Photos and Recap by Max Stewart
The Melvins are the unsung heroes of modern rock, at least to many mainstream listeners. Singer Buzz Osborne‘s dinosaur stomping, overdriven guitar sound alone is enough to give them a seat at the godfathers of rock table. Not to mention, Osborne is from Aberdeen, Washington and was good friends with Kurt Cobain and actually took him to his first show (Black Flag). He also connected Nirvana with a drummer from the band Scream that he thought might be a good fit: Dave Grohl. Countless bands from Soundgarden to Tool to Slipknot have cited them as an influence. So, yeah, the Melvin’s tentacles are all over rock.
They have refused to change their style and ethos to chase a Top 40 hit, and for that they have built a lasting legacy and faithful legion of fans. We were glad to see a packed crowd at Atlanta‘s Variety Playhouse, including Mastodon‘s Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher in the audience, who have long touted their love of the band. While original drummer Dale Crover is recovering from surgery, Coady Willis slayed behind the kit alongside bassist Steven McDonald (who has been in the band since 2015). The band played a set that leaned heavily on their sludgy 1991 album, Bullhead. Osborne’s tone really is the centerpiece to their thrashing live sound, and the trio was as locked and effervescent as ever in their nearly 40 years since forming.
“40 years as the Melvins!!! What better way to celebrate that unlikely milestone than by setting off on the ‘Twins of Evil Tour’ with our friends, Boris,” says King Buzzo on their website. “This will be a stone groove!”
In a very cool twist and yet another testament to the Melvins’ impact, the other headlining band of the tour is Boris, the Japanese doom metal trio that actually got their name from a song off of Bullhead. The trio of drummer/singer Atsuo, lead guitarist Wata, and double neck extraordinaire and singer Takeshi were pure entertainers and there was absolutely no shoe-gazing disinterest.
Boris’ Takeshi said: “Could anyone have predicted such an astonishing event, that Boris and the Melvins would tour the entire USA together? Since the mid-1980s, the Melvins have had an enormous influence on artists of all genres not only limited to heavy music, and have brought forth a surge of faithful followers over the years. Needless to say, Boris is just one of these many bands influenced by the mighty Melvins, and we took our name from a song title off of the 1991 album, Bullhead.”
My ears are ringing and am full bellied from a great night of fuzz-driven rock. Do not miss the opportunity to catch these two on the road this year.
