Kevin Bronson on October 2nd, 2020

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Thelonious Monster’s initial four-album run from 1984 to ’94 saw the band’s name mentioned with the greats of the time, including X and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (for whom they opened) and the Replacements, whom they seemed to match in ramshackle performances and self-destructive tendencies. The cognoscenti praised their heady music, but their lifestyle was not built for the long haul.

They reunited in 2004 for an “interpretations” album, and have occasionally performed in various incarnations since. Frontman Bob Forrest, who has released music as part of the Bicycle Thief and as a solo artist, has emerged as a prominent figure in the world of addiction counseling and is co-founder of a well-known rehab center.

Now, with the original lineup of Forrest, guitarists Chris Handsome and Dix Denney on guitar, Martyn LeNoble on bass and Pete Weiss on drums, Thelonious Monster has announced that their first album in 16 years, “Oh That Monster,” will be out Nov. 3.

Yes, that’s Election Day. “I have been told since I was a kid this is the most important election of our lifetime every election. It was never true,” Forrest says. “But myself and the guys believe [it] in our heart of hearts. This truly is the most important election of our lifetime. So what better thing to combine it with than the most important record we have ever made. Most significant, let’s say. That we are all still alive in 2020, if you know us, is a miracle in Itself. That we can still rock is unheard of. But most importantly: that we are still excited to be alive. Still care about our planet, our country and people. These are just a few of the amazing gifts that sticking around has shown us.”

The first single is the prickly rocker “Buy Another Gun” — addressing a topic that, considering how other debacles have usurped the headlines, almost sounds dated. Nonetheless, Forrest maintains it should never be far from the public’s mind. “How do we keep our kids safe from this hateful murderous madness that American schools have become?,” he says. “A school shooting seemingly every week all across the country. Arm our teachers? Bulletproof backpacks? The insanity of the conversations parents are having is unfathomable. But that’s what parents in America are talking about! The song shares the hate and the hope I feel about the safety for my children. For myself. And for what I believe is the beginning of a fallen empire.”

||| Stream: “Buy Another Gun”