrol from beginning to end, a bold move for a band that skeptics have damned as being past their prime. As frontman Dave Wyndorf exclaims as he conquers the stage, most of the audience probably haven’t even heard the album yet, and many are undoubtedly expecting a set of classics rather than exclusively new material.
The warm welcome as Wyndorf and his crew launch into opener “I Live Behind The Clouds” suggests otherwise. Returning to their space rock roots makes for a psychedelic experience, and the band thrives on the trippy synths and hard rock solos. Wyndorf is a charismatic frontman, and his experience opening for giants like Metallica and Rob Zombie has left him an impressive stage-presence. From the funky riffs of “Hallelujah” to the acoustic space-trip “The Duke Of Supernature”, Last Patrol works even better on stage than on record.
Ending a 50-minute set with the pensive and appropriately titled “Stay Tuned”, the band leaves the stage to thunderous applause. A delightfully responsive crowd grows even more eager as the band returns to perform a few classics, namely “Twin Earth” (from 1993’s underrated Superjudge), “Dopes To Infinity” and “Look To Your Orb For The Warning” (both from the titular masterpiece Dopes To Infinity). Wishing everybody a continuing awesome night, Wyndorf leads the crowd into a sing-along with the monumental “Space Lord”. As the crowd goes wild, the evening reaches it’s climax for a band that haven’t sounded so good in 15 years. The future looks bright for Monster Magnet, gotta keep wearing them shades.
“When I say motherfucker, you say MOTHERFUCKER!”
