MELVINS — Tres Cabrones (review)

MELVINS — Tres Cabrones album cover Album · 2013 · Hard Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
UMUR
"Tres Cabrones" is the 21st full-length studio album by US sludge/stoner rock/metal act Melvins. The album was released through Ipecac Recordings in November 2013. It´s the band´s second full-length studio release in 2013 as they released "Everybody Loves Sausages" in April 2013. "Everybody Loves Sausages" is a cover album though, so "Tres Cabrones" is their first studio release in 2013 with original material. The usual suspects Buzz Osbourne and Dale Crover are this time around joined by the band´s original drummer Mike Dillard, who Crover replaced in 1984. Crover has as a consequence switched to bass on "Tres Cabrones". King Buzzo handles vocals and guitars as always. There is no sign of the two Big Business guys.

The music on "Tres Cabrones" is unmistakably the sound of Melvins. Heavy guitar riffs, driving hard rocking beats and the near madness sounding vocals by Buzz Osbourne topped off by the idiosyncratic lyrics and imagery of the band. When Melvins hit the right buttons their music is magic, but on this release, it´s like they´ve hit a dry inspirational spot. The relatively thin sounding production doesn´t help to transport the heavy riffs to the listener either and when the band are silly, they are not "funny silly", they are "ridiculous silly" as they are on "Tie My Pecker to a Tree", "99 Bottles of Beer" and "You´re in the Army Now". Yes there are tracks like "Dr. Mule", parts of "Dogs and Cattle Prods" and "Stump Farmer" that are pretty decent, but my overall feeling about "Tres Cabrones", is that it´s a pretty mediocre release by Melvins.

The idea to bring back original drummer Mike Dillard and record an album with him may look good on paper, but compared to Dale Crover, Dillard lacks a personal playing style. I miss Dale Crover on those drums and I miss the two Big Business guys. I hope the "Tres Cabrones" lineup is only a temporary installment, and that we´ll soon see an album featuring original material recorded by the lineup that recorded great well produced albums like "(A) Senile Animal (2006)", "Nude With Boots (2008)" and "The Bride Screamed Murder (2010)". A 3 star (60%) is warranted.
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