From Melville to Metal: The Conceptual Depths of Mastodon’s ‘Leviathan’
Mastodon’s Leviathan is a concept LP inspired by American novelist Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Think of it as sludge metal’s answer to Dark Side of the Moon.
sludge metal
The Dark Beauty of Alice In Chains’ ‘Jar of Flies’
Unplanned and unprepared, when Alice in Chains recorded Jar of Flies‘ catchy songs on the fly, they created some of their career’s darkest yet warmest music of their career.
Melvins’ ‘Tarantula Heart’ Marks Their Strange Trip
Melvins are masters of their craft, still able to make songs that stand with their finest work precisely because they’re never trying to recapture that past.
Eye Flys Highlight Their Melvins’ Influences on New LP
Sludge metal band Eye Flys take the low-down ‘n’ dirty, down-tuned sludge of the Melvins and heat weld it to massive, 21st-century post-hardcore riffs.
The Menacing, Grimy Weirdness of Melvins’ ‘Houdini’ at 30
Once Houdini dropped, all the agonizing over whether Melvins would debase themselves and compromise their sound petered out before we were halfway into “Hooch”.
Revisiting Melvins’ Mid-1990s Makes Claim for Their Sheer Excellence
At the Stake: Complete Atlantic Recordings 1993-1996 gathers the three album run Melvins delivered during their short stint on a major label.
Two New Tribute Albums Show Soundgarden’s Magic Can’t Be Replicated
For better and worse, the latest installments in Magnetic Eye’s Soundgarden tribute series only underscore the iconic Seattle quartet’s range.
Urne Turn Pain Into Cathartic Art on ‘A Feast on Sorrow’
Urne have turned suffering into art on A Feast on Sorrow, and the cathartic effect of doing so will no doubt push this exciting band to the next level.
Melvins Go Acoustic But Still Sound Somehow Like, Well, the Melvins
At its finest, Melvins’ Five-Legged Dog is downright transgressive, suggesting all sorts of alternate-history narratives for these Washington-bred weirdos.
MetalMatters: The Best New Heavy Albums of July 2021
We get everything from the extreme metal spectrum, old school black and death metal records, and more modern interpretations in a very busy July.
Alice in Chains’ ‘MTV Unplugged’ Is a Grunge Staple and a Series Standout
Twenty-five years after its release, Alice in Chains’ MTV Unplugged is an essential grunge album and a career-high point for the band.
Melvins’ ‘Working With God’ Displays a Refreshing Sense of Humor
Melvins come across like a musical Three Stooges on this compact, but cheerful new album in their prolific and storied career.