Melvins
Alive at the F*cker
AmRep
Man oh man, am I ever tempted to go to OzzFest. Not necessarily to see Ozzy or any of the other bands appearing on the main stage, but to see the Melvins and Mötörhead perform on the second stage. (It’s not necessarily Mötörhead anymore, but at least Lemmy).
Unlike most of the bands performing at OzzFest, the Melvins are a self-defined band. They’ve paid their dues. For years, the Melvins have been shunned by punkers attempting to pigeonhole them as metal, while simultaneously shunned by metalheads who thought their shit was too “slow,” or they didn’t “look” metal enough. The fact remains they’re the heaviest and most sinister thing going; as creepy, heavy, and slow as a two-ton slug.
It’s been a few years since the Melvins have released a live album, and considering how prolific their studio work is, they’re due for another live album, just to bring things into focus. Alive At the F*cker Club is 7-track, all meat-no fat, Melvins, featuring classic/Lori Black era songs, including “It’s Shoved,” in which Buzz provides a Garrison Keillor meets Jimi Hendrix intro, as well as tastier tracks of Melvins present. The Melvins are still the ultimate punk byproduct of the disenfranchised and pissed FM listeners of Nugent and Deep Purple.
Due to the logistical nightmare of OzzFest, this may be the first time I’ve missed the Melvins touring since ‘85, but at least I’ve got `em on disc. Amphetamine Reptile Records, 2200 4th Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418
