(A) Senile Animal

[blag jesus himself]

I decided to make a thread where we could post reviews & opinions of the new album, so we can read them without having to wade through pages and pages of gossip and rumors of a secret love affair between Buzz and Jared.

So, if you find a review somewhere, or have heard the album yourself somehow (though that's not possible, since it's not out yet...), put it here!

I 'found' this from some genius on last.fm

(the) Melvins
"(a) Senile Animal"
2006

   Well, it's that time of the month again:  a new Melvins album has been released.  What do we get this time around?  Exactly what a big portion of Melvins fans have been waiting for: a real, new MELVINS album.  No Lustmord, no Jello Biafra, no re-creations of old albums.  Just a new album by Buzz, Dale, and Bassist Guy.  Although, if you're looking for a 100% pure, unadulterated, barely-legal Melvins experience, you'll have to wait just a little bit longer.  They replaced old bassist Kevin Rutmanis with new bassist Jared Warren (from Karp & Big Business).  Thing is, he sings on a lot of the songs, too.  This may upset you, until you hear him and realize he basically sounds like a younger, scarier Buzz: imagine the vocals from "Eggnog" mixed with the vocals from "The Bloated Pope" and you get a pretty good idea of how this sounds.

   In addition to the double vocalists, you have two drummers as well.  Jared brought his best friend Coady from Big Business, and he adds to the percussive mayhem on the album.  This time when you think Dale must have four arms to pull off some of his drumming: you'll be right.  The extra member adds an new level of interest to the music because there is just so much going on with the drums alone.  Plus, the Melvins can now be referred to as a Fearsome Foursome, which is nice. 

   This is the most straightforward Melvins album since....ever.  The closest thing to this is Stoner Witch, and even that album had stuff like "Magic Pig Detective","Goose Freight Train", and "Lividity" to scare off the Pantera fans.  (a) Senile Animal is nothing but big, heavy slabs of metal.  This is understandable, coming after the ambient-noise-drone-fest of "Pigs of the Roman Empire".  They followed up the relatively quiet "Honky" with the heaviest album in the world "The Maggot", so it should be no surprise that this album sounds like it does.  Each song is built around heavy riffing, intense drumming (two drummers, remember?) and screaming by Buzz and Jared.  "Blood Witch" has the stilted, jittery riffing of "The Bloated Pope".  "A History of Bad Men" sounds like a distant cousin of "Night Goat", with its super catchy chorus and a bass line as thick and groovy as Mamma Cass.  "Civilized Worm" sounds dangerously close to a power ballad, but it's saved by the minute long outro of Dale and Coady abusing their poor drums.  The only semi-quiet moment comes on the album closer "A Vast Filthy Prison", but the chanting-monk-style vocals make it creepy enough to not seem out of place.  The rest of the album sounds like they realized how cool "Honey Bucket" was and tried to do that seven more times.  I'm exaggerating, but the album really is composed mostly of two and a half minute, fast, heavy songs.  This may upset or delight you, depending on how you felt about the Melvins' recent musical direction.  But it makes you realize: there is no direction.  This album could be followed up by a four hour bass solo.  Or a covers tribute to the Allman Brothers Band.  It's your job as a Melvins fan to just shut up and enjoy it.  Or shut up and hate it.  Either way...

[Vcavallo]

my initial thought was "yuck".  i actually (foolishly) turned it off after a few songs.  i was disappointed. 
then....as things tend to go....i listened to it again, and again, and again....and now i am QUITE pleased with it.
the vocal harmonies are plenty plentiful for me.  bordering on too much.  buzz's voice is one of the big things that defines their sound for me, and all the other guy singing makes me feel it is not actually the melvins. ( )
i wish the used the double drumming more often.  it seems that they reserved it for special expositions and most of the rest of the time they are playing the same thing.  there are a few times where it sounds like maybe they are playing the same thing but if you listen closely it is physically impossible given the number of limbs a human has.  maybe it would have been overdone otherwise?  i don't know.  i've come to trust their judgement.

overall, i would say this album is quite straightforward and....fun?  it's not ultra-weird or unique, per-say.  i guess in the end i am most disappointed with its "normalcy".  BUT, on a whole i am NOT disappointed.  i like it!  i think it has a very good sound and of course the typical melviny heaviness (track 8 ).  i also appreciate the variety of songs.  there are a couple more happy, major sounding songs, one where buzz's lyrics actually seem to tell a sad story, a few real heavy sludge balls, and some in between ones.  most melvins' albums have this variety to a degree, but for some reason i notice it more on here.

i DO like it, but i need to listen to it many more times to create a coherent opinion.

oh oh, there's this: it needs to be way longer.  it seems to end way too fast.
"dontyoutellme" and i were discussing how it ends.  she made a nice comment on the matter, but i won't share it just yet because not everyone has heard it.  it's not some big surprise or something, but the way an album ends is significant to some people, and i don't want to say.

