Melvins have released a new song, “Brian The Horse-Faced Goon,” which will be featured on their upcoming album Working With God, set to be released Feb. 26 via Ipecac Recordings. The single follows “I Fuck Around,” a remake of the The Beach Boys’ “I Get Around,” which was released last month when the album was announced.
“Brian, The Horse-Faced Goon” is a short track at only 2 minutes 6 seconds that features a simple guitar riff and funky bass line with prominent percussion and a bell jingling overhead. The vocals are repetitive and very punk-influenced, with Crover singing lines including “What’s the matter with Brian? / Why’s he walk like seemingly horses? / And he’s smart, there’s no denying / But he’s keeping that to himself.”
The song and upcoming album features the 1983 lineup of the band, which includes Buzz Osborne, Dale Crover and Mike Dillard. The same day the album is released, the band will also release a pair of limited edition vinyl reissues, Hostile Ambient Takeover, which came out in 2002, and Gluey Porch Treatments, which came out in 1987 and was the group’s debut album.
Working With God will be the second release from the 1983 iteration of Melvins, following 2013’s Tres Cabrones. They also shared the track “Bouncing Rick,” which will be featured on the album, in September. That month, the band said they’d be releasing an EP called Mullet, but it appears that EP has evolved into the full length album.
In August, Melvins released a cover of The Tubes’ “White Punks on Dope,” which was originally released as a 7″ B-Side for “Foaming” from their 2002 album Hostile Ambient Takeover. In June, they and Mudhoney released a four-song collaborative album called White Lazy Boy.
In October, Crover announced he will be releasing a solo record called Rat-A-Tat-Tat! Jan. 15. The album features 12 songs and is a follow up to his solo debut, The Fickle Finger of Fate, which was released in 2017. Earlier this week, Crover teamed up with Lour Barlow of Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jr., Rob Crow of Pinback and Anal Trump, No Joy, Why? and others for Joyful Noise Recordings’ Holiday Special live stream concert. He also released a new song this month called “Shark Like Overbite,” which will be featured on his upcoming album. Last month, he released a music video for his single, “I Can’t Help You There.”
In April, Osborne canceled his spring 2020 tour dates due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Featured image: Mauricio Alvarado