MONSTER MAGNET Mainman Discusses New Album '4-Way Diablo'

Vassil Varbanov of Bulgaria's Tangra Mega Rock recently conducted an interview with MONSTER MAGNET mainman Dave Wyndorf. An excerpt from the chat follows:

Tangra Mega Rock: There's a cover version of THE ROLLING STONES' song "2000 Light Years from Home" on [the new MONSTER MAGNET album] "4-Way Diablo". Why?

Dave Wyndorf: I guess the question is more "Why not?" I love this song, and my buddies in the band wanted to play it, so that's the reason. They brought it up, and I said, "Okay, if it sounds good..." We did it and it was really fun to do.

Tangra Mega Rock: Is there something that you can pick up as a phrase to describe the atmosphere of the whole recording process of the album?

Dave Wyndorf: Ah... The thing I'll always remember from this time is that the guys in the band — Ed, Jim and Bob — were really, really, really good. Those guys put down their tracks really fast, it was excellent, it was fun...

Tangra Mega Rock: A lot has been written about the victims that the rock'n'roll world has given... How do you personally feel today? Are you still in good shape?

Dave Wyndorf: Yeah... I was in bad shape for a while because of touring too much. I was taking too many sleeping pills and that kind of stuff... I think the trick with rock'n'roll is to know when to stop for a while and not stay on the road for too long. That's what makes me go crazy.

Tangra Mega Rock: What about the concept of rock'n'roll in general? Now, in the 21st century, does it have to be in a more futuristic kind of shape?

Dave Wyndorf: Well, I think the main reason it's different now is that more people in the world today tend to get their music from other sources than record stores — they look for it online, on computers and stuff like that. Besides, the way rock'n'roll is sold is more corporate now than it ever was, but I don't think that will effect the music that much, as it should come from the same part that it always did.

Tangra Mega Rock: Once we were waiting impatiently for a new album to come, like counting the days backwards till the release date of the new AC/DC record or something, and now almost everything's been leaked on the Internet months before, there's no impatience and this kills a bit the value of the whole ritual of being a rock fan... What do you think?

Dave Wyndorf: That was really well said and I totally agree. The way people get their music now isn't the most exciting one. The ritual has been torn apart by all this stuff and... I hope that people can kind of invent their own ritual that would make it as exciting... but I agree with you — it's not much fun when stuff gets leaked out there and you just download it. The physical act of going out to the record store has definitely gone away. What replaced it is that kids are still searching for bands, but they do it on the Internet and on YouTube. They still look for underground stuff, but that's where they search. I don't particularly think that's good, I think the old physical way is better... but at least it's still being done.

The entire interview is available in text and audio format at this location.