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Melvins (sometimes the Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
and
sludge metal Sludge metal (also known as sludge doom or simply sludge) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that combines elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. The genre generally includes slow tempos, down-tuned guitars and nihilis ...
. Primarily a trio, they have also performed as a quartet, with either two drummers or two bassists. Since 1984, vocalist and guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover have been constant members.


History


Early years (1983–1987)

The Melvins were formed in early 1983 by Buzz Osborne (guitar, vocals), Matt Lukin (bass), and Mike Dillard (drums) who all went to Montesano Jr./Sr. High School in Montesano, Washington. The band was named after a supervisor at a Thriftway in Montesano, where Osborne also worked as a
clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include Records managem ...
; "Melvin" was disliked by other employees, and the band's members felt it to be an appropriately ridiculous name. In the beginning, they played
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
and Who covers, and also began playing fast
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...
. Dillard left the band in 1984 and was replaced by local drummer Dale Crover. The band's rehearsals moved to a back room of Crover's parents' house in Aberdeen, Washington. Soon afterward, they started to play songs slower and "heavier" than nearly anyone else at the time. In 1985, C/Z Records was created to document the Washington music scene. The label released '' Deep Six'', featuring four songs by the Melvins. In 1986, the band released their debut, the '' Six Songs'' EP, on C/Z Records (later releases expanded and retitled this as ''8 Songs'', ''10 Songs'', and eventually ''26 Songs'' in 2003 on Ipecac Recordings). The album was recorded live to a two track at the now closed Ironwood Studio in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
on February 8, 1986. In October 1986, they recorded their first full-length album, '' Gluey Porch Treatments'', at Studio D in
Sausalito, California Sausalito ( Spanish for "small willow grove") is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located southeast of Marin City, south-southeast of San Rafael, and about north of San Francisco from the Golden Gate Bridge. Sausalito's ...
. The album was released in 1987 on Alchemy Records. ''Gluey Porch Treatments'' was later coupled with their second album ''Ozma'' for the Boner Records CD release. It was expanded again for the 1999 re-release on Ipecac with some garage demos.


Boner Records era (1988–1992)

Crover played drums with
Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
(billed as "Ted Ed Fred") when they recorded a ten-song demo on January 23, 1988, in Seattle, which later formed part of their debut LP ''
Bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color from (i.e. to whiten) fabric or fiber (in a process called bleaching) or to disinfect after cleaning. It often refers specifically t ...
'', and played a live show in Tacoma later that day. Osborne would later introduce
Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establis ...
and
Krist Novoselic Krist Anthony Novoselic (; ; born May 16, 1965) is an American musician, politician and activist. Novoselic co-founded and played bass on every album for the rock music, rock band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Novoselic and Kurt Cobain formed the ban ...
to
Dave Grohl David Eric Grohl (; born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He founded the rock band Foo Fighters, of which he is the lead singer, guitarist, principal songwriter, and only consistent member. From 1990 to 1994, he was the drummer of th ...
. Later that year Osborne and Crover relocated to
San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
. Lukin stayed and formed the band
Mudhoney Mudhoney is an American rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, on January 1, 1988, following the demise of Green River (band), Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner (guitari ...
. Lori "Lorax" Black (daughter of
Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...
) replaced Lukin on bass. The band recorded '' Ozma'' in May 1989, and released it later that year. The album was produced by Mark Deutrom, who later joined the band on bass. In 1990, the band recorded '' Bullhead'', which marked a slower, more
drone music Drone music, drone-based music, or simply drone, is a minimalist genre of music that emphasizes the use of sustained sounds, notes, or tone clusters called '' drones''. It is typically characterized by lengthy compositions featuring relativel ...
style for the band. The band then toured Europe; their show of January 23, 1991 in Alzey, Germany was released by Your Choice Records as '' Your Choice Live Series Vol.12''. When they returned to the U.S., they recorded the ''
Eggnog Eggnog (), historically also known as a milk punch or an egg milk punch when alcoholic beverages are added, is a rich, chilled, added sugar, sweetened, dairy-based sweetened beverage, beverage traditionally made with milk, cream, sugar, egg yolk ...
'' EP, which was released the same year on Boner Records. Lorax left the band, and was replaced by Joe Preston. Preston appears on the '' Salad of a Thousand Delights'' (1992, Box Dog Video). Melvins then released three "solo" EPs, following the concept and imitating the cover artwork inspired by the four
Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
members' solo albums released in 1978. '' King Buzzo'', '' Dale Crover'', and '' Joe Preston'' were all released in 1992 on Boner Records. Later in 1992, they released the full-length album, '' Lysol'', which had to be renamed ''Melvins'' because Lysol was a trademarked name. Preston departed from the band, and Lorax briefly rejoined.


