ElectroretardMelvins |
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If it weren't for bands like this, Rock & Roll would indeed be a dull and lifeless existence… The return of the Melvins and their latest serving of cut throat, cutting edge Punk Rock histrionics-a main course that goes down well with mad cow and other various assorted barnyard oddities that would make the average listener run for the outhouse… The farmhouse theme of which I speak comes to me from the inside illustration where it appears little Jack & Jill are endeavoring to undertake in some very nasty deeds with the aid of a rope and knife… a G-rated version for your little sociopath in waiting. "Electroretard" features several of the bands early classics regurgitated and reworked to better co-exist with the current progression of all things evil and ghastly and with of course plenty of old school charm… "Shit Storm" sounds like basically what it is-a cloudy muddled mess of a tune sans rhythm, melody, lyrics or cleanliness of any sort and yet right off, whether you're a listener or not you know it's the Melvins. "Youth of America" is simply one of the best tunes of theirs or any previous era and this lengthy undertaking features a killer driving beat perfect to beat your steering wheel to while cruising down the strip-at the minimum speed allowable by law of course. There are only eight tunes here that is probably the only shortcoming but plenty of Melvins' madness to satisfy the fashionable freak in all of us. Check out their covers of The Cows' "Missing," and Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive" to cap off this latest collection of comedic carnage. MAN'S RUIN RECORDS,
610 22nd Street #302, San Francisco, CA 94107 Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]
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The album formerly known as "10 Songs" gets a 16-track boost by way of "some alternate recordings and garage demos." Funny, you'd be hard pressed to know the difference where the original ten begin and the last one ends. The sound quality is every bit 1986 and done live to two track to boot - imagine a corkscrew of sound entering your head and exiting both ears in bloody chunks. Credit where its due, Melvins began life before most of what we consider ground breakers of the age like Helmet or Q.O.T.A. and god bless 'em, they haven't changed much; still as irritably noisy and technically reckless as before, though we may thank the modern era for advancements in sound production in their later years, none of which are present here. There's no disguising the Melvins in any age however, nor can we get around those beloved skips and scratches that begin surfacing with track eleven and go deeper from there. I had to listen twice, but no, it's not Buzzo's persistent roar, though it does match up well with the ultra low-fi discharge. With barely a tour under their belt and lucky to lose a buck, they did this original 10 song abomination at a time when Punk Rock, Metal, and Hardcore didn't have the slightest clue. So falling somewhere between Sabbath, Venom, Circle Jerks, Cro-Mags and D.R.I., and apparently landing on their feet somehow - eighteen records and monumental underground fame - these empty-pocketed saviors make like shit on the shoe on more occasions than booze and dead brain cells. King Buzzo's (Buzz Osbourne back then) emits a genuinely painful grunt for vox, much like a phlegm induced cough following a plodding, shuffling, wall of sludge and speed that's as untimely as it is ultimately endearing for its distinctive aggression and discordance. Most of the extra tracks are satanically strewn repeat performances of the originals and lend nothing to their listenability yet there's something so completely charming about picking up that needle on vinyl again. Worth hearing twice would be tunes like "Now A Limo," "Grinding Process," "Snake Appeal…" anyone for three times actually? "Set Me Straight's"
a "new" addition that smokes on all cylinders specially with
the double barrel drumming. So here you've got yet another reason to love
the Melvins or at least show your next door neighbors how much you care.
Also featuring a flowery redone cover art and four page insider notes
on club closing remembrances and how to "be unappreciative bastards"
and still come out alright! Released by Ipecac Recordings: http://www.ipecac.com/ Melvins Website: http://www.melvins.com/ Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]
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