MONDO GENERATOR may have been a fun little side project in the past but vocalist/bassist Nick Oliveri (ex-QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, KYUSS) has decided to kick it up a few notches and make the band his full-time focus and it shows for damn sure. Dead Planet is the kind of fiery punk album that will kick you in the teeth and leave you smiling. Armed with the kind of charisma that is seldom possessed and the types of hooks that won’t leave your brain, MONDO GENERATOR have come up with a solid collection of songs. The material is quite diverse without losing any continuity. There are heavy numbers (i.e. “Basket Case”), classic punk sounding songs (i.e. “I Never Sleep” and “All Systems Go”), and more rock-flavored ones (“All the Way Down”). On the other hand, there are songs such as twisted BLACK FLAG-like “Like a Bomb,” the slithering “Sonicslowmotiontrails,” the mellow acoustic escape of “Take Me Away,” and the ice cool “Paper Thin” that really add multi-dimensions to Dead Planet and help to making it a special record. The band even threw in two cover songs from the RAMONES and JOHNNY CASH which blend in perfectly. MONDO GENERATOR have certainly been a prolific beast as evidenced by the 17 total tracks here, neither of which is a throwaway. If Dead Planet is an indication of what MONDO GENERATOR sounds as a full-time band, then the competition better watch their backs. (Suburban Noise Records)