Atlantic Records era (1993–1997)

When Nirvana's ''
Nevermind ''Nevermind'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana (band), Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a Record label#Major versus independent record labels, major label an ...
'' became a massive and unexpected success, Melvins were one of many groups to benefit from Nirvana's support. Melvins were signed by
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
, and its first major label release, 1993's ''
Houdini Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...
'', entered the ''Billboard'' Heatseekers chart at 29. Mark Deutrom replaced Lorax on bass shortly after the album's release. Melvins released its second album for Atlantic in 1994, ''
Stoner Witch ''Stoner Witch'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Melvins, released on October 18, 1994, by Atlantic Records. It is their second release for the label. Recording The album was recorded with Garth "GGGarth" Richardson and Joe Ba ...
''. Due to its experimental nature, Melvins took its next album, '' Prick'', to Amphetamine Reptile Records. Record label conflicts prevented the band from releasing any records under the name "Melvins", so the album was released with the band name written in mirror. The band returned to Atlantic one last time for 1996's '' Stag'', which entered the Heatseekers chart at number 33. Melvins were dropped by
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
in 1997 after three albums.


Switching labels and continued experimentation (1997–2004)

The band signed with Amphetamine Reptile Records and released their next full-length album, '' Honky'', in 1997. They recorded an August 1997 concert in Richmond,
Melbourne, Australia Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung/ or ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most-populous city in Australia, after Sydney. The city's name generally refers to a metropolitan area also known ...
as '' Alive at the Fucker Club'' in 1998. The same year, Melvins opened for
Tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...
. (A picture on the Tool website depicts the Melvins along with the words "Melvins say...Tool Sux!" spelled out in lunch meat. The photo was taken while on tour with Tool in 2002 in Australia.) In 1998, Melvins played the second stage at
Ozzfest Ozzfest was an annual music festival tour of the United States and sometimes Europe and later Japan, featuring performances by many heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Sharon Osbourne and her husband O ...
. 1999 saw the beginning of a partnership with Mike Patton's Ipecac Recordings, which began remastering and reissuing much of the band's back catalog. The band also released three full-length albums dubbed (and later packaged together as) ''The Trilogy'': '' The Maggot'', '' The Bootlicker'', and '' The Crybaby''. The latter featured a number of guest vocalists and musicians. Kevin Rutmanis, formerly of The Cows, was bassist during this era. In 2001, the band returned to their experimental tendencies for '' Colossus of Destiny'', a live set of synthesizer and sampler experiments presented as two tracks (one clocking in at 59:23 and the other at five seconds). The album was described approvingly by one critic as "more like
avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...
electro-acoustic than anything else." In 2002, Ipecac Recordings released Hostile Ambient Takeover, a record that was not in fact ambient music at all. This album is the first instance of Melvins working with long time producer and engineer Toshi Kasai. In 2003,
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
(UK) released '' Melvinmania: The Best of the Atlantic Years 1993–1996'', a compilation of recycled tracks from the band's three major label releases. This release was unsanctioned by the band who had no input into the track selection or (occasionally inaccurate) liner notes. In 2004, Osborne and Crover toured to celebrate their 20th anniversary as a band, and also released an art book '' Neither Here Nor There''. The book is a collection of art by creators of their cover art as well as friends of the band, and also contained retrospectives on the past twenty years of the Melvins. The book included a CD with selected tracks from their albums.


Later period and collaboration albums (2004–2010)

