GoldmineMag.com

The Maggots
Monkey Time!

Wicked Cool (403)

The Maggots wriggled out of Sweden in
1999, a trio fronted by Mans Mansson, one
of the most exciting guitarists on the garage
scene. From The Stooges to Chuck Berry, surf
to British Invasion, The Velvets to The Cramps,
Mansson can lick ’em at their own licks, usually
in quick succession while simultaneously
belting out the lyrics with gusto. His ferocious
solos provide the band’s fire, the powerful
rhythm section add the fuel.

Monkey Time!, The Maggots’ American
debut, is actually their fourth album, and
adds an organist who helps kick the band
into psychedelia. Killer covers of “Go Away”
and “Tomato Juice” are definite high points,
but their own material is just as scintillating,
with the raucous anthem “Ain’t Nothing But a
Maggot,” the swampy “The Sideshow,” and the
storming “It’s Not Me, It’s You” only some of the
tops of their pops.

— Jo-Ann Greene