On the occasion of the new album of MONSTER MAGNET "Mindfucker", Rock Overdose and Zisis Petkanas had an interesting conversation with the founder and master mind of the band Dave Wyndorf.
Rock Overdose: Hello Dave, I'm calling from Greece from Rock Overdose.
Monster Magnet: Oh, good, how are you?
Rock Overdose: Very good, thank you! How's it going on the band's side these days?
Monster Magnet: Good, we're just getting ready to play a few shows here, and the new album “Mindfucker” is coming out in two weeks, and we're doing some shows in New York City, New Jersey and Philadelphia.
Rock Overdose: We hope to see you in Greece again!
Monster Magnet: Oh, we'll be in Greece for sure within two years, if not this year, definitely the next year.
Rock Overdose: I suppose you have great memories from your last visit.
Monster Magnet: Oh, yeah! Believe me, Greece is one of my favorite places to play because number one, the people are really nice and cool and number two, it's the best goddamn food I've ever eaten in my life, the food is insanely good, I don't get food that tastes that good food where I live.
Rock Overdose: Which is your favorite, souvlaki or maybe feta?
Monster Magnet: Oh yeah, feta and the olives and... there's something in this oil that makes food taste that way. And I travel a lot, I'm not bullshiting, this is the best goddamn feta I've ever had. Honestly, I want to cancel the gig in Germany, so I can stay in Greece the next day and eat, that's how much I like it.
Rock Overdose: So, what about the new album “Mindfucker”?
Monster Magnet: It's a straight ahead album of rock'n'roll, I wanted to do something straight and to the point, something that we can pull out live, and hit the road with it pretty easy.
Rock Overdose: Is this a ''back to the roots'' album just like you said?
Monster Magnet: Yeah, a little bit, it's simplified on purpose, the last couple records I did were long and very cerebral space rock with weird melancholy strings in them. I wanted to do something not like that, I wanted it simplified, it's good for the head to do both of those things, rather than getting stuck, I could get stuck in this space thing and lose my head on that, and the band agreed.
Rock Overdose: What about the cover song that you chose?
Monster Magnet: The cover? Yeah, it fit pretty nice, it comes from one of my favourite albums, “Captain Lockhead And The Starfighters” (1974) by Robert Calvert, he used to be the lead singer for Hawkwind, it's just kick-ass rock'n'roll and it's just simple and cool that I don't even ever think to be that simple and write a song like that. I like putting old covers on the records because it's certain songs from the past that should be kept alive, there's a certain sound of some rock records from the past that aren't popular, not every record is popular, like “Led Zeppelin II” (1969), so some of these songs get lost and sometimes I think it's my duty to keep some of those songs alive.
Rock Overdose: And you have released until now two singles and two videos from the album.
Monster Magnet: Yeah, one for “Mindfucker” and one for “Ejection” and there will be a lyric video for “I'm God”.
Rock Overdose: And when is it going to be released?
Monster Magnet: Soon, sometime around next week or the week after.
Rock Overdose: What about the title of the album? Do you want to state something with this title?
Monster Magnet: We wanted to say something that it's simple as possible, just a word, a name that sounded cool. Mindfucker is a term that I've been using since I was 14 years old. You could describe stuff like “my girl mindfucked me, I don't know what's going on”. Or, “the government lays taxes and they're sending us to war, it's a fucking mindfucker”. Pure Beavis and Butthead style word. I use it in my life all the time. So the song is written about a girlfriend but as the Trump thing happened and as the world went fucking crazy all the way to the right, I thought that was a mindfucker as well. So it has two meanings.
Rock Overdose: It's been five years since you released the “Last Patrol” (2013) album, why did it take you too much to release it?
Monster Magnet: I did two reimagining albums, which took me much longer than I thought, went to the studio and reimagined “Mastermind” (2010) and “Last Patrol”, and I did them because I had an urge to go to the studio and rework stuff I had already done, I didn't feel like writing a new album. That's why I spent five years, it would have taken three but I just had schedule problems.
Rock Overdose: I know that this album is your last in the contract with Napalm Records. I know it's too soon but what about the future? Will continue with this label?
Monster Magnet: Yeah sure, we'll talk about that now that the new album is out, I'm sure we'll talk about it and what the future's gonna be. My future is more albums, so if they wanna do it, I'll do it.
Rock Overdose: What about something personal? Are you planning to do something of your own with other musicians?
Monster Magnet: I might do a weird solo album, I've been planning to do something for long, it would be fun. I'll think about it but now it's contract time and then I'll think about this album as well. Maybe add some piano, weird instruments.
Rock Overdose: And what about your touring plans?
Monster Magnet: The record is coming out in two weeks and we're playing some shows in our local area, New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia in the United States. Then we hit the road in Europe in May and we do a month or maybe five weeks in Europe in May. Most of Europe. Then we set to American tour after that, meaning Canada and U.S.A. and then South America, Australia, I'll go anywhere.
Rock Overdose: What about the future of the band? How do you see Monster Magnet's future in let's say ten years from now?
Monster Magnet: Oh, I don't want to look ten years in the future, it's pretty scary! I used to look about a year in the future. Let's see what we've got. I know I'll be making music, unless I fall down from stairs or get hit by a bus.
Rock Overdose: Are there any other news that you'd like to share through this interview?
Monster Magnet: No, I think that's it, it's just the new record, the tour, the videos, that's enough for me.
Rock Overdose: Would you like to leave a message for your fans, especially in Greece?
Monster Magnet: Yes, Greece I love you! Monster Magnet love you and we'll be back just as soon as we can, seriously, not making it up, it's one of my favourite places to play, you're sweethearts, it's the only place where I can actually hug men, like ''come here, gimme a big hug''.
Rock Overdose: That's great, before we close we'd like your opinion about metal music! Are there going to be bands like Judas Priest or Black Sabbath in the future?
Monster Magnet: There's a bunch of metal I like and some metal I don't like. I tend to like melody, right now I'm a fan of the stoner doom, as far as metal is concerned, I like some eerie vibe to it, I like nice vocals, I'm not a fan of pure brutality with people screaming like ''UUUURGHHH'', but there is room for everything.
Rock Overdose: So, thank you very much for your time and I hope to see you in the next year or two in Greece.
Monster Magnet: It was a pleasure talking to you man, take care!
For the Rock Overdose Webzine,
Interview-Zisis Petkanas
Tapescript-Dimitris Aloras
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