In 2004, Melvins collaborated with ambient artist Lustmord for '' Pigs of the Roman Empire'' and with Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra for '' Never Breathe What You Can't See'' and '' Sieg Howdy!'' released in 2004 and 2005 respectively. '' Never Breathe What You Can't See'' was supported by a mini-tour with Jello Biafra and Adam Jones from
Tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...
. A planned European tour was canceled in early October 2004 reportedly due to unknown complications involving Rutmanis. Following the tour cancellation, Melvins finished the year playing a few shows with David Scott Stone supporting the work of filmmaker Cameron Jamie in Europe and the United States. When asked about Rutmanis and the canceled portion of the tour. Osborne and Crover stated that Rutmanis had "disappeared". Fans feared that Rutmanis had departed like so many bassists before him; however, Rutmanis returned temporarily in early 2005. In June 2005, Rutmanis officially left the band. When Melvins toured with Jello Biafra in October and November 2005, David Scott Stone filled in on bass for both sets. David Scott Stone did not leave the live lineup on good terms, waiting until 9 days before a tour to back out and saying in an interview: "It was unprofessional and a betrayal of a friendship," In early 2006, Crover confirmed rumors of both members of the bass-drums duo
Big Business Big business involves large-scale corporate-controlled financial or business activities. As a term, it describes activities that run from "huge transactions" to the more general "doing big things". In corporate jargon, the concept is commonly ...
joining the Melvins. Commenting on adding another drummer, Crover said this about Big Business drummer Coady Willis: "He's left-handed, so we want to do this 'mirror image' type of thing. We've kind of fused our two drum sets together, and we're going to try and do some crazy thing with it. We're sharing these big toms in between us." The band toured the U.S. in the fall of 2006 in support of their album, '' (A) Senile Animal''. The Melvins also toured briefly the United Kingdom in mid-December 2006. Two new songs entitled "Suicide in Progress" and "Billy Fish" were played during the 2007 tour, and appear on their next album '' Nude With Boots''. On June 16 and 17, 2008, a lineup of Osborne, original drummer Mike Dillard, and Dale Crover (playing bass) played two shows at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco in honor of Jello Biafra's 50th birthday. Both sets were composed of songs from The Mangled Demos, a collection of early material released on the
Alternative Tentacles Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 by Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra and guitarist East Bay Ray in San Francisco, California, with the intention to release the Dead Kennedys' self-produced single " C ...
record label in 2005. In July 2008, their new album entitled '' Nude with Boots'' was released. In December 2008, along with Mike Patton, the Melvins co-curated an edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties Nightmare Before Christmas festival. They chose half of the lineup and also performed themselves. The long rumored (since 2003) remix CD '' Chicken Switch'' was released on September 29, 2009, via Ipecac Recordings. Unlike usual remix CDs where the remixer is given a single track to work with, for ''Chicken Switch'' each remixer was given a full album to work with and pull from to create their track. Melvins joined with New Orleans' super group Down and Weedeater for a North American tour in the summer and fall of 2009. Melvins released their follow up to ''Nude with Boots'', entitled '' The Bride Screamed Murder'', on June 1, 2010.


Melvins Lite, reunion with Mike Dillard and more albums (2011–present)

