Monster (song)
Encyclopedia
Monster is the third UK single by Cardiff
-based band The Automatic
, taken from their debut album Not Accepted Anywhere
. The track was released on 5 June 2006 in the UK and subsequently reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart
. It was released in the United States under the alias of The Automatic Automatic on 14 May 2007. It is The Automatic's highest charting single to-date in the United Kingdom.
and Robin Hawkins
, with the original incarnation featuring a different chorus, both musically and lyrically, however the band decided to firstly change the music, before deciding to re-write the choruses lyrics. The chorus was planned to have a fairy-tale-esq. theme to it, with keyboardist & vocalist Alex Pennie
penning the idea which would become the tracks famous lyric "what's that coming over the hill is it a monster? is it a monster"; originally however the lyric was purely used to fill the chorus until a more suited lyric was found, but over time the lyric stuck and so was eventually used when the band recorded a demo of it in 2005.
Many of the lyrics used in Monster are metaphors for drug and drink intoxication; "brain fried tonight through misuse" and "without these pills you're let loose", with the chorus 'monster' lyric being a metaphor for the monster that comes out when people are intoxicated.
The original demo of Monster featured more prominent synthesizers, with some different vocals, including more gang vocals during the chorus, and distorted backing vocals during the verses and bridge, the guitar, bass and drums however stayed relatively the same when in late 2005 they rerecorded the track for their album Not Accepted Anywhere
. With the line-up change in 2007, seeing Paul Mullen
join, Monster was reworked, with Paul providing a second guitar part, with almost all synthesizer parts removed, in addition a new section was added to the bridge of Monster, featuring a riff from Paul Mullen's band Yourcodenameis:milo
track "All Roads to Fault
".
". The single was released on 5 June 2006 on vinyl, CD and through digital download, the various single formats featured various remixes of "Monster" and the b-side from recording Not Accepted Anywhere "Night Drive" which was has rarely been performed live. The release of Monster was celebrated by a performance in Cardiff HMV on 5 June, with a series of HMV
and Fopp
instore performances over the following days. The American release of Monster came almost a year later on 14 May 2007, it was the bands first and only American single to-date, with their at the time American distributor Columbia Records
not picking the band up in 2008 with Steve McQueen
due to the record agreement between the bands main at-the-time label B-Unique Records, Polydor Records and subsequently Columbia Records.
The track has been featured on a range of different platforms, from video game such as Lego Rock Band
, Kinect Sports
, and FIFA 08
to Hollywood films such as Igor
and Slither as well as being featured in TV series Torchwood
, Doctor Who
, Primeval
, Hollyoaks
, Le Grand Journal, Tittybangbang
, Sinchronicity
, Bones
and Serious Ocean.
Monster has been widely used on various compilation albums including Ultimate Pop Party, The Anthems, Now Thats What I Call Music!: 64, Top Gear: Sub Zero Driving Anthems, Xbox
Presents: Start, NME
Presents the Essential Bands 2006, 41 Crowd Pleasing Classics, Rock Hits Workout, Smashed, whilst on The Automatic
's own releases it has been featured as a remix on the 2007 "Raoul
" single and the United States released EP So Nice Say it Twice
Universal Music Polska
released "Monster" on 29 March 2011.
, London in 2006 and features Hadleigh Lomasney as 'big-foot'.
The video features the band playing monster hunters in false beards and hiking gear. They travel in an old van draped with camouflage
and newspaper articles that refer to monster
s, UFOs and Nessie
, and James Frost plays his guitar solo standing on top of the van. The characters encounter Nessie and Big Foot but remain oblivious to their finds; when they return to the van they are surrounded by monsters who are destroyed by a UFO, which then zaps the band as they exit the van.
or This Is A Fix
, the closest to reaching "Monster" was 2008 single "Steve McQueen
" which charted at 19 in the UK charts, considerably lower than predicted, however this was due to several mistakes made by the bands label, who took an extra week to digitally release the track "Steve McQueen". Half of the band in 2005 believed that Not Accepted Anywhere track "Rats" would end up being a bigger hit than Monster.
