THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Melvins 1983 — the raw and unfiltered incarnation of the legendary band led by Buzz Osborne and original Melvins drummer Mike Dillard — return with Thunderball, their first album in four years.
The album was recorded by Toshi Kasai at Sound of Sirens Studios, and features special guests Void Manes and Ni Maitres. Formed over 40 years ago in Seattle, Melvins were one of the pioneers of the grunge and sludge-metal scenes. Here’s a little history — and some opinions — from King Buzzo:
“Mike Dillard is the original drummer for the Melvins — we’ve been friends since high school,” he says. “We met in Montesano, a small town on the coast of Washington State. We had moved there from an even smaller town. I hated everything about it. I hated the people, hated the teachers, hated the cops, hated the weather, hated how isolated it was. It was like living on the dark side of the moon. I knew no one and had no friends at all, which was fine by me.
“If I had a chance to do it over I’d quit high school as soon as I could. High school was a complete waste of time. My own classmates proved themselves the enemy, so finding someone I could relate to was just great. Mike was immediately impressed with all the weird music I was into. Up to that point, I hadn’t met anyone with any interest in any of my musical discoveries. It was an amazing time in the history of music and literally no one was interested. We were surrounded by mediocrity, stupidity, prejudice and dangerous rednecks.
“We learned to play music together. We grew up together and have remained friends all these years. Thunderball is the third Melvins 1983 record we have made together. I’ve also wanted to do something with electronic artists Void Manes and Ni Maîtres for a long time. Both are extraordinary talents. Their unconventional use of electronics pushed Thunderball beyond my expectations. I wanted this one to be bombastic. I think it is. I’m already planning a fourth one that will be even more uncompromising — a real shit show.”