Melvins started 2011 with a series of unique shows. Four of the shows were every Friday at
Spaceland Spaceland was an alternative rock/indie rock nightclub in the Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California, Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, that existed between 1995 and 2011. The club was formerly a popular disco to young locals c ...
in California. January 7 featured the current line-up playing '' Colossus of Destiny'', '' Lysol'', and ''
Eggnog Eggnog (), historically also known as a milk punch or an egg milk punch when alcoholic beverages are added, is a rich, chilled, added sugar, sweetened, dairy-based sweetened beverage, beverage traditionally made with milk, cream, sugar, egg yolk ...
''. Jan 14 featured a Melvins 1983 set followed by the band playing ''
Houdini Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...
''. Jan 21 featured a two-piece Melvins set followed by the current lineup playing '' Bullhead''. Jan 28 featured the band playing a normal set followed by ''
Stoner Witch ''Stoner Witch'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Melvins, released on October 18, 1994, by Atlantic Records. It is their second release for the label. Recording The album was recorded with Garth "GGGarth" Richardson and Joe Ba ...
''. In early 2011 the band was on tour first in
Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...
, New Zealand at the time of the February
2011 Christchurch earthquake A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. New Zealand Daylight Time, local time (23:51 Coordinated Universal Time, UTC, 21 February). The () earthquake struck the Canterbury Region ...
then in
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
at the time of the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a  9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...
. Melvins supported
Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
at the All Tomorrow's Parties 'I'll Be Your Mirror' festival at
Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is an entertainment and sports venue in North London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. A listed building, Grade II listed building, it is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and th ...
, London in May 2012. Melvins formed a lineup called Melvins Lite (Buzz, Dale, and Trevor Dunn) that toured through parts of 2011. This line-up released an album, '' Freak Puke'', in June 2012 on Ipecac Recordings. The main four-piece lineup remains active as well and released a digital EP, '' The Bulls & the Bees'', in March on Scion a/v. In 2012, Melvins Lite completed a record-breaking tour, having performed every night for 51 straight days, once in each of the 50 United States and once in the
District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
. The tour started on September 5 in
Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...
and ended in
Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
on October 25, 2012. '' Everybody Loves Sausages'', an album of
cover songs In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song released ...
performed with special guests, was released by Ipecac on April 30, 2013. In 2013, Melvins marked 30 years as a band with an extensive summer tour supported by Honky, Die Kreuzen and Negative Approach. Grunge pioneers
Mudhoney Mudhoney is an American rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, on January 1, 1988, following the demise of Green River (band), Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner (guitari ...
also joined the band for two shows on the 30th anniversary tour. Rutmanis reconciled with his former bandmates, appearing on the 2013 album, '' Everybody Loves Sausages'' and a 2014 7" single. Melvins were featured on the 2013, Joyful Noise Recordings flexi-series. On August 5, 2013, Melvins announced a new album, '' Tres Cabrones'', featuring the "Melvins 1983" lineup with Osborne and Crover joined by the band's original drummer, Mike Dillard. Crover replaced Dillard in 1984 and plays bass on the album. ''Tres Cabrones'' was released on November 5, 2013, on the band's longtime label Ipecac. Jeff Pinkus had aided the band in 2013 as a touring bassist, filling in for current member Jared Warren who was on paternity leave. Afterward Pinkus joined the Melvins full time to begin a collaboration with fellow Butthole Surfers guitarist Paul Leary. The collaborative album '' Hold It In'' was released in October 2014. The lineup for this album was Osborne and Crover joined by Paul Leary and Jeff Pinkus of the Butthole Surfers. A collaboration with godheadSilo's Mike Kunka, '' Three Men and a Baby'', was released in April 2016 through
Sub Pop Sub Pop is an independent record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana (band), Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the gru ...
. The album, started in 1999 and shelved, was recently finished. Another album, '' Basses Loaded'', was released in June 2016, which features a rotating cast of bass players including regulars Dale Crover, Jared Warren, Jeff Pinkus and Trevor Dunn as well as Steven McDonald (of
Redd Kross Redd Kross is an American Rock music, rock band from Hawthorne, California, who had their roots in 1978 in a punk rock band called the Tourists, which was started by brothers Jeff and Steven Shane McDonald, Steve McDonald while Steve was still i ...
), and
Krist Novoselic Krist Anthony Novoselic (; ; born May 16, 1965) is an American musician, politician and activist. Novoselic co-founded and played bass on every album for the rock music, rock band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Novoselic and Kurt Cobain formed the ban ...
(of
Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
). In July 2017, the band released the double album '' A Walk with Love & Death''. One of the discs, ''Love'', is a 14-song soundtrack to a short film of the same name, by Jesse Nieminen. The other disc, ''Death'', is made up of standard Melvins songs. The band released '' Pinkus Abortion Technician'' in April 2018. The album features dual bassists, Melvins' regular bass player Steven McDonald as well as Butthole Surfers' Jeff Pinkus. The title of the album resembles the Butthole Surfers album '' Locust Abortion Technician'', and the album features a cover of the Butthole Surfers tune "Graveyard". Melvins' 24th studio album, '' Working with God'', was released on February 26, 2021, and once again includes the 1983 lineup of Osborne, Crover and Dillard reunited. On July 21, 2021, it was announced that Melvins' would release a 36-song acoustic double album titled '' Five Legged Dog'' later in the year, featuring acoustic versions of songs spanning their career. Also in 2021, Melvins were featured in the 25th anniversary of TapeOp with a feature interview. On August 21, 2022, the Melvins surprise released their 26th studio album, titled '' Bad Mood Rising''. The record was not announced beforehand and there were no singles, it just showed up on vinyl. The album arrived on streaming services on 30 September. In August 2023, it was announced that former second drummer Coady Willis would be returning to the band for their 2023 US Tour, filling in for Crover as he undergoes spinal surgery. Melvins announced their 27th album, titled '' Tarantula Heart'', on February 6, 2024, with a release date of April 19. The lead single "Working the Ditch" was released that same day. The second single "Allergic to Food" was released on March 20. In November 2024, Melvins announced a co-headlining spring 2025 US tour with Napalm Death, as a successor/sequel to their 2016 Savage Imperial Death March Tour. This will also be their first tour since 2016 to feature both Dale Crover and Coady Willis on drums, as Crover had to sit out their previous tour due to spinal surgery. Support includes Napalm Death bassist Shane Embury's side project Dark Sky Burial on all dates, as well as support from Weedeater, Titan To Tachyons, and Hard-Ons on select dates. Both bands also announced a collaboration album also titled ''Savage Imperial Death March'', which was released on February 16, 2025 to coincide with the tour. On February 17, 2025, Melvins released a single titled "Victory of the Pyramids" from their 28th studio album ''Thunderball''. The album is their third to feature the Melvins 1983 lineup, the previous two being '' Tres Cabrones'' (2013) and '' Working With God'' (2021). The album was released on April 18.


