Gluey Porch Treatments (1987)
01 - Eye Flys
02 - Echo (Don't Piece Me)
03 - Heater Moves And Eyes
04 - Steve Instant Neuman
05 - Influence Of Atmosphere
06 - Exact Paperbacks
07 - Happy Gray Or Black
08 - Leeech
09 - Glow God
10 - Big As Mountain
11 - Heaviness Of The Load
12 - Flex With You
13 - Bitten Into Sympathy
14 - Gluey Porch Treatments
15 - Clipping Roses
16 - As It Was
17 - Over From Under The Excrement
18 - Echohead (Demo)
19 - Flex With You (Demo)
20 - Don't Piece Me (Demo)
21 - Bitten Into Sympathy (Demo)
22 - Exact Paperbacks (Demo)
23 - Glow God, Big As A Mountain (Demo)
24 - Heaviness Of The Load (Demo)
25 - Happy Gray Or Black (Demo)
26 - Heater Moves And Eyes (Demo)
27 - Gluey Porch Treatments (Demo)
28 - Eye Flys (Demo)
29 - Clipping Roses (Demo)
The second and last album done with Lukin keeps the Melvins' freak flag flying. Starting with the slow-as-hell "Eye Flys," which, if nothing else, shows off Osbourne's skill at monster soloing while Crover and Lukin play a rhythm that would be too slow even for funerals, Gluey Porch Treatments is, to a large extent, more of the same. Then again, with the possible exception of St. Vitus, not many other bands out there were embracing the love of sludge metal monstrosities as the threesome was (just compare it what Ozzy Osbourne himself was doing at the time). "Exact Paperbacks" alone would have eaten most purportedly loud groups for breakfast without even trying. The combination of sudden, herky-jerky thrash (but not thrash metal) and epic stomp and sprawl once again did wonders here. Meanwhile, Osbourne's attempts to remold the singing on "God of Thunder" into a new guise for the underground ("Bitten Into Sympathy" in particular sounds like the ultimate fusion of Gene Simmons' voice and Tony Iommi's riffs) means his voice once more sounds just ridiculously perfect. Drawn-out syllables at the end of lines descending into murk, bellowing half-understandable insanities, flanged warbles and squeals: It's all there. Crover has some great fun with drums at points -- check out the start of "Influence of Atmosphere," where the echo on his fills and pounds just makes it all the more nuttily dramatic, or the equally strong conclusion of "Leech." Besides the title track, other examples of the band's perverse wit via song title includes "Steve Instant Newman" and the perfectly descriptive "Heaviness of the Load." After being unavailable for years, Gluey Porch Treatments finally got rereleased in 2001 with a slew of demo cuts perfect for pounding your head further into your torso.
Ozma (1989)
01 - Vile
02 - Oven
03 - At A Crawl
04 - Let God Be Your Gardener
05 - Creepy Smell
06 - Kool Legged
07 - Green Honey
08 - Agonizer
09 - Raise A Paw
10 - Love Thing
11 - Ever Since My Accident
12 - Revulsion (We Reach)
13 - Dead Dressed
14 - Cranky Messiah
15 - Claude
16 - My Small Percent Shows Most
17 - Candy O
With Black in on bass and the band relocated to San Francisco, the Melvins started, in a subtle way, exploring and developing their already-trademark sound further. The genre-dipping and out-of-nowhere efforts of later years were still some distance off, to be sure, but moments like the vocal/drum-only part on "Oven" and the needle-thin feedback treatment punctuating "Revulsion/We Reach" (along with occasional chimes) show more chances already being taken. Osbourne's tribute to Ozzy reaches new heights throughout -- opening track "Vile" in particular blends that and the running Gene Simmons fascination into a twisted monster, insistent, unnerving, and threatening all at once. "Green Honey" is another great, one of the quicker songs (at least comparatively speaking) going off as a slightly echo-shrouded Osbourne fires off a few quick rambles. Crover once again is the band's not secret weapon, as the clattering start of "Agonizer" and the subtle but spot-on tempo shifts on "Claude" make clear. Black's bass playing is steady-as-it-goes enough not to get in the way of anything, and she and Crover make enough bedrock thump for Osbourne to let loose with both his pipes and his guitar. Whether it's the creepily calm start of "Let God Be Your Gardener," plucking rather than bulldozing forward for once, or the grinding do-not-pass-go attack of "Raise a Paw," Ozma is out for blood and gets it. Killer song titles this time out include "Ever Since My Accident" and "Cranky Messiah." The random what-the-hell moment is right at the end, though -- "Candy-O," a cover of the Cars song that shouldn't work but actually does the business. Also fun -- consider the lead-guitar melody of "Love Thing" and how it oddly resembles Pearl Jam's breakthrough hit "Alive" from a few years later.
