Monster Magnet to Release ‘Test Patterns: Vol.1’ via God Unknown Records on 12″ Vinyl

When Monster Magnet were starting out, their sound was quite unlike that which would attract major labels and fans the world over. Originally formed by Dave Wyndorf, John McBain and Tim Cronin, they debuted in 1989 with two demo tapes – Forget About Life, I’m High On Dope, and I’m Stoned, What Ya Gonna Do About It? – albums which, according to a press release, were “revelling in bad trips and the death of the hippy dream with a Manson Family stare, playing squelchy lo-fi psychedelic music with a rabid punk rock sneer, like The Stooges terrorising Hawkwind at the most unpleasant free festival imaginable.”

Well, those same two demos would unite to become then 1991’s release, Spine Of God, and the 25…Tab EP. Seen by many die-hard fans as the essence of the group’s sound, a new release dubbed Test Patterns: Vol.1, is set to drop on November 11th via God Unknown Records on 12″ vinyl, including a 2021 remix of “Tab” by John McBain.

Tim Cronin comments:

“When Magnet started, John and I worked in record stores in Red Bank and Dave worked in the comic bookstore and we made a lot of tapes for each other. A lot of ‘check this shit out’ kind of stuff…Hawkwind, early UFO, Amon Duul, Can, Skullflower, Morgen, Loop, Crystalized Movements, early Alice Cooper, Walking Seeds, Butthole Surfers, Spacemen 3. When we recorded the first demo and got to TAB, we just beat the shit out of it until it became heavy, noisy, weird, mean and either too long or not long enough, depending on your mood. Everything we wanted in a song (at least everything I wanted in a song), punishingly psychedelic. Jersey Shore krautrock.”

Test Patterns: Vol. 1 will come in two 12″ vinyl editions – a deluxe gatefold sleeve with acid blotter inner sleeve and a special Rough Trade Super Deluxe edition with gatefold sleeve, limited to 300 copies with 4 postcards, blotter inner sleeve, ‘orange sunshine’ coloured vinyl and alternative cover artwork.

Monster Magnet, photo by Glinda Wyndorf

Artwork for the album ‘Test Patterns: Vol. 1’ by Monster Magnet