Musical style and influences

Variously described as a
sludge metal Sludge metal (also known as sludge doom or simply sludge) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that combines elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. The genre generally includes slow tempos, down-tuned guitars and nihilis ...
,
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
,
experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, wit ...
,
alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...
, and
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
band, the Melvins explored a variety of different styles throughout their career, including
noise rock Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise music, noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimal music, minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, a ...
,
stoner rock Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Sl ...
,
doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...
,
dark ambient Dark ambient (referred to as ambient industrial especially in the 1980s) is a genre of post-industrial musicReed, Alexander: ''Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music'', Oxford University Press, 2013, , p. 190 that features an ominous, ...
,
noise Noise is sound, chiefly unwanted, unintentional, or harmful sound considered unpleasant, loud, or disruptive to mental or hearing faculties. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrat ...
,
jazz-rock Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music Music genre, genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, a ...
,
avant-garde music Avant-garde music is music that is considered to be at the forefront of innovation in its field, with the term "avant-garde" implying a critique of existing aesthetic conventions, rejection of the status quo in favor of unique or original elem ...
,
electroacoustic music Electroacoustic music is a Music genre, genre of Western art music in which composers use recording technology and audio signal processing to manipulate the timbres of Acoustics, acoustic sounds in the creation of pieces of music. It originated a ...
, and punk country. Initially starting out as a
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...
act, their sound eventually started to incorporate such influences as Flipper, Black Flag, Gang of Four,
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
,
Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry (lead vocals/keyboards/principal songwriter) and Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson (bass). By the time the band recorded their Roxy Music (album), first albu ...
,
the Fugs The Fugs are an American rock band formed in New York City in late 1964, by the poets Ed Sanders and Tuli Kupferberg, with Ken Weaver (musician), Ken Weaver on drums. Soon afterward, they were joined by Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber of the Holy ...
, Swans,
Public Image Ltd Public Image Ltd (abbreviated and stylized as PiL) are an English post-punk band formed by lead vocalist John Lydon (previously, as Johnny Rotten, lead vocalist of the Sex Pistols), guitarist Keith Levene (a founding member of the Clash), bassi ...
,
Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
,
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...
, and
the Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
. Since the 1990s, the band has occasionally touched on electronic music, as on '' Prick'' (1994), '' Colossus of Destiny'' (1998), '' Pigs of the Roman Empire'' (2004) – the latter a collaboration with dark ambient pioneer Lustmord, and ''Throbbing Jazz Gristle Funk Hits'' (2023). Though the band are often compared to
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
, Buzzo has stated that his guitar playing is more influenced by Black Flag.


Legacy

Melvins' sludgy sound was an influence on
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
music, including bands such as
Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
,
Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...
, Green River, and many other bands from
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
. They have also influenced artists outside the grunge scene, including
Tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...
, Mike Patton of Mr. Bungle and
Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist ...
, Boris (who took their name from the title of a Melvins song), Pig Destroyer, Helmet, Full of Hell, Corey Taylor of Slipknot,
Sleep Sleep is a state of reduced mental and physical activity in which consciousness is altered and certain Sensory nervous system, sensory activity is inhibited. During sleep, there is a marked decrease in muscle activity and interactions with th ...
,
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
,
Sunn O))) Sunn O))) (pronounced "sun") is an American drone metal band formed in 1998 in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington. The band is known for its distinctive visual style and slow, heavy sound, which blends diverse genres including doom metal, ...
,
Lamb of God Lamb of God (; , ) is a Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at wikisource:Bible (American Standard)/John#1:29, John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, " ...
,
Mastodon A mastodon, from Ancient Greek μαστός (''mastós''), meaning "breast", and ὀδούς (''odoús'') "tooth", is a member of the genus ''Mammut'' (German for 'mammoth'), which was endemic to North America and lived from the late Miocene to ...
, Neurosis, High on Fire, Baroness, Eyehategod and
Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
wrote "their ability to combine punk with a strong Black Sabbath influence had a major impact on everything from grunge to
alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...
to
doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...
and
stoner rock Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Sl ...
." In 2017, ''Metal Injection'' ranked Melvins at number 2 on their list of "10 Heaviest Grunge Bands".