Bullhead (1991)
01 - Boris
02 - Anaconda
03 - Ligature
04 - It's Shoved
05 - Zodiac
06 - If I Had An Exorcism
07 - Your Blessened
08 - Cow
After three albums filled for the most part with quick song bursts and the occasional longer track, the eight-song long Bullhead found the Melvins stretching out a bit more at points, this time allowing the heavily stoned tempos plenty of time to really sprawl all over the place. There are fewer sudden shifts between fast and slow moments as well, and a lot more pure lava-flow beat-over-head feedback sludge and noise. It's not all ten mph deliberation, though - "Zodiac" shows the trio at full speed and blasting aside anything that might be so foolish as to get in its way, not to mention one unhinged Osbourne vocal lead. If grunge was achieving breakthrough status in Seattle, it was being perfected in its rawest sense on this album. Opening cut "Boris" does all this in excelsis -- the band's longest recorded song at this point, nearly ten minutes long, it practically drips from the bongwater of eight million potheads, with Osbourne invoking his own brand of demons over the deep crawl of the music. Osbourne here really has got the dramatic, theatrical Ozzy Osbourne attitude down, with the occasional double-tracked vocals adding to the off-kilter intensity of the performances. Crover again shows his worth on the drums -- he plays things slow most of the time but, crucially, never once sloppily -- while Black keeps the bass going, however relatively unheard under Osbourne's guitar attack. "It's Shoved" is the not-so-secret highlight of Bullhead, Crover's brisker drum work and Black's sharp bass playing heralding a wild lead-guitar melody and a great ensemble performance. However, efforts like "Anaconda," with its slowly uncoiling power, and the intense "If I Had an Exorcism," which gets all the more wired and wound up as it goes (Black's bass here is some of her best), are no slouches. (allmusic.com)
Eggnog (1991)
01 - Wispy
02 - Antitoxidote
03 - Hog Leg
04 - Charmicarmicat
Eggnog delivers on the goods, an EP that supplies what Bullhead failed to give. This record serves as a centerpiece for the Melvins, showing what they've accomplished in the past and what they intent to execute in the future. The future lies in the 12-minute opus "Charmicarmicat." A holiday recording not recommended for the kids, or adults for that matter.
Dale Crover (1992)
01 - Hex Me
02 - Dead Wipe
03 - Respite
04 - Hurter
Joe Preston (1992)
01 - The Eagle Has Landed
02 - Bricklebrit
03 - Hands First Flower
King Buzzo (1992)
01 - Isabella
02 - Porg
03 - Annum
04 - Skeeter
Whether conceived as a well-crafted musical prank, homage, or method of seeing what each member could cough up, the Melvins mirrored Kiss in endeavoring solo albums by everyone in the band. And, like Kiss, the Melvins employed the same cover art style and lettering. Hmmm? Perhaps an homage, or joke, it's tough to tell. King Buzzo is the strongest of the three, and certainly the most akin to an actual Melvins album. "Isabella" opens with a pummeling, repeated drum line, some distorted guitar chugging, and Buzzo vocalizing something over the maelstrom. Track two is a strange, quasi-industrial loop; while "Annum" is a slight piece of understated pop. The final track, like track one, benefits from similarly loud drumming, although the vocals are in narrative form. Who provides that narration and drumming? Why, Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters, who had known Buzzo for quite some time. Oddly enough, here he is credited as Dale Nixon, due to legal issues with Nirvana's label, Geffen. As an interesting note, Dale Nixon was the name Black Flag used on My War for the bass player who wasn't: Greg Ginn played both guitar and bass, but credited the mysterious, non-existent Dale Nixon with that duty.
