10 Great Metal Albums (For People Who Don't Like Metal)
1. Melvins - Stoner Witch
The insanely prolific Melvins have released an album or more every year almost without fail since 1987. There are heavier records and stranger records, but Stoner Witch might just be the most accessible, especially to non-metal fans. The band were a major influence on grunge; this 1994 release, which came out after Kurt Cobain’s death, feels like the circle being closed.
The sludgy, treacle-thick sound of weed and a ton of effects pedals dominates this lethargic but totally immediate record. “Queen”, the first proper track, is melodically anthemic even as the lumbering riff rolls over and over and Buzz Osbourne belts out his showman vocals.
It’s a playful album, with the uncharacteristic “Roadbull” shifting over and again in its volume, finally giving way to a militaristic beat and whistling section. The lengthy “At The Stake” feels like it’s building to something gigantic, but instead ends on a coda of wheezing guitars and feedback.
It’s the likes of “June Bug” that best capture how Melvins inspired their Pacific Northwest brethren, but the album shows its true variety on weird, winding closer “Lividity”, a layered noise rock concoction that illustrates just how much this band could do.