If you don’t like the Melvins go and get some fucking help you weirdo! Buzz and Dale have been smashing out next level quirky sludge for 30 years now which is frankly ridiculous and they are still as prolific as ever, releasing their second album of the year entitled Tres Cabrones. This offering sees the return of their original drummer Mike Dillard on drums, whilst Dale moves over to bass duties. So can a band in their thirtieth year deliver an album which is worth the time of day? Of course they can, the album is class.
First off, this is not 100% new material which might leave the diehard fan a little disappointed when they hear the off b-side and rarity littered throughout. However, I could not give a shit, hearing these tracks nailed in a Melvins 2013 way is awesome and it does feel like a collection of song, it feels like an album. It’s a shit load of fun, ‘Dr. Mule’ kicks off the proceedings with a vintage Melvins riff and the vocal line is eccentric and wild, exactly what we want from these guys down to a T. There’s some real crazy guitar work but just feels light and groovy. This is consistent throughout, it’s not the heaviest Melvins album there every song is unbelievably catchy. Don’t get me wrong it still packs a devastating punch but there is something friendly about it, it’s one of their less challenging listens and possibly a good first listen to Melvins virgins. You could even stick it on in a house party and people might actually dance.
Normally they do like to throw in the odd patch of awkwardness both on record and in the live shows. You know…maybe 8 minutes of ambient distortion here and 9 minute slow drum solo there, this is all part of their charm but this is missing from Tres Cabrones. I welcome it, though I do love the endurance tests but it’s somewhat refreshing having a record which is 100% punch. Although the 7 minute ‘I Told You I was Crazy’ flirts with being text book strange one but manages to stay just the line and is absolutely colossal when the riff kicks in. Weirdness is still a key feature of the album, there are silly traditional camping sing alongs which pop up now and again including ‘Tie My Pecker to a Tree’, ’99 Bottles of Beer’ and ‘You’re in the Army Now’ which make you giggle like a school girl (who likes the Melvins).
There is not a bad song in the bunch, the best song writing I’ve heard on a Melvins album for a while now. There’s no point me discussing highlights because it’s just an awesome blast of groovy sludge from the first second to the last and they are simply unbelievable musicians. I don’t think it’s quite on the level of ‘(A) Senile Animal’ which I consider to be there best but it’s certainly up there. It’s truly remarkable how these guys have been around 30 years and make innovative and jaw dropping music which blows 99.9% of bands out of the water. I’m probably preaching to the choir here but these guys are gods, here’s to the next 30 years!
