With a career spanning thirty years, 21 albums, countless EPs and rare vinyl one-offs The Melvins are one of rock's most prolific and underrated bands today. Their sound is an amalgam of punk attitude and their signature tar-paced riffs, not too mention almost everything else including the kitchen sink. Since their inception in 1983 out of the same town that later birthed grunge godfathers Nirvana, they have inspired many bands from Tool, Mastodon and the aforementioned Nirvana, as well as the spawning of the Sludge Metal scene out of Louisiana in the late 80s and early 90s. Consisting of guitarist/vocalist Buzz Osborne, drummers Dale Crover and Coady Willis, and bassist Jared Warren the Melvins handle music with their own unique method of madness. However with so many releases, it can be a bit hard to know where to start; some of their albums have a more experimental edge than others which can lead the to the possibility of the casual listener being frightened away from the cacophony coming from the speakers. Never fear though, as this list is going to help guide you through the wild world of the Melvins.
10. Hag Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B09LwEPdBA The sixth track off of their fifth album, and first major label release, Houdini; Hag Me kicks you in the teeth right from the beginning with tar-like riffs and the punishing drum method employed by one Dale Crover. The way the band subtly changes the rhythms as it progresses keeps you on your toes as it slinks its way through. A great example of the sludgy and doomy sound that they helped to pioneer, Hag Me keeps the listener on their toes as the drumming picks up, never accenting the beats that you would expect. Each riff hits harder than the next as the deep kick of the bass drum combines with a bass guitar, more akin to quicksand than most hard rock, you still can't help but bang your head right along with every hit (but be prepared to miss some). A punishing track and a great way to get someone that wouldn't normally listen to such slow and heavy music to give it a chance; crushing and harsh but not as dissonant and droning as a lot the style has to offer. It kicks you in the gut with every chord, every word sang is like a hammer to the brain in the best possible way.
Writer, musician, and history buff. I write short stories, comedy, and various other things. Have an almost unhealthy interest in all things Doctor Who and Star Wars with a little obsession time left for video games and music. Love horror novels and fantasy most of all, Stephen King is a huge inspiration.
