Supergroup Gatta Morta makes their debut with an EP featuring members of Melvins, Butthole Surfers and Big Business

Four musicians from the corners of the American alternative rock scene have joined forces to form a brand new band: Gatta Morta. The group consists of Buzz Osborne of the Melvins and Clinton Jacob of the Chicago duo Mr. Phylzzz on guitar and vocals, JD Pinkus of the Butthole Surfers on bass and vocals, and Coady Willis of Big Business on drums and vocals. All four members also contribute vocally. Notably, Osborne, Pinkus and Willis have all been members of the Melvins at some point across various lineups, while Jacob is the only newcomer to that circle.

The band wasted no time upon their announcement, releasing a debut EP right away titled Burn Witch Burn, featuring four tracks: Taco Bellboy, Victims of the Universe, Black Hall and Clear Smoke. The EP is out via Amphetamine Reptile Records, while the digital single Black Hall is being released through Ipecac Recordings. A visualizer for Black Hall, the lead single from the EP, also dropped alongside the release.

The sound of Gatta Morta moves between heavy, riff driven passages and distorted, psychedelic moments. According to reports, Black Hall brings to mind the doom metal oriented period of the Melvins around the album Lysol, combined with the large scale sonic assault of Big Business during the Here Comes the Waterworks era.

Osborne explains how the idea came about: "It's always a good time for the world to embrace a new heavy/weird band. I had the idea for Gatta Morta while touring last fall. I realized I needed to start a band with these three. Seemed like a no brainer. Solidly weird rock music that needs to happen." Pinkus adds: "It's been way too long since I got to write a heavy album from scratch with such high caliber players with such complimentary styles… and we're just cat scratching the surface of what we got goin' on."

Jacob, whose band Mr. Phylzzz is known as an eccentric pop noise rock duo, describes how the collaboration came together: "I just had this feeling that one day we would work together. I became friends with Buzz over the past few years doing shows together and having him play guitar on a Mr. Phylzzz song. When I was asked to be a part of Gatta Morta, I was speechless, but I was 100% ready for it."

The formation of Gatta Morta coincides with a busy touring period for the Melvins, who are currently working their way through a North American tour alongside Tomahawk. For fans of heavy and wonderfully strange guitar rock in the Netherlands, Burn Witch Burn is already available through Amphetamine Reptile Records.