Review: Melvins ‘Thunderball’
As assured as the sun rising in the morning, prolific, heavy sludge and grunge forefathers Melvins return with their whopping thirtieth (more if live albums, different lineup incarnations, splits and EPs are included) album Thunderball, which is another manifestation of the Melvins 1983 lineup, which features founder guitarist, vocalist and figurehead Buzz Osborne, original drummer Mike Dillard, with longtime drummer Dale Crover on bass.
This version of Melvins released Tres Carbones in 2013 and Working With God in 2021, however, on Thunderball, Crover sits this one out, perhaps due to still recovering from back surgery? For this release, Osborne and Dillard are joined by experimental, electronic musicians Ni Maîtres and Void Manes, whom Osborne had apparently wanted to collaborate with for some time.
As they’ve proven over the course of four (!) legendary decades, Melvins never make the same album twice as they’re constantly tinkering with their sound, always evolving, always searching for new sonics, always making music for themselves first and foremost, with Osborne’s bottomless well of creativity and riffs always percolating. That being said, of course it still sounds like Melvins, as Osborne’s voice and guitar sound are so singular and recognizable.
Thunderball blasts open with the chugging, heavier-than-shit riff of King Of Rome, the second single released and has that classic Melvins secret sauce as it’s all at once heavy and menacing, yet weird, and totally catchy, especially during the chorus. It doesn’t take long for Ni Maîtres & Void Manes to make their presence felt as the uneasy, creepy vibes and eerie sounds of Vomit Of Clarity display. However, the first time that Melvins, Ni Maîtres and Manes truly converge is the creepy crawling, nine-plus minute, mid-tempo malevolence of the colossal Short Hair With A Wig.
There are many layers to this song, and a smoldering, melancholic darkness that’s hovering just below the surface. The guitar riffing and noodling are all at once threatening, melodic and strangely emotive. Meanwhile, Manes and Ni Maîtres, who also plays standup bass, conjure up waves of disconcerting noise, creepy synth and electronic bleeps and blips that intermittently swirl around. Osborne and Dillard hold it all down, putting in a rock-steady and, if I may say so, Crover-esque performance throughout.
that classic Melvins secret sauce as it’s all at once heavy and menacing, yet weird, and totally catchy…
First single, Victory Of The Pyramids, introduces itself as a driving, up-tempo affair boasting some melodic, almost alt-rock-y guitar, before stopping on a dime. A dirty bass line is quickly presented prior to exploding into some heavy, Melvins weirdness which includes all sorts of guitar and vocal histrionics. It then gets even weirder on the way out as a simple rhythmic groove with all sorts of noises (are those wind chimes?) cascade upon the listener.
The album closes with Venus Blood, which also boasts a crawling menace, anchored by an earworm riff and melodic noodling, as Melvins ride this until the bitter end, before abruptly stopping on a dime.
I enjoyed Thunderball quite a bit and, as has been the case in the past with Melvins, it took a few spins to fully absorb what Osborne and company were trying to achieve sonically and creatively, but not surprisingly, the end result was, as always, great.
Melvins, to my ears, and I’ve been on board since all the way back in 1991 with Bullhead, have never made a bad album. Some I like more than others, some are more experimental than others, but every single album is good in its own way, and Thunderball is no exception. Additionally, despite being described with words like ‘experimental’ and ‘electronic’, it was a relatively straightforward Melvins album, even with the unsettling noises and undercurrent of potential malice. As always with Melvins, it is enthusiastically recommended.
Label: Ipecac Recordings
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Scribed by: Martin Williams
