Melvins

  • Montesano, WA
    hometown
  • Rock
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  • 1983
    started
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About Melvins


The Melvins were the first post-punk band to revel in the slow, sludgy sounds of Black Sabbath. Their music is oppressively slow and heavy, only without any of the silly mystical lyrics or the indulgent guitar solos; it's just one massive, oozing pile of dark slime. The Melvins' first record was released in 1987; they've released many albums since then, but it wasn't until 1993 that they went to a major label, thanks to their protégé, Kurt Cobain. While some may find the Melvins dull and repetitious, their place in rock history is interesting, even if considered to be just a footnote.

The band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, the same town that produced Nirvana's Cobain and Krist Novoselic. For Nirvana and many other Seattle-area bands, the Melvins' sludge was inspirational; the younger bands took the Sabbath-styled heaviness of the Melvins, while adding an equally important pop song structure, which the group tended to lack. While all of their disciples became famous after Nirvana broke big in 1991 (including Mudhoney, which featured former Melvins bassist Matt Lukin), the Melvins only expanded their cult slightly. They did earn a major-label contract with Atlantic, but after releasing three records for the label, they were dropped in late 1996 and the group returned to indie status, landing with Amphetamine Reptile for 1998's Alive at the F*cker Club. The late '90s and early 21st century saw a flurry of releases by the band: The Maggot, The Bootlicker, The Crybaby, Electroretard, The Colossus of Destiny, Hostile Ambient Takeover, Pigs of the Roman Empire, Houdini Live 2005: A Live History of Gluttony and Lust, all of which (except for the fourth one) were issued on Mike Patton's Ipecac label.

In addition to their Melvins activities, singer/guitarist Buzz Osborne joined Patton (and former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo and Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn) for the experimental outfit Fantômas, resulting in a number of releases (1999's self-titled debut, 2001's The Director's Cut, 2002's Millennium Monsterwork by "the Fantômas Melvins Big Band" (recorded live in San Francisco on New Year's Eve 2000 but not released until two years later), 2004's Delirium Cordia, and 2005's Suspended Animation), while the Melvins' latest bassist, Kevin Rutmanis, joined Patton in another side project, Tomahawk. In 2006, Big Business bassist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis joined the Melvins, appearing on that year's Senile Animal album. The follow-ups, 2008's Nude with Boots, 2010's The Bride Screamed Murder, and a live album titled Sugar Daddy Live, were recorded with the same lineup and released by Ipecac. The band returned in 2012 with a stripped-down lineup, dubbed Melvins Lite, for Freak Puke, which found Crover and Osborne recording without the boys from Big Business, instead adding standup bassist Trevor Dunn to their roster to round out the band's already formidable bottom-end sound. Mixing things up even further, the band teamed up with a host of guests, including the likes of Jello Biafra and J.G. Thirlwell, for Everybody Loves Sausages, an album of covers that arrived in 2013. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Greg Prato, Rovi

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Music

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Photos

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  • The Melvins
    Melvins
    The Melvins
    Ipecac Recordings
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News

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  • Melvins
    In Photos: The Melvins & Lovvers
    www.drownedinsound.com
    DiS' roving snapper Toby Price ought to have tinnitus, really, after this heavy double-header. In the past week he's got up close and personal with bo...
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  • Melvins
    Feelies, Melvins, Jesus Lizard join New York fest
    music.yahoo.com
    curating the event's final day and playing the last set of the weekend. The Feelies, Dirty Three, Suicide, the Jesus Lizard and the Drones will all pe...
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  • Melvins
    Feelies, Melvins, Jesus Lizard join New York fest
    music.yahoo.com
    curating the event's final day and playing the last set of the weekend. The Feelies, Dirty Three, Suicide, the Jesus Lizard and the Drones will all pe...
    Read More
  • Melvins
    Feelies, Melvins, Jesus Lizard Join ATP New York Lineup
    www.billboard.com
    the event's final day and playing the last set of the weekend. The Feelies, Dirty Three, Suicide, the Jesus Lizard and the Drones which all perform a ...
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  • Melvins
    Feelies, Melvins, Jesus Lizard Join ATP New York Lineup
    www.billboard.com
    1980's indie rock stalwarts the Feelies, the Jesus Lizard and the Melvins are all set to play the 2009 All Tomorrow's Parties festival, which will be ...
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  • Melvins
    New Release: Melvins: Sugar Daddy Live
    www.pitchfork.com
    Artists: Melvins Release: Sugar Daddy Live Release Date: May 31 Label: Ipecac Tracklist: 01 Nude with Boots 02 Dog Island 03 Dies Iraea 04 Civilized W...
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  • Melvins
    Buy a Van Used by Kurt Cobain and Melvins
    www.pitchfork.com
    Today in Shopping Wish Lists: Brooklyn Vegan points to a listing on eBay for what claims to be the 1972 Dodge Sportsman Royal Van used by the Melvins ...
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  • Melvins
    Melvins to Attempt Guinness World Record
    www.pitchfork.com
    Photos of Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover by Mackie Osborne Beginning September 5 in Anchorage, Alaska, sludge metal veterans the Melvins will attempt to...
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  • Melvins
    Melvins Attempt to Set World Record For Fastest Tour Of United Sta | Prefix
    www.prefixmag.com
    Tweet Sludge metal band the Melvins will set off on tour in July in attempt to set the Guinness World Record for the fastest tour of the U.S. by a ban...
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  • Melvins
    Watch: Melvins Talk About Their 1986 Tour on Pitchfork.tv's Animated Series "Frames"
    www.pitchfork.com
    Today, Pitchfork.tv presents a new installment of its animated series "Frames". The show highlights first-person storytelling from musicians, brought ...
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Tour Dates

