Monster Magnet - God Says No [2LP]

Monster Magnet's God Says No followed the band's biggest success with a heavier, weirder and more brooding set, first released in 2000 and back here as a double LP reissue.

After the crossover breakthrough of Powertrip, Dave Wyndorf and company returned with an album that doubled down on space-rock grandeur and swaggering riffs, co-produced by Wyndorf and Matt Hyde. It was their fifth studio album, their last for A&M, and the final one with bassist Joe Calandra and drummer Jon Kleiman, which gives the whole record the feel of a chapter closing. Wyndorf's lyrics lean into paranoia, excess and cosmic dread, delivered with a showman's sneer.

"Heads Explode" is a glam-tinged stomper that also turned up on the Dracula 2000 soundtrack, while "Melt" opens the album with a slow, psychedelic burn. "Doomsday" piles on the menace and fuzz, and guitarist Ed Mundell lights up the whole record with spacey, wah-drenched leads.

Though it never matched the commercial heights of its predecessor, God Says No has grown into a cult favorite among fans of stoner rock and heavy psychedelia. Its sprawl is part of the appeal.

This 2LP reissue gives that cosmic sound plenty of room to breathe, and rewards anyone willing to turn it up loud.