Photographer: Michael Lavine.

In the light of the stoner metal explosion of the late '90s and early '00s, Monster Magnet can be viewed without hyperbole as visionaries. More accessible than the Melvins and considerably more out than Soundgarden, Monster Magnet added elements of '70s hard rock and Hawkwind's space rock to their doom stew, and along with Kyuss and Sleep had a hand in codifying stoner metal as a genre. This is the first single-disc best-of collection released by the band and all the tracks but one--"Temple of Your Dreams"--can be found on the two-disc GREATEST HITS collection released in 2003. Longtime fans looking for the best stuff would be wise to find it there, but 20th CENTURY MASTERS is perfect for neophytes who only want to stick their toes in the bongwater.