Pitchfork

Photo by Gary Burger

Black Monk Time, the demented 1966 garage-psych album from the Monks, has always maintained a lost-classic aura, mainly because of the sense of mystery surrounding the band itself. Well, Light in the Attic is about to make that pioneering band just a little less mysterious. On April 14, they'll release a lovingly remastered edition of Black Monk Time as well as an additional Monks compilation, The Early Years 1964-1965. Both will be available on CD, LP, and digital download with bonus material.

The Monks were a band of American soldiers stationed in Germany in the 1960s who decided to stick around Germany and keep playing music after their tours of duty ended. For some reason, they all shaved monks' tonsures into their heads and wore cassocks and nooses onstage. They also recorded just enough deliriously raw garage rock jams to secure their place in history, taking freaked-out punk rock anxiety to new heights before the Stooges pushed it even further. They reunited for a tour in 1999, playing sporadically until Dave "Day" Havlicek, their electric banjo player, died last year.