Topics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFzw0INiu2E

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/39809/The_Melvins_A_Senile_Animal

The Melvins
(A) Senile Animal
[Ipecac; 2006]
Rating: 7.3

For the last decade, the Melvins have absolutely shat on their seminal status. Their antics have ranged from gimmicky (releasing a single for every month in 1996) to kitschy (kicking off 1999's Crybaby with Leif Garrett belting out a cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit") to just plain wimpy (2005's limp-wristed live recording of Houdini in its entirety). Due to these bloopers, there was much head-shaking and sighing to be had when the band, now reduced to a putative duo consisting of King Buzzo and drummer Dale Crover, announced their merger with L.A. drums/bass metal band Big Business earlier this year. That's right, as if the band's recent tomfoolery hadn't marred their first proper release in four years, they now sport two drummers, the pinnacle of rock absurdity.

What a pleasant surprise then that (A) Senile Animal stands as the band's most no-frills, accessible, and flat-out best album since Stoner Witch. Hostile Ambient Takeover from 2002 didn't testify to it, but you can find the Melvins's legendary sound speckled all over today's metal bands. Animal reclaims the stoner rock the Melvins ruled before Kyuss and Queens of the Stone age co-opted it, and Boris owes much of their recent hipster metal success (not to mention moniker) to the band's early sound, reincarnated here on tracks like "Rat-Faced" and "You've Never Been Right".

That said, Animal is less a blast from the past than a retooling of the Melvins' strongest albums following a more conservative mindset. The opening of "Civilized Worm" doffs its cap to catchy 70s arena rock, pounding out the chords to Cheap Trick's "Need Your Love" over a bare bones blues beat straight off of Machine Head. "A History of Drunks" follows suit, propping up King Buzzo's singsong melody with multi-tracked vocals and a middle section replete with handclaps and a surprisingly tender new wave guitar line.

These nuanced exceptions aside, the Melvins churn out their signature straightforward metal sludge by the barrelful on Animal, and no one's complaining about that. Three six-plus minute tracks grind the album to a close, each harkening back to classic slow burners like "Night Goat" and "Hag Me". Even the twin assault on drums comes together nicely as Crover and Big Business mercenary Coady Willis place their intersecting fills at loggerheads for our amusement on "A History of Bad Men". For all their recent boners and elbow-rubbing with Ipecac's weirdest, this newfangled Melvins outfit has sobered up to concoct a return-to-roots album, one that simultaneously cements their monolithic mark on metal while promising there's more gas left in the tank to keep on thrashin'.

-Adam Moerder, December 12, 2006

I expect a good long wordy review of the Pittsburgh show on 10/21.

YOU WILL BE GRADED! 

Sat 09/09/06 Portland, OR Roseland Theater

Sun 09/10/06 Tacoma, WA Hell's Kitchen

Mon 09/11/06 Seattle, WA Neumo's

Tue 09/12/06 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom

Wed 09/13/06 Bellingham, WA Nightlight Lounge

Fri 09/15/06 Spokane, WA Big Easy

Sat 09/16/06 Missoula, MT The Other Side

Sun 09/17/06 Bozeman, MT Zebra Lounge

Mon 09/18/06 Jackson Hole, WY Mangy Moose

Tue 09/19/06 Fort Collins, CO Aggie Theatre

Wed 09/20/06 Englewood, CO Gothic Theatre

Fri 09/22/06 Lawrence, KS Granada Theatre

Sat 09/23/06 Des Moines, IA House Of Bricks

Sun 09/24/06 Cedar Falls, IA Reverb

Mon 09/25/06 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Cafe

Tue 09/26/06 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon

Wed 09/27/06 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall

Thu 09/28/06 Chicago, IL Double Door

Fri 09/29/06 Detroit, MI Magic Stick

Sat 09/30/06 Grand Rapids, MI The Intersection

Sun 10/01/06 Toledo, OH Frankie's

Mon 10/02/06 Cincinnati, OH Top Cats

Tue 10/03/06 Columbus, OH Little Brother's

Thu 10/05/06 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop

Fri 10/06/06 Buffalo, NY The Showplace

Sat 10/07/06 Lancaster, PA The Chameleon

Sun 10/08/06 Boston, MA Axis

Tue 10/10/06 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground

Wed 10/11/06 Northampton, MA Pearl Street

Thu 10/12/06 New Haven, CT Toad's Place

Fri 10/13/06 Providence, RI Living Room

Sat 10/14/06 Troy, NY Revolution Hall

Mon 10/16/06 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's

Tue 10/17/06 Brooklyn, NY Warsaw

Wed 10/18/06 Philadelphia, PA Theatre Of Living Arts

Thu 10/19/06 Washington, DC Black Cat

Fri 10/20/06 Baltimore, MD Ottobar

Sat 10/21/06 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls Fun House/Theatre

Mon 10/23/06 Charlottesville, VA Starr Hill

Tue 10/24/06 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle

Wed 10/25/06 Charlotte, NC Milestone Club

Thu 10/26/06 Asheville, NC Orange Peel

Fri 10/27/06 Spartanburg, SC Ground Zero

Sat 10/28/06 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club

Sun 10/29/06 Roswell, GA Whirlyball

Tue 10/31/06 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits

Wed 11/01/06 Tallahassee, FL Beta Bar

Thu 11/02/06 Saint Petersburg, FL State Theatre

Fri 11/03/06 Orlando, FL The Social

Sat 11/04/06 Gainesville, FL Abbey Road

Sun 11/05/06 Fort Lauderdale, FL Culture Room

Tue 11/07/06 Birmingham, AL Bottletree

Wed 11/08/06 Chattanooga, TN Rhythm & Brews

Thu 11/09/06 Knoxville, TN Blue Cats

Fri 11/10/06 Nashville, TN Exit / In

Sat 11/11/06 Memphis, TN New Daisy Theatre

Sun 11/12/06 Little Rock, AR Juanita's

Tue 11/14/06 New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jacks

Wed 11/15/06 Houston, TX Warehouse Live

Thu 11/16/06 San Antonio, TX White Rabbit

Fri 11/17/06 Austin, TX Emo's

Sat 11/18/06 Dallas, TX Gypsy Tea Room / Ballroom

Mon 11/20/06 Oklahoma City, OK The Conservatory

Tue 11/21/06 Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom

Fri 11/24/06 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad

Tue 11/28/06 Sparks, NV New Oasis

Wed 11/29/06 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall

Thu 11/30/06 West Hollywood, CA The Troubadour

Fri 12/01/06 San Diego, CA The Casbah

Fucking hell, I'm there for Cincinatti!

I now have 26 Songs, Gluey Porch Treatments, Bullhead, and Eggnog. Soon to be ordering Lysol.

I think you can call me a fan now.

I'm gonna make a mix cd of the doomiest Melvins songs. What do you think should be on there?

So far, here's what I have:

Boris
Ligature
Your Blessened
Hung Bunny/Roman Dog Bird
Charmicarmicat
Hag Me

Gimme some more.

I'm getting a little bit tired of all these collaborations. When's the next pure Melvins album coming out, or have they stopped doing that?