Lysol (1992)
01 - Hung Bunny
02 - Roman Bird Dog
03 - Sacrifice
04 - Second Coming
05 - The Ballad Of Dwight Frye
06 - With Teeth
Originally and notoriously known as Lysol before the company behind said household product had something to say on the matter (early copies with the original information can be found), Melvins was in many ways the pinnacle of the band at that point. Besides being the full-length farewell to indie rock labels, at least for a few years, it also showed an ambition that arguably they wouldn't have been to fulfill while on Atlantic. Though there are six separate songs on the disc, it is mastered and assembled as one megacomposition, in ways making it the perfect counterpart to the previous year's solo projects. The logical extension of the sheer monstrosity of the band's work up to that time, with longer and longer songs, its first two parts alone are jawdroppers. "Hung Bunny," which takes up the first third of the whole half-hour effort, begins with Osbourne's slabs of feedback and wordless vocals, with only very occasional drum-and-bass hits punctuating them. They rev up in full toward the end as the song shifts into "Roman Dog Bird," which easily stakes a claim as being the most Sabbath-like number the band had yet done -- huge, moving at a snail's pace, and with Osbourne's already on-the-edge vocals flanged and distorted like crazy. One of the most interesting things about Melvins is that in among the mayhem, there are two cover versions included -- both equally understandable sources of inspiration, both comprehensively Melvin-ized. Flipper was an obvious role model for the Melvins' slow-as-it-goes rumble, thus the trudging treatment of "Sacrifice" here. Meanwhile, none other than Alice Cooper himself gets the nod with "The Ballad of Dwight Fry," which actually slots into the whole presentation scarily well (and displays, wonder of wonders, subtlety). (allmusic.com)
Houdini (1993)
01 - Hooch
02 - Night Goat
03 - Lizzy
04 - Going Blind
05 - Honey Bucket
06 - Hag Me
07 - Set Me Straight
08 - Sky Pup
09 - Joan Of Arc
10 - Teet
11 - Copache
12 - Pearl Bomb
13 - Spread Eagle Beagle
To essay a concise, surefooted summation of the Melvins' catalog would be reductive at best, and laughable at worst. This is, of course, underground rock's trio of pranksters -- unpredictable and capable of complete musical about-faces in the turn of a measure. That said, Houdini is about as close as one gets to a representative Melvins album, and it vividly captures the band's unreconstructed power, vision, and musical strangeness. During the early-'90s purge of hair rock and candy-footed funk metal, the Melvins, as with many other acts, seemed fair game for a major label in search of another post-Nirvana gold mine. With Kurt Cobain's assistance, the band was snatched up -- and summarily dropped (after three brilliant albums, this being the first) -- by Atlantic. Though Houdini's immediate predecessors, Eggnog and Bullhead, pried open a few screwball chasms in the Melvins' syrupy distillation of Sabbath riffage and Flipper's noisy anti-punk, it was this album that displayed the full fruition of the outfit's sonic breadth, from the cough-syrup river drag of "Night Goat" to the revved-up "Honey Bucket," and from the creepy "Joan of Arc" to the glue-damaged "Sky Pup." Ringleader King Buzzo's riffs are stretched -- taffy-like -- to meltdown, and at other times they are razor sharp. Either way, they abound with a lumbering, lurching power. With their voluminous output and determination to continuously expand their sound regardless of musical trends, the Melvins oeuvre has begun to rival -- at least on paper -- the career arcs of Frank Zappa and Neil Young.
Prick (1994)
01 - How About
02 - Rickets
03 - Pick It N' Flick It
04 - Montreal
05 - Chief Ten Beers
06 - Underground
07 - Chalk People
08 - Punch The Lion
09 - Pure Digital Silence
10 - Larry
11 - Roll Another One
Whipped up strictly as a bit of fun by the band – and also allegedly as a cheap way of getting some money to finance the full Stoner Witch sessions – Prick is barrel-scraping with something of a purpose. Figuring that their rabid fanbase wouldn't mind something that for most other bands would have been the kiss of death, namely a collection of jams, jokes and live oddness, the Melvins packed Prick as full as they could and let it loose on the world. Recorded for the most part in England (which likely explains the presence of "Underground," a found-sound piece taping various buskers around Tube stations), Prick probably could have been made in a day, which was likely the point. Unlike the more focused attack of the Houdini and Stoner Witch albums, or even the structured overdrive of Melvins itself, say, Prick is just one big goof, intentionally so. Samples of political rallies and revivals, random jams that die out, mock country twanging and more surface throughout. "Montreal," which consists of little more than feedback, occasional drums and audience cheers and abuse from a show in said city, pretty much defines the the album as a whole. Finest oddball moment: "Pure Digital Science," where one of the band quietly rasps in an obviously fake Brit accent "And now, for your listening pleasure, a few moments of pure…digital…silence!," which is followed by just that. Nearly as great – the opening notes of "Pick It N' Flick It," where a initial drum rumble shifts into the most hilariously over the top metal guitar solo ever, hands down. Credit for Osbourne for coming up with that gem -- sad thing is too many bands would spend serious time trying to get that kind of effort for real.
