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. - AMG

1. 4-Way Diablo
2. Wall Of Fire
3. You're Alive
4. Blow Your Mind
5. Cyclone
6. 2000 Light Years From Home
7. No Vacation
8. I'm Calling You
9. Solid Gold
10. Freeze And Pixillate
11. A Thousand Stars
12. Slap In The Face
13. Little Bag Of Gloom
14. Tomorrow's Sun