's Rachel Cawley gave the track 0 out of 10, attacking fans of the track saying; "If it was you who requested this to be played on the radio, you have my sympathy. Are you so stupefied that you find this ditchwater enthralling?" MusicOHM's Ryan Thomas reacted to the track far more positively, saying "Monster is an electrifying 3 minutes and 44 seconds of pop music at its finest" NME
also praised the track "it’s the catchiest indie hit of the summer, boasting a hook that could disembowel a whale" Gigwise.com
however was not as positive, referring to previous singles "Recover" and "Raoul" saying"The Automatics releases are getting progressively worse each time. Are they running out of good songs?"
originally, with its highest charting position at number 4. In 2007 when digital tracks began being counted in the UK Singles Chart Monster re-entered the singles chart once more, at 34. With the self release of third album Tear the Signs Down
in 2010, the band revealed that Monster's success bought in a constant revenue to the band.
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
-based band The Automatic
The Automatic
The Automatic , are a Welsh rock band. The band is composed of Robin Hawkins on vocals, bass and synthesizers, James Frost on guitar, synthesizers, backing vocals and occasional bass, Iwan Griffiths on drums and Paul Mullen on vocals, guitar and synthesizer - since 2007...
, taken from their debut album Not Accepted Anywhere
Not Accepted Anywhere
Not Accepted Anywhere is the debut album from Welsh rock band The Automatic, originally released on June 19, 2006. Working with producers Stephen Harris, Richard Jackson and Ian Broudie on different tracks at a variety of studies around the United Kingdom the album was released through a joint deal...
. The track was released on 5 June 2006 in the UK and subsequently reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It was released in the United States under the alias of The Automatic Automatic on 14 May 2007. It is The Automatic's highest charting single to-date in the United Kingdom.
Composition
The track's music was composed by James FrostJames Frost
James Martin Frost is the guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist of Welsh band The Automatic, and guitarist and backing vocalist for Cardiff based band Effort. As well as his musical duties for The Automatic, Frost has also directed two of the bands music videos and their tour video daries...
and Robin Hawkins
Robin Hawkins
Robin Hawkins, commonly known as Rob is the primary vocalist and bassist for Welsh band The Automatic.-Personal life:Rob studied at Cowbridge Comprehensive School, completing his A-levels and going on to take a chance with The Automatic in his gap year...
, with the original incarnation featuring a different chorus, both musically and lyrically, however the band decided to firstly change the music, before deciding to re-write the choruses lyrics. The chorus was planned to have a fairy-tale-esq. theme to it, with keyboardist & vocalist Alex Pennie
Alex Pennie
Alexander Gregor Pennie is the lead vocalist of Welsh Hardcore punk band Goodtime Boys. Pennie was previously in Welsh band The Automatic, where he provided backing vocals as well as playing synthesizers and keyboards for the act...
penning the idea which would become the tracks famous lyric "what's that coming over the hill is it a monster? is it a monster"; originally however the lyric was purely used to fill the chorus until a more suited lyric was found, but over time the lyric stuck and so was eventually used when the band recorded a demo of it in 2005.
Many of the lyrics used in Monster are metaphors for drug and drink intoxication; "brain fried tonight through misuse" and "without these pills you're let loose", with the chorus 'monster' lyric being a metaphor for the monster that comes out when people are intoxicated.
Not Accepted Anywhere
Not Accepted Anywhere is the debut album from Welsh rock band The Automatic, originally released on June 19, 2006. Working with producers Stephen Harris, Richard Jackson and Ian Broudie on different tracks at a variety of studies around the United Kingdom the album was released through a joint deal...
. With the line-up change in 2007, seeing Paul Mullen
Paul Mullen
Paul Mullen is an English musician, most notable recognized for being the primary vocalist and guitarist with Yourcodenameis:milo who went on hiatus in 2007, and the joint lead vocalist, guitarist and synthesizer player for The Automatic from 2007 onwards...
join, Monster was reworked, with Paul providing a second guitar part, with almost all synthesizer parts removed, in addition a new section was added to the bridge of Monster, featuring a riff from Paul Mullen's band Yourcodenameis:milo
Yourcodenameis:milo
-External links:**...
track "All Roads to Fault
All Roads to Fault
All Roads to Fault is an ep by British experimental post-hardcore band Yourcodenameis:Milo, released in 2004. The most recent edition of the album features music videos for "All Roads to Fault" and "The Problem", which were both released as singles....
".
Release
A demo of the track was released in early 2005. The single release of "Monster" was announced in April 2006, the single would proceed the bands debut album, which was also announced "Not Accepted AnywhereNot Accepted Anywhere
Not Accepted Anywhere is the debut album from Welsh rock band The Automatic, originally released on June 19, 2006. Working with producers Stephen Harris, Richard Jackson and Ian Broudie on different tracks at a variety of studies around the United Kingdom the album was released through a joint deal...