Stoner Witch (1994)
01 - Skweetis
02 - Queen
03 - Sweet Willy Rollbar
04 - Revolve
05 - Goose Freight Train
06 - Roadbull
07 - At The Stake
08 - Magic Pig Detective
09 - Shevil
10 - June Bug
11 - Lividity
The early to mid-'90s proved the Melvins' golden age, and the three principal albums from that period -- Stoner Witch provides the centerpiece -- are virtually unassailable in their range, depth, power, and experimental courage. Picking up on the basic framework of Houdini, Stoner Witch resolves into an ear-catching workup of classic rock themes, tempered, of course, with a fairly judicious sampling of acid-trip detours. Where Houdini resided more in an expansive -- though lugubriously heavy -- metal vein, refining the techniques built up through the band's early struggles, Stoner Witch truly showcases the band at the apex of their wide-ranging creative abilities. The melodies -- yes, melodies -- work seamlessly with the ubiquitous chugging riffs; Buzzo's vocals, often reminiscent of a David Thomas (Pere Ubu) after a few weeks of no-nonsense boot camp, are sometimes quiet and reflective, and more often than not, positively Stentorian. And naturally, drummer Dale Crover's percussion and pounding behind the kit is astonishing, powerful, and daring. The album opens with the distorted thud of "Skweetis," the amps and cymbals washing well into red-line territory before yielding to a three-count of heavy-duty classic rock with "Queen," "Sweet Willy Rollbar," and "Revolve." From that point on, there is a deliberate sea-change, beginning with the faux-lounge tweaking of "Goose Freight Train," the nearly unlistenable Merzbow-noise of "Magic Pig Detective," and ultimately the hammer-down hardcore of "June Bug" sandwiched between two ambient tracks: "Shevil" and the album closer, "Lividity."
Stag (1996)
01 - The Bit
02 - Hide
03 - Bar X The Rocking M
04 - Yacob's Lab
05 - The Bloat
06 - Tipping The Lion
07 - Black Bock
08 - Goggles
09 - Soup
10 - Buck Owens
11 - Sterilized
12 - Lacrimosa
13 - Skin Horse
14 - Captain Pungent
15 - Berthas
16 - Cottonmouth
The repeating sitar-into-guitar-chord start of the album makes it clear that Stag isn't going to be quite like anything the Melvins had yet recorded to that point. There's such a strong and audible emphasis on the band really exploring the possibilities of the studio throughout that the effect is breathtaking -- it's a huge, epic sound that's also quite varied, a fine indication of where the band would be going in later years. The roots of the Melvins remain clear -- direct, deliberate, and focused crunch -- but they don't feel constrained by them, bringing in everything from more stripped-down space in the arrangements to stylistic forays revolving around the central approach. Hearing horns and scratching helping match the monster riffs on "Bar X the Rocking M" is at once a mind-f*ck and something that makes total sense, as does the mini-prog epic "Buck Owens," packing in time-signature shifts and a mid-section trip-out and more in three minutes' time. Short, almost fragmentary songs like "Hide," with its quiet guitar chime, and the weird, sparkly drones and burbles of "Soup" help to further flesh out the inspired feeling of Stag. Osborne's vocal delivery and various treatments thereupon are fantastic, ranging from dreamy float and gentle croon to rasping roar, paralleling Stag's overall emphasis on trying anything at least once to see what works. Check his winsome, light turn on "Black Bock" for a real trip -- it's hard to believe this is the same guy who sang on "Hooch" and "It's Shoved." Songs like "Tipping the Lion" and "Goggles" capture the spirit of Stag excellently, able to switch from quieter to louder moments and back again effortlessly. Then there's the twinkly, Chipmunks-sung "Captain Pungent," which will leave most listeners paralyzed with fright or with laughter, if not both.
Honky (1997)
01 - They All Must Be Slaughtered
02 - Mombius Hibachi
03 - Lovely Butterfly
04 - Pitfalls In Serving Warrants
05 - Air Breather Deep In The Arms Of Morphius
06 - Laughing With Lucifer At Satan's Sideshow
07 - How --++--
08 - Harry Lauders Walking Stick Tree
09 - Grin
10 - In The Freaktose The Bugs Are Dying
From any other band, an album like Honky would seem an aberration at best, an anti-commercial finger in the eye at worst. But in the hands of the Melvins, it is both of these and much, much more. This, of course, from a band whose previous Amrep release was Prick, a collection, if you will, of strange sounds, silent tracks, and goofs on the listener. However, to those -- and that would be the majority -- Melvins fans who had grown accustomed to the metallic sludge exhibited on classics like Gluey Porch Treatments, Bullhead, and Eggnog; or those who had jumped aboard during the more commercial period of Houdini and Stoner Witch, Honky proved a sore point. It is a deliberately strange concoction of ambient pieces, avant-noise games and experiments, with the occasional driving noise metal track. But to more eclectic and open ears, Honky is a peculiar, interesting, nuanced work that shows this band is indeed capable of just about anything it puts its collective mind to, and each listen is even more rewarding. The opening track, "They All Must Be Slaughtered," is a lengthy, eerie, quasi-ethereal piece with additional vocals by Babes in Toyland's Kat Bjelland, and that certainly sets the tone for the rest of the album.
