Melvins – Tres Cabrones

Despite growling their way into middle age, the Melvins never really seemed the sort of band who’d bother to grow up. The snickering nastiness of their metal-soaked hardcore always felt too gloriously delinquent to age truly gracefully, and indeed album number nineteen sees them reaching back into their past. The return of founding drummer Mike Dillard sees long-term sticksman Dale Crover switching to bass (“As close as we’re willing to get to the 1980s lineup,” explains Buzz Osbourne helpfully), and the results are raucously wonderful.

The Black Flag rage and sludgy riffs of Dr. Mule put us in familiar territory, arching sinister smiles around tightly-gritted teeth, while Stick ‘Em Up, Bitch conjures up images of Lemmy staring down the barrel of a nail gun.  Just for laffs, there’s also a handful of truly terrifying campfire singalongs – old fellas they may be, but the Melvins’ capacity for demented glee remains happily undimmed. [Will Fitzpatrick]