". The single was released on 5 June 2006 on vinyl, CD and through digital download, the various single formats featured various remixes of "Monster" and the b-side from recording Not Accepted Anywhere "Night Drive" which was has rarely been performed live. The release of Monster was celebrated by a performance in Cardiff HMV on 5 June, with a series of HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
and Fopp
Fopp
Fopp may be:*Fopp, a song from the 1975 Honey album by the Ohio Players*Fopp , an EP by Soundgarden, featuring the song of the same name*Fopp , a British entertainment retailer...
instore performances over the following days. The American release of Monster came almost a year later on 14 May 2007, it was the bands first and only American single to-date, with their at the time American distributor Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
not picking the band up in 2008 with Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen (The Automatic song)
"Steve McQueen" is the first and ultimately only single from Welsh rock band The Automatic's second album This Is A Fix. It is their fifth single overall...
due to the record agreement between the bands main at-the-time label B-Unique Records, Polydor Records and subsequently Columbia Records.
The track has been featured on a range of different platforms, from video game such as Lego Rock Band
Lego Rock Band
Lego Rock Band is a music video game and part of the Rock Band series developed by Harmonix Music Systems, but also incorporates elements from other Lego video games as developed by Traveller's Tales. The game is published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and MTV Games...
, Kinect Sports
Kinect Sports
Kinect Sports is a sports video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. The game utilises the Kinect motion-sensing peripheral and was released in North America, Europe, Australasia and Japan in November 2010 as a launch title for Kinect.The game is a...
, and FIFA 08
FIFA 08
FIFA 08 is the 2008 installment of EA Sports' series of football video games. Developed by EA Canada, it is published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. It was released on all popular gaming formats in September 2007 in Europe, Australia, and Asia, and in October 2007 in North...
to Hollywood films such as Igor
Igor (film)
Igor is a 2008 computer animated family comedy film about the stock character Igor. The plot revolves around the grotesque title figure Igor and his dreams of winning first place at the Evil Science Fair. The movie was released on September 19, 2008...
and Slither as well as being featured in TV series Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
, Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, Primeval
Primeval
Primeval or primæval may refer to:* Primeval, a British science fiction television series.* Primeval , a 2007 film* Primeval , a score of music from the BBC TV series Doctor Who...
, Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
, Le Grand Journal, Tittybangbang
Tittybangbang
Tittybangbang is a female-led television sketch comedy, performed by Lucy Montgomery and Debbie Chazen, which ran between 2005 and 2007 on BBC Three. The show was largely written by Bob Mortimer and Jill Parker and produced by their company Pett Productions.-History:Bob Mortimer and Lisa Clark...
, Sinchronicity
Sinchronicity
Sinchronicity is a six-part drama series broadcast on BBC Three in the United Kingdom. The first episode aired on 16 July 2006, and the series concluded on 20 August 2006. Set in Manchester the programme is narrated by Nathan and focuses on the love triangle between him and the two other...
, Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
and Serious Ocean.
Monster has been widely used on various compilation albums including Ultimate Pop Party, The Anthems, Now Thats What I Call Music!: 64, Top Gear: Sub Zero Driving Anthems, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
Presents: Start, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
Presents the Essential Bands 2006, 41 Crowd Pleasing Classics, Rock Hits Workout, Smashed, whilst on The Automatic
The Automatic
The Automatic , are a Welsh rock band. The band is composed of Robin Hawkins on vocals, bass and synthesizers, James Frost on guitar, synthesizers, backing vocals and occasional bass, Iwan Griffiths on drums and Paul Mullen on vocals, guitar and synthesizer - since 2007...
's own releases it has been featured as a remix on the 2007 "Raoul
Raoul (song)
"Raoul" is both second and fifth single from Not Accepted Anywhere, the debut album by Welsh band The Automatic. The single was released twice, first on 27 March 2006 and then again on 8 January 2007 at the decision of the bands record labels Polydor and B-Unique.-Composition:The songs lyrics deal...
" single and the United States released EP So Nice Say it Twice
So Nice Say It Twice EP
So Nice Say It Twice is the second EP from Welsh band The Automatic; the EP was limited to US and Canada release only.-Track listing:-External links:*...
Universal Music Polska
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
released "Monster" on 29 March 2011.
Music video
The music video was produced and directed by Dominic Thompson-Talbot of production company Up the Resolution, who would go onto work with the band on their next singles "Raoul" and "Recover". The shoot took place in Black ParkBlack Park
Black Park is a Country Park in Wexham, Buckinghamshire, England to the north of the A412 road between Slough and Iver Heath. It is managed by Buckinghamshire County Council...