The Maggot (1999)
01 - Amazon
02 - Amazon (Continued)
03 - We All Love Jusy
04 - Manky
05 - The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)
06 - The Horn Bearer
07 - Judy
08 - See How Pretty, See How Smart
Love 'em or hate 'em, you have to give the Melvins credit for issuing perhaps the most challenging release of their lengthy, mega-influential (Nirvana, Soundgarden, etc.) career with 1999's The Maggot. Their first release on Mike Patton's Ipecac label, The Maggot is the inaugural release of a trio of albums that were recorded at the same time and issued over the span of several months, the other releases being The Bootlicker and The Crybaby. Unlike most other alternative/heavy metal bands of the '80s and '90s who eventually experimented with other musical forms and approaches, the Melvins have stuck to their patented brutal and detuned sludge-rock throughout the years, and The Maggot is no different. Guitarist King Buzzo is still the undisputed master of the monstrous guitar riff (perhaps second only to Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi), as proven by such cuts as "AMAZON," "Manky," a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Green Manalishi," and the torturous album closer "See How Pretty, See How Smart." Strangely, all eight songs on the CD are sequenced in a way so that the listener can skip to the middle of each track. (allmusic.com)
Hostile Ambient Takeover (2002)
01 - Black Stooges
02
03 - Dr. Geek
04 - Little Judas Chongo
05 - The Fool, The Meddling Idiot
06 - The Brain Center At Whipples
07 - Foaming
08 - The Anti Vermin Seed
Considering their long history of continuous releases and touring, one would think that their 16th (or 17th depending on how you view their catalog) full length album would show a significant decline in quality. But like few other acts before them, they have managed to maintain their bizarre and endearing sound for almost 20 years. Hostile Ambient Takeover continues their expansion into various musical styles, a habit they developed after signing to infamous genre hopper Mike Patton's Ipecac label. They exercise their rockabilly chops on the complicated and harsh "Little Judas Congo", a song that goes to prove how amazing Dale Crover can be on the drums. "The Fool, the Meddling Idiot" is a thick grunge crawl that brings to mind their Houdini-era material. "The Brain Center at Whipples" is one of their epic slow burners that showcases the rich vocals of Buzz Osbourne as the song creeps to a dance pop ending that can't help but take the listener by surprise. They sound more soulful in general here, adding 70's rock touches and allowing actual non-aggressive emotions to come across in their performances. But nothing prepares listeners for "The Anti-Vermin Seed", the 16 minute monster that ends the album with a tense and ugly portrait of a very unhappy Buzz Osbourne. His delicate vocals travel over the ungodly slow bassline and bursts of chugging guitar like some acid-drenched caveman trying to make sense of his surroundings. The song is the only one on the disc to live up to the title and be a hostile yet ambient song that ranks among their headiest experiments. The Melvins have yet to live up to their incredible hot streak in the early 90's, but like Motorhead before them they have managed to find endless variations on a likable sound that is distinctly theirs. Fans will probably love it, but to the uninitiated this might be a little too steeped in their traditional weirdness to appeal to non-adventurous listeners.
