The Melvins: Live! Tonight! Sold Out!

Chris Cusack speaks to Buzz Osborne and finds it ironic that his band, perhaps more than any other, lie at the root of grunge's messy ascension into the mainstream and the compromise of punk ethics that saga entailed.

Feature by Chris Cusack | 12 Nov 2008

Twenty-one years on from their debut album, few bands could still expect to be as compelling as The Melvins. With a career of obstinate single-mindedness behind them, they lay claim to one of the most “punk” reputations in modern music. All of this is despite - or perhaps because of - having drifted between so many different sounds, many of which were far from the snotty, up-tempo thrashings most people traditionally associate with that label.

Enthusing about his punk roots, wild-haired frontman Buzz Osborne recalls falling in love with the Sex Pistols: “None of my teenage friends in the 70s could stand Rotten's voice. To me this was a perfect extension of the heavy metal I was already listening to and The Pistols' no-redeeming-social-value-whatsoever stance completely appealed to my developing juvenile-delinquent brain. It made sense to me. Still does.”

Having accrued an untouchable reputation on the US underground since the mid-80s, The Melvins' well-documented, though short-lived, affair with Atlantic Records between '93 and '97 brought substantial criticism their way. Yet as Osborne says: “It's not a whole lot different than things we have heard for much of our career. Hell, we had people accusing us of ‘selling out’ with the Bullhead record.”

Video: Melvins - The Talking Horse

It's clearly a subject he's touchy about though, responding with short-tempered suspicion to questions about how a younger “King Buzzo” might have viewed the contemporary Melvins (“Buzz then wasn't stupid and neither is Buzz now”). However it's also maybe an understandable sore point, given years of putting up with complaints about the success they enjoyed on the back of Nirvana's well-documented explosion (and eventual implosion). It's ironic then that The Melvins, perhaps more than any other band, probably lie at the root of grunge's messy ascension into the mainstream and the wanton compromising of punk ethics the saga entailed. It was Buzz and long-time drummer Dale Crover, after all, who originally inspired Kurt Cobain to form Nirvana - the band that made Grunge a brand name - having taught him guitar and introduced him to many of the bands that changed his life.

The rest is obviously history, though it's no secret that, despite their protestations, the financial benefits of Melvins' tenure on Atlantic were considerable. They reputedly walked away with an advance of almost half a million dollars upon signing to Atlantic. Not bad considering that same label refused to release their second offering, the awkward and unfriendly Prick, which ultimately only saw the light of day on an indie label under the moniker “Snivlem”. This was a move that once again secured them underground credibility.

In 2008, with The Melvins swollen to a four-piece, encompassing Seattle duo Big Business, their sound has again changed direction, albeit more subtly than the transition from thunderous mulch to pseudo-electro farce on Colossus of Destiny (incidentally the second most important album Buzzo recommends for any new listeners to the Melvins' catalogue). On the subject of the two new(ish) recruits and the effect that has had on the band's style, Buzz explains: “The writing process has changed significantly throughout our entire career, listen to a wide variety of our records and it's obvious. It's great to have them in the Melvins, we are all equals. At least I'd like to think that. They are great players and can do pretty much whatever I dream up.”

However he's reluctant to acknowledge the increasingly apparent influence of classic rock on recent work, especially 2008's Nude With Boots. Maybe it's due to the common perception of “classic” rock as antithesis to the punk ethic, conjuring images of overblown stadium shows and long, indulgent solos. “Classic rock? I suppose, but I don't hear it that way and I've probably listened to more classic rock than most. Actually, I don't hear any of that kind of influence on Nude With Boots.” Ever the contradiction, Buzz then goes on to gush over ZZ Top's Tres Hombres album, pointing out that “the genius is in the delivery.”

More so than most acts, The Melvins have had to juggle such contradictions throughout their history. Their ability to slow a riff down to ludicrous proportions and play to timings with complete disregard for musical convention is in itself regarded as “punk”, yet they excel at moments of grand, righteous guitar riffage and, lest we forget, performed twice with a certain Gene Simmons on bass guitar, having released a Kiss-inspired trilogy of albums.

Thankfully, this internal conflict has had no noticeable impact on the success of a band that, having outlived and outplayed most of their peers, continue to produce music the equal of any of their previous output. They have succeeded entirely on their own terms, never compromising their material at anyone's behest. And that alone has to be a chapter in any book about punk ethics.

Nude With Boots is out now via Ipecac.

Melvins and Mike Patton curate ATP's Nightmare Beofre Christmas, Minehad between 5-7 Dec.

http://www.melvins.com