New Music From Melvins

Formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington, the Melvins are one of modern music’s most influential bands. Founded by Buzz Osborne (vocals/guitar) with drummer Dale Crover joining a year later, the Melvins pioneered a genre-defying fusion of punk rock and heavy music. Over their four-decade career, they’ve released more than 30 original albums, countless live records, and numerous singles and rarities. Recent works include Tarantula Heart (2024), a dynamic showcase of the Melvins’ range​ where the songs were written after the recording, Bad Mood Rising (2022), an intense, sludge-infused exploration of their signature sound, and Five Legged Dog (2021), a 36-track acoustic retrospective that reimagines their heaviest songs alongside covers of favorite artists. Thunderball – out April 18 – is a testament to the Melvins’ enduring legacy of innovation, defiance, and musical exploration. To make the LP, Osborne worked with longtime friend Mike Dillard and collaborators Ni Maîtres and Void Manes, whose distinct voices and contributions pushed Thunderball into new realms.

According to Osborne, “Mike Dillard is the original drummer for the Melvins, we’ve been friends since high school. We met in Montesano, a small town on the coast of Washington state.  I hated everything about that town. I hated the people, hated the teachers, hated the cops, hated the weather and I hated how isolated it was. I had no friends at all, which was fine by me. My own classmates proved themselves the enemy so finding someone I could relate to was great. Mike was immediately impressed with all of the weird music I was into. Up to that point I hadn’t met anyone with an interest in any of my musical discoveries. It was an amazing time in the history of music and literally no one around me was interested. We were surrounded by mediocrity, stupidity, prejudice, and dangerous rednecks. We learned to play music together. We grew up together. We have remained friends all these years. Thunderball is the third Melvins record we’ve made together. I wanted this one to be bombastic. I think it is. I’ve been wanting to do something with Void Manes and Ni Maîtres for a long time. Both of them are exceptional talents and were a joy to work with. Their out-of-the-box use of electronics pushed Thunderball beyond my expectations.” Advance tracks “King Of Rome” and “Victory Of The Pyramids” are at radio now.

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Label: Ipecac Recordings

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