Pigs of the Roman Empire (2004)
01 - III
02 - The Bloated Pope
03 - Toadi Acceleratio
04 - Pigs Of The Roman Empire
05 - Pink Bat
06 - Zzzz Best
07 - Safety Third
08 - Idolatrous Apostate
09 - Untitled Hidden Track
This time out, the Melvins have tapped noise and mood specialist Lustmord, and his presence is felt right from the beginning. Drawing a death's-head card from Lustmord solo efforts like 2000's Purifying Fire, Pigs of the Roman Empire begins with the creepy, crawly "III." Ambient bumps in the night punctuate the severe bottom end as a hissing waver builds with horribly steady precision -- it's like being caught in a bear trap as the machete-wielding maniac trudges closer and closer. The eventual "Bloated Pope" is much more the Melvins', er, speed. Though it's grounded in whip-smart rhythmic clarity and includes a soupy fog breakdown, it's still a choking, stuttering gigantor headed by a classicist King Buzzo vocal ("Insect from the crawling Mother!") and squalid wails of electric guitar. (Tool's Adam Jones is again part of the proceedings for Pigs.) The title track is a straight duet of Melvins' slime and Lustmord spook. It begins as an exercise in the latter's penchant for moody gloom. The fearsome, buttressed trickling space he builds suggests train stations surrendered to neglect, and knights in black satin. But that early passage gradually gives ground to a deliberate, tonal guitar solo, which is then swallowed by more dead starship moaning. This interplay continues throughout the track's latter half -- since it pushes past the twenty-minute mark, there's plenty of time to match the distortion sludge to cavernous spatial howling. Still, as arresting as Lustmord's soundscapes are, Pigs of the Roman Empire could've been louder. While the pounding stoner psychoses of "Pink Bat" and "Safety Third" are strong and great, their energy is sucked mightily into collapsed Lustmordian stars like "Idolatrous Apostate," or the untitled hidden track. The solution is probably to look at Pigs as an exploratory effort along the lines of Sunn 0))), whose own path led from churning metal freakery to haunting middle-earth alchemy. Either that, or the Melvins have given us a batch of field recordings made on the River Styx's wharf.
A Senile Animal (2006)
01 - The Talking Horse
02 - Blood Witch
03 - Civilized Worm
04 - A History Of Drunks
05 - Rat Faced
06 - The Hawk
07 - You've Never Been Right
08 - A History Of Bad Men
09 - The Mechanical Bride
10 - A Vast Filthy Prison
The Melvins have long been considered one of hard rock/metal's most powerful/monolithic-sounding bands, despite only consisting of three members. So, imagine what the group would sound like with two drummers. Well, imagine no more. The Melvins' second release of 2006, A Senile Animal, sees longtime members -- guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover -- joined by both members of noise duo Big Business (bassist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis). Unlike some bands that have two drummers but do not sound that remarkably different than if they had a single one, the "new look" Melvins puts the extra pair of sticks to good use, as evidenced by the drum march breakdown of the album opening "The Talking Horse," the onslaught of "You've Never Been Right," and "Civilized Worm," which ends in an absolute landslide of percussion. Although they started out primarily as a punk band that slowed down the riffs, the Melvins have also always mixed in prog rock-like bits, such as the tricky rhythms of "Blood Witch" and the King Crimson/Tool-ish "The Hawk." The album also contains some of the group's most straightforward compositions in some time, including the metallic/new wave-ish ditty "A History of Drunks." The transfusion of new blood has made one of rock's gnarliest beats even -- gnarlier! (allmusic.com)
The Bootlicker (1999)
01 - Toy
02 - Let It All Be
03 - Black Santa
04 - We We
05 - Up The Dumper
06 - Mary Lady Bobby Kins
07 - Jew Boy Flower Head
08 - Lone Rose Holding Now
09 - Prig
Bootlicker, the second installment of the Melvins' 1999 trilogy of albums, displays the lighter, more melodic side of the group's sound. Unlike its predecessor, The Maggot, there are clean and distorted guitar tones and a relatively laid-back feel, as on the song "Let It All Be." While not quite as eclectic as Stag, Bootlicker reaffirms the sonic twists and turns the Melvins have at their disposal.
The Crybaby (2000)
01 - Smells Like Teen Spirit
02 - Blockbuster
03 - Ramblin' Man
04 - G.I. Joe
05 - Mine Is No Disgrace
06 - Spineless
07 - Divorced
08 - Dry Drunk
09 - Okie From Muskogee
10 - The Man With The Laughing Hand Is Dead
11 - Moon Pie
The Melvins' The Crybaby, the final volume in their Ipecac Recordings trilogy, applies their uncompromisingly dense sound and irreverence to a collection of covers and original material. A motley crew of guest artists, including Tool, Foetus' Jim Thirlwell, the Pain Teens' Bliss Blood, the eclectic New York City rockers Skeleton Key, and Brutal Truth's Kevin Sharpe, assist them -- and the results are predictably unpredictable. Helmet's Henry Bogner and Hank Williams III team up with the group on drastic reworkings of two country classics, Hank Williams' "Ramblin' Man" and Merle Haggard's "Okie From Muskogee." The Jesus Lizard's David Yow joins the Melvins on a cover of the Lizard's "Blockbuster" and "Dry Drunk," which also features the surf-jazz band Godzik Pink. "G.I. Joe" showcases the vocal talents of Ipecac founder Mike Patton, and in one of The Crybaby's most inspired turns, '70s teen-dream Leif Garrett sings on the band's surprisingly faithful rendition of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." One of their most creative albums, The Crybaby reaffirms the Melvins' ability to venture outside of their trademark style while still remaining quintessentially Melvins.
