Album Review: Mondo Generator – We Stand Against You
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
If you want a glimpse into the mind of bassist/singer and all round stoner rock legend Nick Oliveri, then the latest offering from Mondo Generator will give you that insight, as here we have nine songs that are full of fire, fury and angst, and this is definitely not for the feint hearted.
It’s a total contrast to the latest offerings from his work with Brant Bjork in Stoner, which has a much more laid back desert rock vibe that they are both synonymous with, but 'We Stand Against You'”, is an album full of real emotion, with a dark, fast, punky attitude, just check out the brilliant songs 'Unglued'” and 'Sky Valley Meth'” for further evidence of this.
With the muffled words of “I trust no-one, Fuck the government, Fuck the system” you know that this is going to be an album full of intensity and passion. In first track 'I Stand Against You/Blast Off' Oliveri bellows out a countdown which ends with screaming roar of “lets go” which sounds like a rallying cry to anyone who is willing to listen about his recent experiences with the corona/sars lock downs.
Back with two new recruits in the band, Mike Pygmie on guitar and Mike Amster on drums, who both put in a sterling effort, and really help to push the songs along, 'I Want Out' and the sublime 'For A Day'' give great examples of this, it’s a record full of soul searching and as Oliveri has himself commented, “some of the songs are reflecting my personal thoughts and some songs are about family and close friends dying or committing suicide”
There are glimpses of the trademark Oliveri sound in songs like 'Death March' and 'Conspiracy' and I feel that this is where he usually excels the most, but this album is different, as it really grips the listener and it feels as if the songs are asking them to question everything around them. It has great depth to it, and the songs are reflective of this, as he touches certain areas that have affected him personally. Simply put, this is another album to add to the pile of Nick Oliveri classics and rightly so.