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  • May 23 Thursday
    Baltimore, MD, US Unknown venue
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  • May 27 Monday
    Millvale, PA, US Mr. Small's Theatre
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  • May 28 Tuesday
    Columbus, OH, US A and R Music Bar
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  • May 29 Wednesday
    Cincinnati, OH, US Taft Theatre
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  • Jun 1 Saturday
    Memphis, TN, US Scion Rock Fest 2013
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  • Jun 1 Saturday
    Memphis, TN, US Unknown venue
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  • Jun 15 Saturday
    Denver, CO, US Summit Music Hall
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  • Jul 12 Friday
    Phoenix, AZ, US The Crescent Ballroom
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  • Jul 15 Monday
    Denver, CO, US Summit Music Hall
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  • Jul 17 Wednesday
    Omaha, NE, US The Waiting Room Lounge
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  • Jul 20 Saturday
    Minneapolis, MN, US Grumpy's Bar And Grill
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  • Jul 20 Saturday
    Minneapolis, MN, US Grumpy's
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  • Jul 21 Sunday
    Milwaukee, WI, US Turner Hall Ballroom
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  • Jul 22 Monday
    Chicago, IL, US Double Door
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  • Jul 23 Tuesday
    St Louis, MO, US Firebird
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  • Jul 25 Thursday
    Cleveland Heights, OH, US Grog Shop
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  • Jul 26 Friday
    Millvale, PA, US Mr. Small's Theatre
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  • Jul 27 Saturday
    Syracuse, NY, US Westcott Theater, Syracuse University
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  • Jul 29 Monday
    Boston, MA, US Paradise Rock Club
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  • Jul 30 Tuesday
    Hartford, CT, US Arch Street Tavern
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  • Aug 1 Thursday
    Philadelphia, PA, US The Underground Arts
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  • Aug 3 Saturday
    Washington, DC, US 9:30 Club
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  • Aug 4 Sunday
    Carrboro, NC, US Cat's Cradle
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  • Aug 5 Monday
    Atlanta, GA, US The Loft
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  • Aug 7 Wednesday
    New Orleans, LA, US One Eyed Jacks
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  • Aug 8 Thursday
    Houston, TX, US The Ballroom at Warehouse Live
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  • Aug 9 Friday
    Austin, TX, US Mohawk
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  • Aug 10 Saturday
    Dallas, TX, US Trees
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  • Aug 13 Tuesday
    Salt Lake City, UT, US Club Sound, In the Venue
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  • Aug 14 Wednesday
    Boise, ID, US Neurolux
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  • Aug 16 Friday
    Seattle, WA, US Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room
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  • Aug 19 Monday
    Vancouver, BC, Canada Commodore Ballroom
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  • Aug 20 Tuesday
    Portland, OR, US Wonder Ballroom
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  • Aug 22 Thursday
    San Francisco, CA, US Slim's
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  • Aug 24 Saturday
    Los Angeles, CA, US Los Angeles State Historic Park
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Discography

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  • Everybody Loves Sausages (2013)
    Melvins
    Everybody Loves Sausages (2013)
    Ipecac
  • Freak Puke (2012)
    Melvins
    Freak Puke (2012)
    Ipecac
  • Sugar Daddy Live (2011)
    Melvins
    Sugar Daddy Live (2011)
    Ipecac
  • The Bride Screamed Murder (2010)
    Melvins
    The Bride Screamed Murder (2010)
    Ipecac
  • Chicken Switch (2009)
    Melvins
    Chicken Switch (2009)
    Ipecac
  • Nude with Boots (2008)
    Melvins
    Nude with Boots (2008)
    Ipecac
  • A Senile Animal (2006)
    Melvins
    A Senile Animal (2006)
    Ipecac
  • Houdini Live 2005: A Live History of Gluttony and Lust (2006)
    Melvins
    Houdini Live 2005: A Live History of Gluttony and Lust (2006)
    Ipecac
  • Hostile Ambient Takeover (2002)
    Melvins
    Hostile Ambient Takeover (2002)
    Ipecac Records
  • The Colossus of Destiny (2001)
    Melvins
    The Colossus of Destiny (2001)
    Ipecac Records
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