Pigs of the Roman Empire

[benton netty]

i've listened to it a few more times, now, and it's not getting any better. i was listening to it in my car today, and if you play "the bloated pope" next to "pink bat" or "safety third," the only other songs resembling actual rock songs, you can see clearly how fucked-up the mixes are on the latter two songs.

it's kinda like if the amrep singles version of "queen" had been actually released on stoner witch in place of the good version.

i'm actually a bit annoyed with this album. we wait three years for it, and then it's got only THREE "real" songs on it? and then the jello album, yeah, maybe it'll be cool, but it's not the melvins. i don't really even like jello biafra's voice. i want to hear buzz sing, something he only does on those three tracks on this album. it just seems like they've suddenly gotten lazy on us.

this album is not impressive, it's not even interesting.  it's like they wrote one good song, two half-baked ones and a couple of random riffs, and they told lustmord to fill out the other 45 minutes with whatever he wanted.

i actually think that i like "prick" better than this album. at least that album had "larry" on it.

it's just that i listen to the melvins to hear really creative rock songs, not to hear 30-40 minutes of boring sound effects that mean nothing mixed with only three rock songs. that's a ripoff, to me. and, yeah, the melvins can do whatever they want, and that's great, but when their new album only has three actual songs on it? that's bullshit.

this is the first time i've disliked a new melvins album (i even saw the point of "colossus," and "honky" is one of my favorites). and it's not a good feeling. three real songs, two of which sound like crap? that's not worth much. they should price this album as an EP.

there will be people who think that this is some great step forward, or some adventurous album, but i'm not one of them. but then again, i've deleted everything i ever heard from lustmord. his "music" is utterly pointless, to me. i can get the same experience listening to a radiator clank or a washing machine hum. i want to hear cool songs done by a cool band. this album doesn't give you that.

[Vcavallo]

hey gonzo..what were you directing toward me?  i didn't say anything bad about you man..

[Dr. Gonzo]

what?

[blacksanta]

Hey Gonzo,
It's probably me, not Vc, that you are talking about. We both have tattoo avatars. And I don't take you to be anything other than a fan. I wasn't being critical of you or your review, I was posting my own feelings about the new album based off of your review of it. Sorry if you misunderstood me. Thanks again for the review.

[Vcavallo]

i see you've edited your post and feigned confusion.  that's okay..we are all liars on the inside.  hee

[Aemon]

Personally, I fucking love it.

I think an over-simplified review would read like this: if the Melvins/Fantomas Big Band recorded a studio album, it could sound like this.

[beee]

album kicks ass

[oppenheimer]

the new disc definitely has its moments...i don't know how anyone could possibly expect anything from these mates...

if there's one thing i've learned by listening to the melvins all these years, it's that you shouldn't presume what the next disc will sound like, simply because they'll knock you on your ass...of course, i'm sure most of you already knew that.

i won't review it at length and i won't say i don't like it...i will say, however, that it's not driving music. there's a couple moments i find myself cursing the existence of lustmord, but all in all, i think we all have to respect the fact that these two mesh very well together. the title track (i'm still confused as to why there is a title track on a melvins album after all these years) could easily have been the next 'lysol' if it wasn't for its lack of direction. i love that second interlude with the quicker drumbeat that phases in and out, but it's just a tease...the final few minutes is fantastic, but why did i just waste the first 15 or so minutes of my time? at least after 'lysol' i was fulfilled; my appetite was satiated...'the bloated pope' is the only real stand out HAT leftover track...

i do respect the collaboration...i do recognize that it's a natural evolution...i only hope that the reason why there's only 3 actual songs is because they'll be releasing a MELVINS album very soon.

[klump]

i think everybody understands what they were doing with collossus...

they are the kings of suspense , and they are just tryiong to pull this to the extremes

safety third is a really nice track

the only track i think is kinda weak, was pink bat, but it wasnt as simple  as i thought

ive heard this album about 7 times today (all the way, seriously) and now i get surprised everytime it stops.

this is certainly not a quickly thrown together thingy

listen to collossu after this and you will love it even more

but after this, i think we will hear some more "regular" stuff



PS. there are more than 3 real songs on there, just listen!

[Metalhead Cow]

It sounds like The Bloated Pope is not a good representation of the album, like In The Freaktose The Bugs Are Dying is not a good representation of Honky.
So The Bloated Pope, Pink Bat and Safety Third are the only ones where Buzz signs? And are they the only ones that could be reduplicated live?

[klump]

there are other songs with singing...you just have to be patient

i bet they will try to do some of the ambient stuff live to

[benton netty]

which other songs have vocals? i only heard those three. and those three are the only real "songs" on there.

as for the people saying that you should never expect the melvins to do anything in particular, i disagree. i expect them to play their weird rock music. that's what i want to hear. that's why i keep buying their albums. i don't, however, want to hear thirty minutes of meaningless sound effects mixed in with three songs, two of which are produced like crap. and i'm not going to say it's some great step forward or some crap, because it's not. and i liked "colossus of destiny," mind you. why? because the melvins were making the sounds. here, it's some douche making clanging sounds and wind noises for most of the album, in the place of songs. whoop-de-fucking doo!

i wouldn't mind if we knew there was a so-called "real" melvins album on the way, but the next thing is the jello album, and i'd much rather hear buzz's vocals, any day.

shit, you'd think they'd have gotten this "collaboration" crap out of their systems on "the crybaby." wish they would've.

i don't know how anyone can sit and listen to the lustmord portions of this and NOT wish that they were listening to the melvins playing a song instead. it's been three years since they put out something new. i guess i just expected a lot more out of them than three songs (only one of which is worthy) and a bunch of pointless sound effects. and if you can't expect bands to make fucking albums, then what can you expect?

[klump]

buzz, kevin and dale all have made noise oriented stuff, and i bet they have made a lot of this to, i think lustmord was more of a producer, and put his stuff in here and there

most of the stuff is pretty unLustmord sounding... cause its got a layer of something else there.. lustmord is just lurkinjg in the back and comes out to dance once a while

goddamn i love this album!

just listen MORE!

[LouiLoomis]

i don't know how anyone can sit and listen to the lustmord portions of this and NOT wish that they were listening to the melvins playing a song instead.

It's quite easy really considering the Melvins have a lot of albums out, so we already have a shed-load of 'songs' and they will always be there. HAT was all songs, so 'Pigs...' was the next obvious step. And it's very new and fresh to my ears. Anyway, they'll be releasing another album in 2 months which I'm sure will be all songs again (Although its with Jello), so don't panic.

[klump]

safety third gives me shivers, it sounds like a pop song haha, an evil pop song...reminds me of twin peaks, i dont know why...