Members

* Buzz Osborne – guitars, lead vocals (1983–present) * Dale Crover – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1984–present); bass (2008–2015, 2020) * Steven Shane McDonald – bass, backing vocals (2015–present) * Coady Willis – drums, backing vocals (2006–2015, 2023–present) Former members * Mike Dillard – drums (1983–1984; 2008–2015, 2020, 2025) * Matt Lukin – bass, backing vocals (1983–1987) * Lori "Lorax" Black – bass (1987–1991, 1992–1993) * Joe Preston – bass, backing vocals (1991–1992) * Mark Deutrom – bass, guitars (1993–1998) * Kevin Rutmanis – bass (1998–2005) * Trevor Dunn – bass (2005, 2007, 2009; touring only); upright bass, backing vocals (2011–2015, with Melvins Lite) * Jared Warren – bass, backing vocals (2006–2015) * Jeff Pinkus – bass, backing vocals (2013–2019) Touring members * Tom Flynn – bass (1990) * Dave Sahijdak – bass (1993) *Billy Anderson – bass (1993) * David Scott Stone – guitars (2000–2001), bass (2004–2006)


Timeline


Discography

Studio albums * '' Gluey Porch Treatments'' (1987) * '' Ozma'' (1989) * '' Bullhead'' (1991) * '' Lysol'' (1992) * ''
Houdini Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...
'' (1993) * '' Prick'' (1994) * ''
Stoner Witch ''Stoner Witch'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Melvins, released on October 18, 1994, by Atlantic Records. It is their second release for the label. Recording The album was recorded with Garth "GGGarth" Richardson and Joe Ba ...
'' (1994) * '' Stag'' (1996) * '' Honky'' (1997) * '' The Maggot'' (1999) * '' The Bootlicker'' (1999) * '' The Crybaby'' (2000) * '' Electroretard'' (2001) * '' Hostile Ambient Takeover'' (2002) * '' (A) Senile Animal'' (2006) * '' Nude with Boots'' (2008) * '' The Bride Screamed Murder'' (2010) * '' Freak Puke'' (2012) * '' Everybody Loves Sausages'' (2013) * '' Tres Cabrones'' (2013) * '' Hold It In'' (2014) * '' Basses Loaded'' (2016) * '' A Walk with Love & Death'' (2017) * '' Pinkus Abortion Technician'' (2018) * '' Working with God'' (2021) * '' Five Legged Dog'' (2021) * '' Bad Mood Rising'' (2022) * '' Tarantula Heart'' (2024) * '' Thunderball'' (2025) Collaboration albums * '' Pigs of the Roman Empire'' (2004) (with Lustmord) * '' Never Breathe What You Can't See'' (2004) (with Jello Biafra) * '' Sieg Howdy!'' (with Jello Biafra) (2005) * '' Three Men and a Baby'' (2016) (with Mike Kunka) * ''Throbbing Jazz Gristle Funk Hits'' (2023) (with Void Manes) * ''Controlling Data for a Better Feeling Future'' (2023) (with
Helms Alee Helms Alee is an American rock band that formed in 2007. Based in Seattle, Helms Alee features Ben Verellen, former member of Harkonen and Roy. Helms Alee has released six albums, ''Night Terror'' (2008) and ''Weatherhead'' (2011) through Hy ...
) * ''Savage Imperial Death March'' (2025) (with Napalm Death)


References


External links

*
Official Melvins forum
* *
Melvins at Ipecac Recordings
{{Authority control American alternative metal musical groups American alternative rock groups American experimental rock groups American doom metal musical groups American grunge groups American noise rock music groups American sludge metal musical groups American stoner rock musical groups Hardcore punk groups from Washington (state) Heavy metal musical groups from Washington (state) Suicide Squeeze Records artists Atlantic Records artists C/Z Records artists Alternative Tentacles artists Boner Records artists Ipecac Recordings artists Musical groups established in 1983 Musical trios from Washington (state) People from Montesano, Washington Mammoth Records artists Third Man Records artists Amphetamine Reptile Records artists 1983 establishments in Washington (state)