The Melvins – Electroretard/The Bulls & The Bees

Hurrah! The Melvins!

They need no voluminous introduction. The Melvins have been kicking around in their sludgy, grungy punk brigade since the early 80s, producing copious amounts of albums and music along the way. Their style and sound influenced a plethora of well-loved bands within Seattle and elsewhere, including Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mastodon, and even Tool. With their reissue release, Elecrtoretard/The Bulls & The Bees, one cannot help but feel a little nostalgic, despite the fact these albums were originally released in 2001 and 2012 respectively. Being a reissue of two albums with their pre- and post-2006 lineups, you get a broad, pleasant spectrum of the Melvins, from their changeable soundscapes to their definite rock songs.

Electroretard, featuring the Melvin’s 2001 lineup, Buzz Osborne, Dale Crover and Kevin Rutmanis, is a slew of rerecords, remixes and covers, which sounds terribly dirty but actually works out quite nicely. The back masked “Shit Storm” makes recurrence, significantly shortened but just as eerie, as well as the rerecord of “Revolve” with its spooky, yet subtle guitars and extremely odd computer noise at the chorus.

The versatility of the band shines through, sporting a punk edge on “Youth of America,” a cover of the Wiper’s 1981 tune, and a slightly spacey rock style on a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive.” Meanwhile on The Bulls & The Bees, Osborne, Crover, Jared Warren, and Cody Willis treat the listener to more straightforward metal tunes, such as “War on Wisdom,” and some excellent experimental post-rock with “A Really Long Wait.”

This two into one release provides the listener with a great selection of Melvin’s music and ability. Electroretard and The Bulls & The Bees flow very well together, showing the versatility and evolution of the band, while making it easy to forget that they were even released separately. While the Seattle sound is still present in the sludgy guitars and compositions, the Melvins are clearly still growing with the times and providing excellent music.