Electroretard (2001)
01 - Shit Storm
02 - Youth Of America
03 - Gluey Porch Treatments (New And Improved)
04 - Revolve (New And Improved)
05 - Missing
06 - Lovely Butterflies (New And Improved)
07 - Tipping The Lion (New And Improved)
08 - Interstellar Overdrive
Their first release since the intense and ambitious Bootlicker/Maggot/Crybaby trilogy, the Melvins' Electroretard feels like a playful reward after a successful but laborious delivery. With the exception of the introductory "Shit Storm," four minutes of noise that sounds like a Melvins track recorded backwards, this album is comprised entirely of covers and revisions of older Melvins tracks. As the album's title suggests, the new versions have been completely re-recorded with a powerful emphasis on electronic effects. The revision of "Revolve," for example, which first appeared on Stoner Witch, replaces the chorus' impassioned vocals and driving power chords with a barrage of staccato electronic tones. In addition to electronic tinkering, King Buzzo's vocals are consistently more sedate on the revisions, as his impassioned and enraged primal screams are replaced with an equally emotional but more somber delivery. This difference is perhaps most pronounced in "Gluey Porch Treatments" (a revision, in fact, of "Bitten Into Sympathy" rather than Gluey Porch Treatments' title track). On the remainder of the album, the Melvins put their distinct signature on tunes originally recorded by Pink Floyd, the Wipers, and the Cows (bassist Kevin Rutmanis' alma mater), with tremendous results in every case. The Wiper's anthem "Youth of America" is particularly driving and maniacal in the Melvins' hands, while the Cows' "I'm Missing" (simply titled "Missing" on this album) is rendered somewhat haunting by King Buzzo's sedated vocals and the conspicuous absence of guitar feedback that was so prominent in the original. Those who have remained intrigued with the Melvins' tortuous stylistic experiments will find Electroretard rewarding, but those who find them at their best with the crushing onslaught delivered by an album like Stoner Witch may find themselves somewhat dismayed. While the revisions at times disappoint when contrasted with the originals, King Buzzo's vocal stylings on this album add yet another dimension to a band that's constantly refashioning itself. The electronic experimentation, on the other hand, is intrusive and difficult to assimilate at first, but easily becomes an organic part of the songs on subsequent listens. "Youth of America" practically makes this disc a worthwhile investment on its own, for seasoned Melvins fans and new listeners alike.
Singles 1-12 (1997)
01 - Lexicon Devil
02 - Pigtro
03 - In The Rain
04 - Spread Eagle
05 - Leech
06 - Queen
07 - Way Of The World
08 - Theme
09 - It's Shoved
10 - Forgotten Principles
11 - GGIIBBYY
12 - Theresa Screams
13 - Poison
14 - Double Troubled
15 - Specimen
16 - All At Once
17 - Jacksonville
18 - Dallas
19 - The Bloat
20 - Fast Forward
21 - Nasty Dogs And Funky Kings
22 - HDYF
23 - How && (Harry Lauders Walking Stick Tree)
24 - Zodiac
In 1996, the Melvins and Amphetamine Reptile delivered one 7" single every month of the year in quantities limited to 800 worldwide. AmRep handily compiled all 24 sides on the two-CD set Singles 1-12, which was of likewise limited release. The package features alternate mixes (like the intentionally obtuse versions of songs they submitted to Atlantic Records); some swell cover tunes (they manage to speed up the already hardcore "Lexicon Devil" by early Hollywood punks the Germs and slow down the at-a-snails pace "Way of the World" by slowcore pioneers Flipper); live improvisational endurance tests performed by these perennial openers in reaction to playing in front of crowds who could care less about them; plus assorted outtakes, one-offs, and other tomfoolery (their smirking take on Brit-pop, "In the Rain," is ironically catchy). Necessary material for fanatics and collectors, Singles 1-12 betrays not only the Melvins' metal/punk roots, but their ability to be both frightening and hilarious.
