The band lineup is:
The position of bass player in the Melvins is rotating, much like that of the
drummer in
Spinal Tap, but without all the messy
death. Past placeholders have included:
Their
albums and
EPs, in chronological order, are as follows:
Salad of a Thousand Delights is a DVD release of a live concert. Technically also available on VHS but good luck finding it.
The band was formed in Aberdeen, Washington (not Seattle), like Nirvana. The two bands were friends and were often billed together--Buzzo taught Kurt Cobain how to play guitar while he was in high school, and Dale was Nirvana's drummer for a brief time before they hired Dave Grohl. "Sludge rock" or "slow punk" is an apt description of their sound pre-92, but with the (slightly) added publicity that Kurt's success afforded them, they began to experiment more with frenetic speeds, complex meters and elaborate pranks.
Also, starting with Houdini, the band's lyrics often became dense collages of unrelated words, some of them made up. The seductive impact of the unexplainable phonetic violence is uniquely unlike that of any other musicians. Those who assumed Buzz was lazily improvising could catch the band's show and see him repeat the nonsense syllables verbatim.
Live, they are not to be missed, if only for Buzz's Sideshow Bob 'do and Dale's thong, not to mention the relentless sonic attack. They often impersonate statues in the middle of songs, for upwards of four minutes. Once, when it came time to whistle the When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again-esque melody at the end of Roadbull, Buzz chose the Andy Griffith theme instead.
Stoner Witch is not their most accessible album, though it may be their best. Start with the maggot, or Stag if you like a range of diverse influences. Avoid Prick and Colossus of Destiny at all costs. This is a band that will definitely give your neck muscles a workout, and (if you have a good sense of humor) your gray matter as well.
Thanks to www.themelvins.net for completing the lists--where was that site when I was in college?