OUT NOW on Ipecac Recordings - THUNDERBALL by Melvins 1983, featuring Void Manes and Ni Maîtres - Produced by Toshi Kasai - GO GET IT!

"Mike Dillard is the original drummer for the Melvins, we’ve been friends since high school. We met in Montesano, a small town on the coast of Washington state. I hated everything about that town. I hated the people, hated the teachers, hated the cops, hated the weather and I hated how isolated it was. I had no friends at all, which was fine by me.

My own classmates proved themselves the enemy so finding someone I could relate to was great. Mike was immediately impressed with all of the weird music I was into. Up to that point I hadn’t met anyone with an interest in any of my musical discoveries. It was an amazing time in the history of music and literally no one around me was interested. We were surrounded by mediocrity, stupidity, prejudice, and dangerous rednecks. We learned to play music together. We grew up together. We have remained friends all these years.

Thunderball is the third Melvins 1983 record we’ve made together. I wanted this one to be bombastic. I think it is.

I’ve been wanting to do something with Void Manes and Ni Maîtres for a long time. Both of them are exceptional talents and were a joy to work with. Their out-of-the-box use of electronics pushed Thunderball beyond my expectations.”

Osborne worked with longtime friend Dillard and collaborators Ni Maîtres and Void Manes, whose distinct voices and contributions pushed Thunderball into new realms. Each brought their unique perspective:
• Ni Maîtres (noise/upright bass): “Are you a sponge or a stone? Do you like to experience all facets of life, or do you shut yourself off from new experiences?”
• Void Manes (noise/creepy machine vocals): “I was quite gratified to spill a heap of abstract electronic debris into the desert for this record. Fragments diffused in the dust, reanimating into a disturbance underneath.”
• Mike Dillard (drums): “I really love this record. I think it’s amazing—a lovely blend of beautiful noise and gut-busting grooves. Working with the Melvins is always a special treat.”