#REM #Monster #90srock #alternativerock #whatsthefrequencykenneth #altroick #grunge #garagerock #thurstonmoore #rainphoenix #lyndastipe September 27, 1994 ~ R.E.M. release Monster. Its genesis is based in the deaths of Michael Stipe's friends River Phoenix and musician Kurt Cobain. According to biographer Dan Buckley, "the album dealt with the nature of celebrity and "the creepiness of fandom as pathology." Scott Lit was back to produce alongside the band.