Music On Vinyl: Monster Magnet, David Bowie, Wolfmother

 Recent releases from Music On Vinyl. Monster Magnet "Superjudge" on blue splatter vinyl, nicely pressed. This is where Music On Vinyl excel - digital recordings well transferred to vinyl. Basically their versions of titles that originally were recorded to analog tape can vary from really shitty sounding (ELP) to mediocre, to not half bad (Caravan's first LP). But more recent stuff seems to be given a good mastering from the digital source.
Superjudge sounds great. It's a record with lots of pure fun energy, hard rock, foot moving, fist shaking rock, old school style. Great record. Sounds tight, rounded, relaxed.

Wolfmother is hard rock with a metal edge, epic hard rock, not far removed from progressive metal bands like Mastodon, White Hills, The Sword and a lot of others - there is lots of competition in this niche. Wolfmother is a great band, and the writing is excellent, as is the playing. They are certainly retro on this second album - Rush is an obvious touchpoint, early Rush. Lyrically as well - a medieval metal in the songwriting. Their third album - Cosmic Egg - is a better, more proggy record. This S/T record is thoroughly a good rocker and the MOV pressing is fine, sounds very organic and relaxed, nothing harsh or hinting at digital here. Recommended.

Bowie's "Heathen" is given a great treatment by MOV. From 2002, Heathen is Bowie's last great record. It comes as a summation of his career, not a nostalgic one by a synthesis of what has gone before, a comfortable and mature one. A thoroughly modern production, very contemporary, yet Bowie all the way through. Well written and played, the MOV pressing is excellent, and for a record that references electronica as well as guitar rock, it sounds very relaxed and organic. A winner.