(the) Melvins - Tarantula Heart

[Colonel Cheese]

i like that soundgarden song bones of birds

[Stonergrunge]

I listened to the album and... well, I don't think is bad but I definitely wouldn't call it the greatest one from the last 5 years, BMR is way better and so was their work with Helms Alee... Hell, even the Throbbing Gristle tribute album was far more interesting, eccentric and challenging than this one. And what's up with "She's got weird arms", what the fuck was that?    Sounds like a very stupid song in the vein of The Beatles' "When I'm Sixty-Four" or "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da".

[vince furnier]

Tarantula Heart listening party, bitches!

[johnnyg]

Here's my review.

https://www.punknews.org/review/18006/melvins-tarantula-heart

I love it

[amazonAMAZON]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BOGZqobVuU

Is Roy wearing just one in-ear monitor? Dale wears cans. But it almost looked like Dale was hearing Buzz and Steven but Roy is just drumming along to Dale.

[vince furnier]

 

[))))((((]

I listened to the album and... well, I don't think is bad but I definitely wouldn't call it the greatest one from the last 5 years, BMR is way better and so was their work with Helms Alee... Hell, even the Throbbing Gristle tribute album was far more interesting, eccentric and challenging than this one. And what's up with "She's got weird arms", what the fuck was that?

I can see what you mean. I think it is a bit of a grower this album. But yeah i totally agree on '...Weird Arms' i just find it a bit cringy. Not that it's bad but come on, Melvins are SO much better than that!

[the bloat]

Here's my review.

https://www.punknews.org/review/18006/melvins-tarantula-heart

Great review! I think the call out for Mackie's artwork is important. I like the idea of her being a member in the band - she completely owns the aesthetic of the band at this point

[Helen83]

The new record is killer....some fresh produce on the one!

[Mints]

I listened to the album and... well, I don't think is bad but I definitely wouldn't call it the greatest one from the last 5 years, BMR is way better and so was their work with Helms Alee... Hell, even the Throbbing Gristle tribute album was far more interesting, eccentric and challenging than this one. And what's up with "She's got weird arms", what the fuck was that?

I can see what you mean. I think it is a bit of a grower this album. But yeah i totally agree on '...Weird Arms' i just find it a bit cringy. Not that it's bad but come on, Melvins are SO much better than that!

I think you guys should stop listening to so much sludgy basic stuff and seek out some Beefheart, Monk, etc. I'm not trying to sound like a dick when I say that - I'm just confused by your initial reactions (which is just fine). This is BY FAR the best thing they've done since Freak Puke. It's good to ask yourself questions like, "what is this??" and "where did this come from??". She's Got Weird Arms has so much going on. There's so much music in it. Listen to the DRUMS. It's got a fucked up Devo vibe and it's fantastic. The same guy who wrote that also wrote Boris, Night Goat, Hooch, Queen, etc.??
Pain Equals Funny does take from Bird Animal but why wouldn't you when that's the best song on Gift Of Sacrifice? What an epic opener.
The repeating vocal parts over the spazzy drums at the end of Working The Ditch is such a left turn for the band and it rules. There's such a great dynamic between the vocals and the drums. It shouldn't be overlooked.
Not a weak song on the album. The heavy riffs are great, the drums are great, Steven (whose style is not usually my thing) is not annoying at all, the novelty of the approach is great. This album is why I will always give the Melvins a chance, even after a very long spell of "not for me" music.
As a Melvins fan, this is an important album. 

[Mount Ambulance]

I listened to the album and... well, I don't think is bad but I definitely wouldn't call it the greatest one from the last 5 years, BMR is way better and so was their work with Helms Alee... Hell, even the Throbbing Gristle tribute album was far more interesting, eccentric and challenging than this one. And what's up with "She's got weird arms", what the fuck was that?

I can see what you mean. I think it is a bit of a grower this album. But yeah i totally agree on '...Weird Arms' i just find it a bit cringy. Not that it's bad but come on, Melvins are SO much better than that!

