It's exam season and a boy sits down to revise. Not being too determined he requires music to keep him going. So he puts on an abum by a band he has not heard much, The Melvins.
Something magical happens from the very opener "Skweetis". A minute and twelve seconds of noisy music driven by low end vocals and monstrous riffs awakens this boy to one thing. The Melvins are great!
The following track Queen redoubles this belief as it makes him want to drop-d his guitar and start singing very low and angrily. The lyrical refrain "oh wishing well" is all he can really remember but this is enough to keep him interested. The pace picks up for rock n roll following track "Sweet Willy Rollbar".
The next thing that strikes him comes later on. That is this album's pure diveristy, "Goose Frieght Train" and "At the Stake" show him the new side of The Melvins. The first is a slow ambient blues trawl making you want to sit back and decide just really who you are. The crazy sound of this song seems vaguely infectious and many strange thoughts run through the mind of ou listener. As each instruemnt builds up and then falls back down again the music creates landscaps in our boy here's mind. He leaves this song having found a new side of himself.
The silence that opens "At the Stake" is a perfect atmosphere builder . The effect laden riff strikes our hero (of sorts) with its pure atmospheric tension. As Strange things happen in the form of music, revison becomes the last thing on his mind a he prepares himself to fail his exams. The simple fact is that this track is the album's peak, all powerful moods of music formed into one singularly amazing track.
Special mention should be put to the track between these two, it goes by the name of "Roadbull" and is one part subtle, one part angry and one art military in style. The balance of this song leaves our listener in another strange part of his own mind.
The moods continue to rise and fall an ou listener listens right to the very end. As the finisher track "lividity" fades out our lead listener stands up and leaves his room feeing liek he has fond something new about himself. He has , in fact, just discovered The Melvins and ths great album by a great band.
Credits
The Melvins are:
King Buzzo - Guitar and Vocals
Dale Crover - Drums and Vocals
Mark Deutrom - Bass