Melvins

About

Also known as: (the) Melvins, Melvins the, The Melvins

Few bands have left fingerprints on as many genres as the Melvins. Formed in Montesano, Washington in 1983, they are widely credited as pioneers of sludge metal and a foundational influence on both grunge and alternative metal, largely by doing something radical at the time: playing heavy music slower and heavier than almost anyone else around. The core of the band has been guitarist and vocalist Buzz Osborne alongside drummer Dale Crover since 1984, a partnership that has outlasted a long revolving door of bassists and produced well over 25 studio albums. Their catalog is genuinely hard to pin down. From the grinding heaviness of Bullhead to the full synthesizer chaos of Colossus of Destiny, they have never stayed in one lane for long. A stint on Atlantic Records in the 1990s brought records like Houdini and Stoner Witch to wider audiences, and their long partnership with Mike Patton's Ipecac Recordings has kept a steady stream of music coming ever since. Their most recent studio album, Thunderball, landed in 2025.