Monster Magnet

Monster Magnet main man Dave "Space Lord" Wyndorf could give Donald Trump a run for his money in the firing department. He sent founding guitarist John McBain packing shortly after the 1992 release of Spine of God, the New Jersey outfit's shroom-damaged, psych-metal sludgebeast of a debut album and the one that marked them as early leaders of the stoner rock scene. He shitcanned nearly half a dozen mixing engineers while making Powertrip, MM's radio-friendly (but still heavy) 1998 breakthrough album. And more recently, he gave the ol' heave-ho to the band's longtime rhythm section because, he says, they got lazy, although they claim that being mere cogs in their front man's machine just wasn't that fun anymore. So the faces have changed on the new Monolithic Baby!, but as long as Wyndorf's in charge, the Magnet remains the same -- thunderous, meaty, Sabbath-slash-Motörhead-inspired rampages with a healthy dose of Spinal Tap-ish rock-god excess (i.e., no shortage of sex metaphors, long hair and sweaty leather pants). Some of his former associates might say Wyndorf's tyrannical, over-the-top persona puts the "cock" in "cock rock," but most fans agree that it makes for one bunker buster of a live show.