22:25 How Magnetic Are the Monsters?

Do you remember the days when it was cool to snort coke from stripper's tits, ride a harley into the sunset and battle heroin addiction as the ultimate form of manhood? Me neither, but the Monster Magnet sure does.

1993 was the year of Alice in Chains, Jane's Addiction, Nirvana and the birth of grunge. It was also the year "stoner rock" reigned supreme and the Monster Magnet was at it's height of California cool. I never really got into them, but my friends loved them and I always felt somehow left out. Enter 2005 Ilosaari Rock.

This was my chance to rock with the Magnetic Monsters and see if they stood the test of time. I was amped, ready to party and literally felt my youth pulsate through my veins. Dissappointment was imminent. The lead singer looked like a bouncer for a shady club and the rest of the band seemed rented for the occasion. Imagine Steven Tyler of Aerosmith minus the talent and you get the picture. Still, the band rocked and took their place in history. Emphasis on the word history. Grunts, pelvis rotations, Tarzan like chest banging, pleading on the knees and a perpetual fist thrown in the air were a painful reminder that one cannot age gracefully and still wear a pair of tie-up leather pants. Sorry Monsters, your haydays are forever gone.

Karoliina Brodsky
Pics: Minna Veliheimo

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