Where Are They Now Part 2 from the Rocket

#167 September 1993
Melvins
In some ways, The Rocket was late to the party with the Melvins. By the time they were the topic of an Grant Alden cover story, they had long since abandoned the Northwest for California, and the bands they helped to influence had already conquered the world. No one agrees with our tardiness more than the Melvins' outspoken guitarist/vocalist Buzz Osbourne (a.k.a. King Buzzo), who, in an interview last year, shared his contempt for the magazine. "When are you doing another fuckin' TKO cover?," he mused sarcastically. "There's a great band." He had a point: Without the Melvins the infamous Seattle sound might not have come to be, for it was these products of Aberdeen, Washington who helped pioneer it by breeding metal with punk. Also, it was Osbourne who introduced Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic to punk rock, and drummer Dale Crover who played drums in an early configuration of Nirvana, as heard on tracks on the band's debut LP, Bleach. Plus, original Melvins bassist Matt Lukin went on to join Mudhoney. In 1993, after producing an impressive lot of indie albums, singles and EPs, the Melvins signed to Atlantic, releasing Houdini, which was produced, in part, by Cobain. While their stint on Atlantic lasted only three albums (Houdini, Stoner Witch and Stag), the Melvins returned to the indies, recording three LPs (1997's Honky, 1998's Singles 1-12 and 1995's Prick) and an EP (1998's Live at the Fucker Club) for Amphetamine Reptile. In 1998, bassist Mark Deutrom (who had been on board since 1993) resigned and was replaced by Cows bassist Kevin Rutmanis. Today, the Melvins are still going strong. And while the sludge-core riffs, colossal rhythms, fracturing percussion and guttural vocals are still hallmarks of the Melvins' sound, the band continues to redefine and expand the limits of its aesthetic. This year, the band has released a trilogy of albums, The Maggot, The Bootlicker and The Crybaby, on Mike Patton's Ipecac Records. Aside from the Melvins, both Osbourne and Crover dabble in side projects. Osbourne plays guitar for Fantomas, a supergroup of sorts including Patton (Mr. Bungle, Faith No More), Trevor Gunn (Mr. Bungle) and Dave Lombardo (Slayer). And Crover has stepped out from behind his kit to play guitar and sing for the San Francisco band Altamont.
--Joe Ehrbar

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