During the early '90s, a new crop of Black Sabbath-esque bands was being hailed by the media as the next big thing -- perhaps even as a challenge to grunge. At the top of this list were Kyuss, Masters of Reality, and Monster Magnet. While all three did indeed carve niches for themselves and help... [+] Expand

During the early '90s, a new crop of Black Sabbath-esque bands was being hailed by the media as the next big thing -- perhaps even as a challenge to grunge. At the top of this list were Kyuss, Masters of Reality, and Monster Magnet. While all three did indeed carve niches for themselves and help launch the stoner metal movement of the late '90s, none exactly battled Soundgarden and Nirvana for the top of the charts. Monster Magnet came the closest, however, due to a brief flirtation with the masses with 1998's Powertrip and its rock radio hit, "Space Lord." But there was obviously more to the band led by the man with the nifty facial hair, Dave Wyndorf, as evidenced by the 2003 release Greatest Hits. Imagine the perfect soundtrack for a bunch of stoned/longhaired hippies staring at a projection-screen light show, and you're not far off from such Monster Magnet favorites as "Negasonic Teenage Warhead," "Dopes to Infinity," "Space Lord," and "Powertrip." And following in the footsteps of the aforementioned Soundgarden and Kyuss, Monster Magnet also cover Black Sabbath's "Into the Void," albeit in a completely overhauled way. Since their studio albums were known to be a bit uneven at times, the best way to experience Monster Magnet may be through a compilation, and Greatest Hits covers all the bases. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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