4 Way Diabolo

The longtime mustachioed leader of Monster Magnet, Dave Wyndorf, is pretty darn lucky to be alive, as he nearly succumbed to a drug overdose in early 2006. But he's made a full recovery, and has returned to the driver's seat for the group's seventh full-length overall, 2007's 4-Way Diablo. While known primarily as a molar-rattling biker metal band to many, ol' Wyndorf has never covered up his admiration of garage rock and psychedelia -- but kicking off a Monster Magnet album with a track that oozes lava lamps and paisley (the title track) is a bit unsuspected. But have no fear, the trademark Monster Magnet roar soon reappears, as evidenced by such good old-fashioned ass kickers as "Wall of Fire" and "You're Alive." However, the group refuses to get one-dimensional, as evidenced by a trippy cover of the Rolling Stones obscurity "2000 Lightyears from Home," as well as tracks that would sound dandy to those who like to live in an "altered state" -- especially "Freeze and Pixelate." Much to the delight of concerned longtime fans, 4-Way Diablo signals a strong return to form for a band that came very close to being cut short. ~ Greg Prato