Albums: Houdini, Nude With Boots, Stoner Witch

The Melvins are an American sludge metal band formed in Montesano, Washington in 1982. Their dark, heavy, oppressively slow sound made them innovators of genres like sludge, grunge and doom metal. The Melvins' music is influenced by Black Flag's My War-era hardcore punk and Black Sabbath-style heavy metal, but their idiosyncratic approach, bizarre sense of humor, and experimentation make neat categorization difficult.

Singer/guitarist Buzz Osborne (aka "King Buzzo") and drummer Dale Crover are constant members while several bass guitarists have cycled through the group. Until the addition of the two members of Big Business in 2006, the Melvins performed as a trio. The band was named after a grocery clerk at the Thriftway in Montesano, Washington where Osborne was employed.

Melvin was the most-hated fellow employee and the band felt it to be an appropriate name. Like SF noisenik predecessors Flipper, their love of slow tempos and sludgy sound were a strong influence on grunge music, especially Nirvana and many other bands from Seattle. Their protegés, however, tended to use more conventional musical structures with this sound.

Though the group has received mostly positive critical notice, Crover's drumming has been especially praised; Patrick Kennedy describes his work as "astonishing, powerful, and daring." While never finding and most likely never even seeking great mainstream success, Melvins maintain an impressive schedule of new albums and tours, including a collaboration with Fantômas in The Fantômas Melvins Big Band and two releases with former Dead Kennedys front man Jello Biafra, and have a dedicated cult following. (The band has been colloquially known as "The Jelvins" during Biafra's current tenure). In appreciation of these devoted fans, Melvins have released various collectables through the years that have included two-headed dolls, an eight-track tape, and a plastic fetus in a jar.

Fellow Aberdeen resident Kurt Cobain (a good friend of Crover) was a huge Melvins fan and helped them transport their equipment to a few shows. Cobain also auditioned to join the band on bass, but he didn't make it, reportedly because he was so nervous that he forgot all the songs. Cobain maintained his relation with the band.

Later he produced and played on some songs (guitar on "Sky Pup", percussion on "Spread Eagle Beagle") on the band's major label debut, Houdini. Dale Crover is also attributed as playing on the Nirvana debut album, Bleach. In addition, Dave Grohl (ex-drummer for Nirvana) co-wrote and played drums for Isabella on Buzzo's Melvins solo album, King Buzzo.

Melvins are currently performing with bass player Jared Warren from Big Business, who participated on their albums (a) Senile Animal and Nude with Boots along with Osborne and Crover. Coady Willis, the drummer from Big Business, has also been inducted into the band - he and Crover both take up the position of drummer simultaneously, contributing extremely heavy-hitting, explosive rhythms in synchronization with each other. Currently, Big Business is opening for Melvins on their current 2008 tour.

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