Any Sludge Left?

[popeye]

i don't know?  i been thinking - is there any sludge left in the melvins/  or is that over?  I'm thinking it's over, as in history.  Yeah - the last few years (definitely this newMillennium) i haven't seen a lot of sludge come out of the melvins when they perform.  it's Gone a lot more up tempo.  Anybody have thoughts on this?

[anaconda]

well theyre definitely letting the influence of other player's into their sound these days for better or worse, we'll have to make that judgement when they do the next album. I think they still have some sludge left in 'em,
hopefully we hear it on the next record. Some are saying that we're
witnessing the new lineup right now (adam and DSS) but?? don't count Kevin out, he's got 12 lives. It's an exciting time to be a melvins fanatic

[Reverend Ebeneezer]

No it's really not, Anaconda. The last two records they've been attatched to have relied heavily upon other people, one of which is a lousy person to have to rely on. They're arsing about with scheduling and suchlike because they clearly want rid of Kevin but won't fire him (it's not really a testament to band solidarity to have him ousted and tour their arses off) and Buzz has been more involved with numerous (and not fantastic) side projects like Fantomas and Venomous Concept rather than creating any new Melvins music. If anything it's a fairly depressing time.

[Dr. Gonzo]

No it's really not, Anaconda. The last two records they've been attatched to have relied heavily upon other people, one of which is a lousy person to have to rely on. They're arsing about with scheduling and suchlike because they clearly want rid of Kevin but won't fire him (it's not really a testament to band solidarity to have him ousted and tour their arses off) and Buzz has been more involved with numerous (and not fantastic) side projects like Fantomas and Venomous Concept rather than creating any new Melvins music. If anything it's a fairly depressing time.

Yes, Lustmord is a lousy person!!!! AHAHAAHAHAHAHA.

Melvins need an injection of Mark D fast..... Mark D and Kevin, the bass duo.

[Tyuge]

I agree that there are fewer "sludgy" moments on their latest CDs, but the two times I have seen them perform(both of which were recently, in 03 and 04) they have been quite sludgy. Especially the first time, they even played "Crawling". And perhaps my definition of sludge differs from others, but i think that POTRE is one of the Sludgiest things i have heard from them. Not "wading through gory ooze and scattered limbs"-sludge like their earlier stuff, but more like "writhing on a gigantic computerchip covered in poison ooze"-sludge. There is plenty of sludge left in the Melvins.

[Joe Deutrom]

It's kind of hard not to expect something spectacular from our favorite band, and it's even more surreal to be a bit disappointed in their latest projects, but being a group longer than some of the members here have been alive I think may suggest a bit of creative lag. True they are releasing a lot of product but the quality is lacking according to some here. The Melvins will soon tire of the "collaborative" thing hopefully soon and will release something all their "own". I can only wonder what that may be...

[anaconda]

thats what i was getting at, theyve got all the collaborations
out of their system now hopefully, so the future looks exciting

[Reverend Ebeneezer]

We can but hope, eh? But seriously, all this trad punk stuff like Venomous Concept and -pah- the record with that whingy supposed liberal are so beneath the Melvins now. But hey, they've created more and better music than I ever will so I suppose I should cease whinging...Just hate to see them fall from grace...

[Vcavallo]

who is DSS?
it seems possible that HAT could be the apex of the melvins curve to (and from??) greatness.  it is possible, but i would hardly want to believe it.  look at HAT,  it has all the aspects of the melvins packed into one nice little package.  it wouldn't have been a bad album to go out on, but as far as i know the melvins intend to make music for as long as they humanly can, and i think that means many more years to come.
as far as sludge is concerned...who needs it?  sure it is fun, but that's what you have those 'old' records for.  personally i wouldn't care if they ever wrote a song like that again, because their newest album (let's not forget that is HAT) is really damn good music, well written, amazingly performed, and so out-there, yet somehow familiar.  
if the melvins devolved, they wouldn't be the melvins anymore.  it is the nature of the collective universal 'melvin' to change, and that's just something new fans will have to accept.  that's right, (insert name here) the melvins will eventually stop writing whatever it is you love hearing, and do something new...Get over it!
if you truly love them you will give each of their new directions an honest chance, while being more confident than you would with other bands because you know something not many others in the world know...  you know THE MELVINS, self-proclaimed "best band in the history of music" and you know to expect something great!