, London in 2006 and features Hadleigh Lomasney as 'big-foot'.
The video features the band playing monster hunters in false beards and hiking gear. They travel in an old van draped with camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
and newspaper articles that refer to monster
Monster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
s, UFOs and Nessie
NESSIE
NESSIE was a European research project funded from 2000–2003 to identify secure cryptographic primitives. The project was comparable to the NIST AES process and the Japanese Government-sponsored CRYPTREC project, but with notable differences from both...
, and James Frost plays his guitar solo standing on top of the van. The characters encounter Nessie and Big Foot but remain oblivious to their finds; when they return to the van they are surrounded by monsters who are destroyed by a UFO, which then zaps the band as they exit the van.
Critical reception
To date, the band have not had a bigger hit from either Not Accepted AnywhereNot Accepted Anywhere
Not Accepted Anywhere is the debut album from Welsh rock band The Automatic, originally released on June 19, 2006. Working with producers Stephen Harris, Richard Jackson and Ian Broudie on different tracks at a variety of studies around the United Kingdom the album was released through a joint deal...
or This Is A Fix
This Is A Fix
This Is a Fix is the second album by Wales based band The Automatic. It was released on 25 August 2008. The band worked with producer Don Gilmore in Los Angeles, but were disappointed with these sessions, and instead worked with Butch Walker at Sage and Sound Recording in Los Angeles then back in...
, the closest to reaching "Monster" was 2008 single "Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen (The Automatic song)
"Steve McQueen" is the first and ultimately only single from Welsh rock band The Automatic's second album This Is A Fix. It is their fifth single overall...
" which charted at 19 in the UK charts, considerably lower than predicted, however this was due to several mistakes made by the bands label, who took an extra week to digitally release the track "Steve McQueen". Half of the band in 2005 believed that Not Accepted Anywhere track "Rats" would end up being a bigger hit than Monster.
We wrote a song, it did really well, I don't really see what there is to be upset about. You get labelled "one hit wonders", but that's more hits than most people have. And it's not like we've disappeared without a trace. We've got a second album coming out, which in my opinion is full of much better songs. We wouldn't have been in a position to fly to LA to make a record if it wasn't for 'Monster'."The track has received fairly mixed reviews, Dom Gourlay of Contact Music slated the pop track calling it "daft, irresponsible and unforgettably irritating" whilst Stephen Ackroyd of Click Music rated the track music higher, giving it 4/5. Drowned In Sound— Robin Hawkins
Robin HawkinsRobin Hawkins, commonly known as Rob is the primary vocalist and bassist for Welsh band The Automatic.-Personal life:Rob studied at Cowbridge Comprehensive School, completing his A-levels and going on to take a chance with The Automatic in his gap year...
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
's Rachel Cawley gave the track 0 out of 10, attacking fans of the track saying; "If it was you who requested this to be played on the radio, you have my sympathy. Are you so stupefied that you find this ditchwater enthralling?" MusicOHM's Ryan Thomas reacted to the track far more positively, saying "Monster is an electrifying 3 minutes and 44 seconds of pop music at its finest" NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
also praised the track "it’s the catchiest indie hit of the summer, boasting a hook that could disembowel a whale" Gigwise.com
Gigwise.com
Gigwise.com is an online music magazine that features music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets, and a community forum. Founded in 2001, the magazine is based in the United Kingdom....
however was not as positive, referring to previous singles "Recover" and "Raoul" saying"The Automatics releases are getting progressively worse each time. Are they running out of good songs?"
Chart performance & sales
The track spent 16 weeks in the UK singles chartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
originally, with its highest charting position at number 4. In 2007 when digital tracks began being counted in the UK Singles Chart Monster re-entered the singles chart once more, at 34. With the self release of third album Tear the Signs Down
Tear the Signs Down
Tear the Signs Down is the third album by Wales-based band The Automatic. It was released on 8 March 2010 in the United Kingdom, and then on 12 April 2010 for the rest of the world. Tear the Signs Down was the first album released by the band on their own Armoured Records after being splitting with...
in 2010, the band revealed that Monster's success bought in a constant revenue to the band.
Track listing
External links
- Behind the scenes video shoot photos by Peter HillPeter HillPeter Hill may refer to:* Peter Hill , British music photographer and journalist* Peter Hill , British pianist and authority on the music of Olivier Messiaen...
- Listen To Monster At Last.fm