I remember Michael Stipe saying that if the album "Up" came out from a brand new band who the public knew nothing about people would go hog wild for it. That's how I feel about Monster. I think if this album existed in a vacuum, without any of R.E.M's history and context to shade people's reactions, it would be regarded as a masterpiece. Every song has an original, exciting melody that fits surprisingly well in the gigantic swamp of guitars that frames each song (I know it's R.E.M. heresy but I believe these melodies are on par with those found on Murmur). It's actually quite surprising Stipe's voice is so clear and up front in these songs. That's a testament to the recording and mixing quality. The lyrics reach a perfect crossroads of Slogans & Poetry here on Monster. It's a beautiful album that vibrates you into bliss with distortion.