The Melvins have always fallen short of the mainstream""maybe that's why they're so damn good. They heavily influenced the grunge movement and inspired more than a few doom metal acts with their savagely slow tempos and fanatically fuzzed-out guitars. But sadly, the FM gods have denied the radio-listening public the pleasure of the Melvins' eclectic rock cocktail.
Their newest album, A Senile Animal, will probably be no different. While the album peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Independent charts and made it to No. 6 on Billboard's Heatseekers charts, its sound just isn't pop"" enough for radio.
That said, it makes sense that A Senile Animal may attract some of the more vehemently anti-pop listeners. Long-time Melvins fans should find no love lost with this most recent effort, and traditional metal fans may find themselves strangely drawn to a different, more urgent-sounding Melvins.
A Senile Animal is mid-tempo, heavy and brash""it maintains the Melvins' fabled heaviness while adding a new energy to the music. One explanation for the departure from the ultra-slow is the band's absorption of sludge metal duo Big Business for the album. While one might imagine this would merely expand the usually shorthanded Melvins' instrumental scope, it is apparent that Big Business contributes to the songwriting as well.
One particularly interesting aspect of their altered sound is the presence of dual drummers on the record. While having two skinsmen is a bit unorthodox, drummers Dale Crover and Coady Willis achieve synergy not only with each other, but with the rest of the band as well.
Also different this time around is all four band members contribute to the vocals, providing an almost progressive quality not found on previous albums.
The first song, ""The Talking Horse,"" is a fitting introduction to the album, showcasing the band's faster pace and strong percussion section in an understated way. The song itself begins with one long, deep riff and progresses with layered, otherworldly howling.
""Civilized Worm"" saunters along, creating a swirling cloud of sound, with the choir of vocalists building a dreamlike effect. The song contains the foremost example of dual-drumming on the album in the form of an impressive drums-only outro that one must hear to believe.
Another standout track is ""You've Never Been Right,"" which features guitar work totally uncharacteristic of frontman Buzz Osborne. Known for his droning feedback rather than his blazing solos, the song may be King Buzzo's most wildly ferocious guitar attack to date.
The last three songs of the album are more conventional Melvins material""slower, sludgy, strained and badass. ""A History of Bad Men"" is the best of these six-minute epics. The song rolls along, wallowing in its own filth with the speed and mass of a dozen glaciers.
The Melvins are so experimental by nature that their cult-like sect of fans knows to expect new things from each album. A Senile Animal delivers on this tradition, extending an invitation to metal fans looking for something different.
