MELVINS-LITE

Thank the maker for The Melvins. Where with most bands you can kinda guess what's coming next and what direction their next release will take, the Melvins never fail to surprise, or impress for that matter. And so this time Ozbourne and Crover have called upon bass nut Trevor Dunn (of Mr Bungle, Fantomas, Trio Convulsant, etc) to augment their sound with his highly acclaimed low-end rumblings hauntingly bowed out from his upright bass. In fact, the first three tracks appear to be a showcase for Dunn’s inestimable talents with Dunn’s solo piece ‘Inner Ear Rupture’ seeing him hack and saw away, his strings slapping and flapping against the cavernous hollow body in waves of spectral dread. Sounding like a long-time member of the band, it’s not that Dunn outshines mainstays Osbourne and Crover in any way. Crover’s drumming is top notch, not one beat, fill or flourish overtly flashy, just perfectly balanced to the track; Osbourne can still chuck out a monster riff and an impressive lead break, and still manage to knock out a few unexpected twists; and the vocal harmonies are great too. The tracks have that familiar Melvins sound to them that, while Dunn’s presence augments them, take the band deeper into whatever bizarre, peculiar, or eccentric territories they are exploring. Being reluctant to compromise their sound regardless of anyone’s comments doesn’t always work for most bands, but The Melvins have again proved how unashamedly stubborn they are and, with it, how unashamedly phenomenal they are at utilising their musical skills to consistently be new, exciting, and surprising. But The Melvins have never been out to prove anything have they? Whether we’ll hear more from Melvins-Lite remains to be seen but it will be more than welcome.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Ipecac

Album

FREAK PUKE

Review by Jason Guest

RUNNING TIME:

42:33

RELEASE DATE:

4th June 2012

TRACK LISTING

1) Mr. Rip Off
2) Inner Ear Rupture
3) Baby, Won't You Weird Me Out
4) Worm Farm Waltz
5) A Growing Disgust
6) Leon vs. The Revolution
7) Holy Barbarians
8) Freak Puke
9) Let Me Roll It
10) Tommy Goes Beserk

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

USA

"...The Melvins have again proved how unashamedly stubborn they are and, with it, how unashamedly phenomenal they are at utilising their musical skills to consistently be new, exciting, and surprising."