At The Height Of Bizarre
Formed in 1983, the Melvins have a long history of personnel changes, studio releases and touring schedules. For their latest work, something remarkable has occurred; playing alongside King Buzzo is their original drummer Mike Dillard, with current drummer Dale Crover handling bass duties. This marks the first official album to feature Mike Dillard behind the kit, making this release to be highly anticipated among fans. How to categorize them is made difficult by their heavy use of experimentation, humor and musical risk taking. Their latest effort, Tres Cabrones, is a sludge metal masterpiece that must be heard to be believed.
One important aspect of Tres Cabrones is its use of humor. The type of satire that the Melvins use is quite similar to what bands such as M.O.D. have used, and it is quite apparent by the album title, the cover art, and in their song titles. In fact, they incorporated this into both the music and the overall concept of the album. The tracks “Tie My Pecker To A Tree,” “Bottles Of Beer” and “You’re In The Army Now” are all hilarious interludes that parody traditional songs. Indeed, this aspect to their music is quite bold, since it is obvious that they aren’t afraid to be silly or carefree.
As for the music on this album, it goes without saying that it is fantastic. Their use of experimentation, as well as their uncanny combination of multiple rock subgenres make this release exciting, innovative and fresh. Each track presents the listener with something different, whether it be sludge-based riffs, noisy synthesizers, uncanny song arrangements or other-worldly vocal shouts. Buzz Osborne’s guitar work is notably impressive, providing the songs with satisfying leads and solid riffing. The strongest track is “Psychodelic Haze” because it is especially memorable and features some of the best songwriting not only on this album, but even compared to the rest of their discography.
All in all, Tres Cabrones is yet another gem that has been added to the Melvins discography and is sure to become a classic in the years to come. To those looking for interesting, peculiar, and innovative music to listen to, look no further than this album.
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