 

[Vcavallo]

also:

let us not forget that the melvins is not only a band, but the worldly projections, today's incarnation, of an infinite universal force at work using secret and inaudible techniques woven into the music to keep the existence of the infinite void in the proper equilibrium.  just listen to the music.  listen between the music and you'll probably hear it with your inner ear.   this is an important point to keep in mind.  
the melvins are important goddamnit!

[popeye]

Yeah - well, i do have a confession to make.  i don't own/have "Pigs..." as of yet.  maybe there is a little bit of sludge on there?
 For me - i love all these new "incarnations' of the band.  i love Venomous Concept - well - the concept of Venomous concept anyway.
 That particualr genre of Rock is about my least favorite - But i own the record, and i listen occassionally - just to check out what Buzzo is doing there.
  As for the original reference to Sludge, i was referring to the 92-93 era when i first saw the band live.  lorax was playing bass and Buzz would sustain notes for minutes literally with Lorax grinding a super slow dirge on bass and dale providing the only real entertainment for minutes at a time and then Buzzo would finally go off on those wild Riffs straight out of the montesano high metal shop.

[anaconda]

hey vinny, DSS is David Scott Stone

hey popeye, here's a live clip of them doing the title
song to Pigs as a trio; Dale, Buzz and Dave Scott Stone:

http://lazerman.netomia.dk/POTRE.mp3

Vinny made a good point too, he said the melvins want to
play music their whole life as long as humanly possible.
Maybe that's why Buzz changed his mind about Jello and
decided to write with him. Because he's a dude thats 50
and he's still doing shows, running a label, putting out music
etc like Buzz would like to do.

[popeye]

Thanks for the link.  i downed it (i think?).  haven't seen or heard it yet though cuz i can't (not yet!) figured out how to open it, but there's a good chance i'll get there.
 i've always thought HAT was a masterpiece myself, and that tour was a transcendental Victory for everybody involved.  
 I'm not complaining - myself - about the absence of sludge, that's okay - i really like the new stuff - the now stuff.
 Those two shows in seattle were Glorious.  really.  They were perfect, especially the second night when they really just let it RIP.  ooohhh!
 That Twin Axe Attack - ooohhh - pretty Gory!
  Adam wasn't animated at all, he really didn't seem to even look at the crowd or notice them, although of course Buzzo still Plays to the crowd, so Adam being a Gorgeous statue making pleasant noise was just fine with me.  i was impressed.  Adam only really got to "Solo"  with something semi-long a couple 2 or 3 times (NYEve- I was a lot closer and paying more attention to who was doing what!) But his 2nd guitar Act was impressive.  he really sort of just fills in Buzzo's sound and makes it edgier occassionally.  
 i liked that Noise intro (Plethy...) especially the second night when it all just seemed so much more Serious.  as in Damage!

[zium]

i think not
the sludge has parted on the newer albums

[Binkard and Friends]

The Melvins have become far too dynamic in terms of songwriting, musicianship, influences, and members too ever do anything akin to Bullhead or Lysol again.


I've been quite dissapointed with the Melvins after H.A.T; I think they've lost their direction. Look at all the side projects: Fantomas, Venemous Concept, Tomahawk, Altamont, Jello Biafra, Lustmord, Men of Porn. I mean, what the fuck is going on? Can anyone really tell what these guys are doing?

I personally think the Melvins reached their creative zenith, and the full reaches of their sound, on Bullhead. Don't get me wrong, I still love the Melvins, except the later Deutrom years. But the glory days of pure Melvins sludge on recording (as opposed to live incarnations of old songs) are behind them