I think you guys should stop listening to so much sludgy basic stuff and seek out some Beefheart, Monk, etc. I'm not trying to sound like a dick when I say that - I'm just confused by your initial reactions (which is just fine). This is BY FAR the best thing they've done since Freak Puke. It's good to ask yourself questions like, "what is this??" and "where did this come from??". She's Got Weird Arms has so much going on. There's so much music in it. Listen to the DRUMS. It's got a fucked up Devo vibe and it's fantastic. The same guy who wrote that also wrote Boris, Night Goat, Hooch, Queen, etc.??
Pain Equals Funny does take from Bird Animal but why wouldn't you when that's the best song on Gift Of Sacrifice? What an epic opener.
The repeating vocal parts over the spazzy drums at the end of Working The Ditch is such a left turn for the band and it rules. There's such a great dynamic between the vocals and the drums. It shouldn't be overlooked.
Not a weak song on the album. The heavy riffs are great, the drums are great, Steven (whose style is not usually my thing) is not annoying at all, the novelty of the approach is great. This album is why I will always give the Melvins a chance, even after a very long spell of "not for me" music.
As a Melvins fan, this is an important album. 

[amazonAMAZON]

Mints knows what's up. Really looking forward to blasting this on a long drive coming up.

[))))((((]

He makes a valid point in a way. But still i would say as a Melvins fan i DO enjoy things they have done that sit outside of heavy or sludgy. I'm sure Stonergrunge is the same too. For me it's just that those particular songs on the album don't appeal to my sensibilities much. Which is all anyone can really ever say when declaring anything objectively bad or anything they don't take to.

On the topic of the Bird Animal riff, i have gotten used to it but i still think it would have been better having it's own distinct thing. I will now probably always think of that intro as the Bird Animal riff plus when i listen to Gift Of Sacrifice i will hear the Tarantula Heart version instead! I think that isn't a great situation to have.

[vince furnier]

i recently told someone on the fb group - many Melfans are into the heavy and can tolerate the weird part. others are the opposite. then they have friends who are into heavy stuff but find them to be entirely too weird to tolerate at all. there's a spectrum to this. everyone's take on what makes the best albums or eras is different.

[Stonergrunge]

I think you guys should stop listening to so much sludgy basic stuff and seek out some Beefheart, Monk, etc. I'm not trying to sound like a dick when I say that - I'm just confused by your initial reactions (which is just fine).

Ok, first of all... what makes you think that I only listen to "sludgy basic stuff"? Have we even met before? Because I don't think so. My daily music selection not only includes Electric Wizard, WarHorse, Church Of Misery, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Kyuss, Yajaira or Ufomammut but also John Coltrane, La Mano Ajena, Los Jaivas, Mostro, The Mars Volta, Tool, Seawhores, Camión, Tsunamis and many more.

This is BY FAR the best thing they've done since Freak Puke.

Really? Since Freak Puke? That album was released back in 2012, over a decade ago... That is not a very positive opinion I must say since they have been releasing a lot of great stuff after that: Tres Cabrones, Hold It In, Three Men and a Baby, Basses Loaded, A Walk with Love and Death, Pinkus Abortion Technician, all the EPs (Sabbath, Hot Fish, Escape from L.A., White Lazy Boy), H.A.T. Besides, Working With God, Live Stream Obscene, Five Legged Dog, Bad Mood Rising, The Devil You Knew, Throbbing Gristle and the Helms Alee EP... maybe "Bangers" is the only one that I don't think is that good but I do like a few songs like "Ornar Flyger Over America", for instance.

It's good to ask yourself questions like, "what is this??" and "where did this come from??". She's Got Weird Arms has so much going on. There's so much music in it. Listen to the DRUMS. It's got a fucked up Devo vibe and it's fantastic. The same guy who wrote that also wrote Boris, Night Goat, Hooch, Queen, etc.??

I agree with Ian on this, the best way to describe that song for me is "a bit cringy", like a dad joke.

Pain Equals Funny does take from Bird Animal but why wouldn't you when that's the best song on Gift Of Sacrifice? What an epic opener.

Again, really? THE best song? I can think of other songs from that album that are far more superior: "Housing, Luxury, Energy", "I'm Glad I Could Help Out" or "Science In Modern America" are absolutely top notch.

The repeating vocal parts over the spazzy drums at the end of Working The Ditch is such a left turn for the band and it rules. There's such a great dynamic between the vocals and the drums. It shouldn't be overlooked.
Not a weak song on the album. The heavy riffs are great, the drums are great, Steven (whose style is not usually my thing) is not annoying at all, the novelty of the approach is great.

I'm sorry but I have to disagree on several things: my overall first impression of the album is that it's a little bit sloppy and they drag a few ideas for way too long. Now, of course that can change over time since we all know that Melvins' albums are a grower, we may not like it a lot the first time but after a few listens they do get better.

This album is why I will always give the Melvins a chance, even after a very long spell of "not for me" music.
As a Melvins fan, this is an important album. 

Well, even though I'm not impressed with the album... Guess what? I already ordered it on CD because I know my opinion can change over time.