Melvins: Tres Cabrones

Here are the Melvins, 30 years after founding, still kicking it out big time and muddying up the musicverse. In this new release, Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover reunite with old drummer Mick Dillard, but shy away from playing old songs in lieu of an entire slate of new compositions. I know that past reviews have referred to these guys playing stoner rock, but I think that is limiting. There are elements of sludge and doom, but this is more energetic and in some cases downright heavy. A notable example is "City Dump," which sounds like if you heard it live it would pulverize you with its heaviness. I hear less of a Black Flag influence this time out. On the other hand, "American Cow" sounds like the Melvins of old; it's slow, deep and deathly. There is creeping dread that oozes out of the pores of this song. I am not sure there is anything that can prepare you for "Tie My Pecker to a Tree." This is a little ditty that uses chanted voice singing a song that would not seem out of place amongst a bunch of counselors-in-training at a summer camp for troubled kids. This is immediately followed by the angular "Dogs and Cattle Prods," a pounding mid-tempo rocker. This runs to nearly 9 minutes, and does contain few tempo changes that slow the song and then beef it back up. The real sludgadelic song of the new disc is "Psychodelic Haze." This just grinds along, pushing out heavily processed chords on guitar, repetitively building up its tension. "99 Bottles" is exactly what you think it is. Only, you have never quite heard it like this. I cannot quite describe "I Told you I was Crazy." It is electronically altered and weird. Mostly, it is processed sounds coming from what sounds like warped electronic resistors. It evolves into a heavy slugfest of sound. The band does the crazy again with "In the Army Now." 68 seconds of mutating an old song from WWII.

There is a lot of humor in this disc, as well as some great music. This hearkens back to the olden, golden days of the band. It captures that sense of abandon they were known for. They are not resting on their laurels. This is vital and good.

Track Listing

1. Doctor Mule
2. City Dump
3. American Cow
4. Tie My Pecker to a Tree
5. Dogs and Cattle Prods
6. Pyschodelic Haze
7. 99 Bottles of Beer
8. I Told you I was Crazy
9. Stump farmer
10. In the Amry Now
11. Walter's Lips
12. Stick 'Em Up Bitch

Added: November 4th 2013
Reviewer: Dana Lawrence
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2133
Language: english

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