26 Songs (2003)
01 - Easy As It Was
02 - Now A Limo
03 - Grinding Process
04 - No. 2 Pencil
05 - At A Crawl
06 - Disinvite
07- Snake Appeal
08 - Show Off Your Red Hands
09 - Over From Underground
10 - Cray Fish
11 - Easy As It Was (Demo)
12 - Now A Limo (Demo)
13 - Grinding Process (Demo)
14 - At A Crawl (Demo)
15 - Disinvite (Demo)
16 - Snake Appeal (Demo)
17 - Set Me Straight (Demo)
18 - Show Off Your Red Hands (Demo)
19 - No. 2 Pencil (Demo)
23 - Operation Blessing (Demo)
24 - Breakfast On The Sly (Demo)
25 - Ever Since My Accident (Demo)
26 - Hugh
10 Songs was itself a fine if short view of the Melvins soon after they started, but 26 Songs, a thorough expansion of the original CD to include just about every last demo and early comp appearance and more that they could get their hands on from those days, takes the cake as the truly necessary release. Besides some beautifully scabrous liner notes from, presumably, Buzz Osborne -- whose description of the group's shabby treatment via certain more popular groups from Seattle is brief but eye-opening -- the release benefits from better sound, cover art in line with the group's recent Ipecac efforts, and more loud, fuzzy monstrosity than one could almost handle. After the original ten songs, the bonus tracks start with the original 6 Songs single -- the tracks were all redone for 10 Songs but are, in fact, slightly earlier recordings. Mastered from glorious crackly vinyl, it's even more of a murky tromp through such songs as "Easy as It Was" and "At a Crawl," but that's definitely part of the appeal, and Osborne sounds even more guttural and unhinged on "Now a Limo" and "Grinding Process." More crackle turns up on the three following songs, all outtakes from that session -- besides two further alternates is "Set Me Straight" -- more crunchy sludge madness that's not quite winsome pop but could sort of be the Melvins' take on same during the chorus, if one squints. Most of the remaining tracks come from yet another session, with a slightly (if only just) more trebly sound amid the usual sprawl of feedback; a completely deranged take on "Snake Appeal"; and two otherwise unknown numbers, "Breakfast on the Fly" (more of the same) and "Operation Blessing" (high speed mania Metallica could love). Enjoyably ridiculous early comp appearances -- "Ever Since My Accident," and "Hugh" -- the befuddled ramblings of a high school friend of the band high on angel dust before a messy blues jam is played -- concludes the disc.
We Reach: The Music of the Melvins (2005)
01. Mare - Nightgoat
02. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Honey Bucket
03. Mastodon - The Bit
04. Strapping Young Lad - Zodiac
05. Pig Destroyer - Claude
06. High On Fire & Keelhaul - Oven
07. Meatjack - Shevil
08. Strapadon Factory - Joan Of Arc
09. Isis & Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Boris
10. Absentee - Revolve
11. Eyehategod - Easy As It Was
12. Dog Fashion Disco - Anaconda
13. Disengage - Raise A Paw
14. Blessing The Hogs - Hog Leg
15. CKY & Gnarkill - Laughing With Lucifer At Satan's Sideshow
16. Maritime Murder - Copache
17. Made Out Of Babies - Bar-X-The Rocking M
18. Pincer 2 - Echohead/Don’t Piece Me
The phrase "way ahead of his/her/their time" gets tossed around a lot in relation to music, but in some cases, it's just so darn appropriate. Motörhead, arguably, was playing thrash metal about seven or eight years before anyone start using that term -- and Iggy Pop was providing punk long before the formation of the Sex Pistols, the Clash, or the Ramones. Sometimes, innovators who are ahead of their time enjoy superstardom (Motörhead, for example), but others don't sell as many albums as the artists they helped pave the way for. Although the Melvins never enjoyed more than a cult following, their ability to combine punk with a strong Black Sabbath influence had a major impact on everything from grunge to alternative metal to doom metal and stoner rock. This 2005 release finds a long list of 21st century artists paying tribute to the sludgy Melvins, and they range from Eyehategod on "Easy as It Was" to Strapping Young Lad on "Zodiac" and the Dillinger Escape Plan on "Honey Bucket." Fractured Transmitter, the independent label that assembled this compilation, acknowledges the Melvins' impact on the doom/stoner field with Eyehategod's performance; Fractured Transmitter salutes their influence on alt-metal with Meatjack's blistering version of "Shevil." Thankfully, most of these bands are smart enough to realize that the most worthwhile covers are not carbon copies of the original versions but rather, try to put a fresh, individualistic spin on something familiar. So instead of trying to sound exactly like the Melvins, the artists generally salute them on their own alt-metal, doom/stoner, or metalcore terms. This CD is slightly uneven, but most of the time, the artists try things that work -- and while We Reach probably won't appeal to those with only a casual interest in the Melvins, it is a lot of fun if one is a hardcore fan of their innovative sludge. (allmusic.com)
1 comments:
I'm not being a hater or anything but why does LIX.IN suck so much ass? Killer post either way.
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