The Monks was a 1960s garage rock group with a quirky style to match the unique circumstances in which it was started. The band formed in Germany, where its members, all American GIs, were stationed. After taking the name The Monks, the five members all shaved bald spots into the top of their heads to more accurately resemble their namesake. The 1966 debut album, Black Monk Time, was a confident blast of reverb-heavy garage rock punctuated with organ, electric banjo and odd arrangements. Though it wouldn't be released in the US until much later, the album became an underground sensation in Germany for its oddball take on the era's popular garage rock style. The Monks broke up by 1967, but reunited for occasional performances in the late 1990s and 2000s.