...i think some people may be surprised with the large number of people here that have a review...........      ...ninjas


another thought:  at times when i have it really loud in my car stopped at an intersection, i feel a little ....lame.... because of the vocals.  sometimes i feel like it appears that i am listening to some kind of cheesy 80s metal band. i usually think the sounds coming out of my car are bad ass, but for a few tracks on the album i get the feeling that if someone with the same musical tastes as me walked by and heard the music they would think, "damn, this guy is uninformed.  he should listen to the melvins!"   hahhaha what does that mean?

[Vcavallo]

EDIT!!

after reading blag jesus' posted review, i am BACK IN LOVE WITH THIS ALBUM!
writing my own made me doubt it, but now i remember why it's great!!  woohhoooooo

and i especially like this part:
"But it makes you realize: there is no direction.  This album could be followed up by a four hour bass solo.  Or a covers tribute to the Allman Brothers Band.  It's your job as a Melvins fan to just shut up and enjoy it.  Or shut up and hate it.  Either way..."

heh

[CaptainPungent]

there's so much to pull from this album from each listen.
the first time i cranked up talking horse, i was laughing so hard from amazement and joy i kinda cried.
...this album totally fulfills every wish i wanted out of it.

[FartLips]

a lovely recording. this is the answer to all of you punkasses wanting something to bang your head to.  as for the vocals, dont forget dale sings a lot too so its never really just buzz anyways.

[CaptainPungent]

a lovely recording. this is the answer to all of you punkasses wanting something to bang your head to.  as for the vocals, dont forget dale sings a lot too so its never really just buzz anyways.

yes, and he's a great singer too.

i can't wait to see how they do the vocals on 'A History Of Bad Men'
awesome operatic kind of vocals...amazing.

[Mad Arab]

Operatic? For real? I always had a sneaking suspicion Buzz had a love for opera.

[Vcavallo]

i can't wait to see how they do the vocals on 'A History Of Bad Men'
awesome operatic kind of vocals...amazing.

you don't have to speak in the past tense anymore, j.
you said "i can't wait to see" and then made a comment about how it actually sounds........
hahaha

[Grungeisdead]

where's the download at?

[Vcavallo]

download? what download?

some people have heard the album, but they've all received legal promo copies.   

[blag jesus himself]

yeah, i work for ipecac
i grease pattons hair

i think the live shows this time around will be amazing, especially if altamont is there....POTRE will be interesting if they do it with two drummers, which i'm sure they will...every time i've seen them play that song live they've done it differently, so i'm anticipating this new incarnation of one of their coolest songs

[Vcavallo]

i prettymuch forgot that they will be playing non-senile animal songs.
that fucking rocks!

[dontyoutellme]

why not.

like the memory of waves rolling upon the sand at sunset while running beside the dog of your childhood,
so does a senile animal create the need to revisit.

revisit?
you must listen to this album many times. distance from the first listen makes the heart grow fonder,
surely you've realized this....
[i dont really ever "review" melvins albums. who would i review them to? i decided to share though...]

i can say that i love the begining and end of this little bitch. the title becomes increasingly more dramatic because this album could be sung by a barbershop quartet and sound decent.
yeah, i love track ocho, yeah
its my favorite cause im a sucker for that dramatic shit [especially while driving].
i was expecting more out of the drumming. i figured some kind of crazy sleeve tricks. not complaining just surprised.
good timing on everything is a duh. a lot of the clarity of the vocals, song structure; etc- reminded me of the atlantic recordings. some serious nightgoating at parts. i kind of get confused with the whole quartet as now im guessing to certain things [who plays what..."sound..."] that would be clear before. thats why im excited for the live show. oh yeah fade outs that arnt studio produced fadeouts are okaye in my book.

not dissapointed with this though. at all; in fact.
overall message: "cant we live in harmony, lots and lots of cute harmony."

[ManWithNoName]

Albums that grow on me are usually the ones I like best.

[valmer]

yeah i'd have to say this album is really good from start to finish, and yes, it does have a stoner witchy/houdiny feel....  (yeah, i know theyre spelled wrong)

the melvins never cease to amaze me.....ever

i'm seeing them on sept. 10 in tacoma and i can't wait to hear this album played live....who knows what they'll do when.

\,,/