Melvins - Pinkus Abortion Technician (Album Review)

Release date: April 20th 2018. Label: Ipecac Recordings. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Pinkus Abortion Technician – Tracklisting

1. Stop Moving To Florida

2. Embrace The Rub

3. Don’t Forget To Breathe

4. Flamboyant Duck

5. Break Bread

6. I Want To Hold Your Hand

7. Prenup Butter

8. Graveyard

Members

Buzz Osborne – Guitars/Vox

Dale Crover – Drums

Jeff Pinkus – Bass

Steven McDonald – Bass

Review

Greetings All,

It was a little less than two years ago that I did my first review for Outlaws. Steve took a chance on me and handed me the Melvins Basses Loaded. I have been a huge Melvins fan for over 20 years. I was a grunge kid being in my teens in the early 90’s. I remember going to the National Record Mart in Steubenville, Ohio to pick up Houdini the day it came out in 1993. I had read a review in Rolling Stone and was a big Nirvana fan, so I took a stab and have been hooked ever since.

2018 gives us Pinkus Abortion Technician, the bands 507^th release and 23^rd in the past two years. I’m kidding, but honestly I have lost track. The band remains insanely prolific. I believe this to be their 3^rd full length in the last 3 years, not counting solo albums, side projects, etc.

Pinkus Abortion Technician has Buzz and Dale (If you are reading this I assume you already have a working knowledge of how the Melvins operate and how their line up constantly evolves) working with their last two bassists, Jeff Pinkus (Butthole Surfers, Honky, and more) and Steven McDonald (Redd Kross, Off!, etc) in an interesting fashion that includes tons of differing styles and instrumentation. In listening to the record, I didn’t notice any specific tracks that highlighted a double bass sound. It seems the band used the opportunity to add to the unique instrumentation and song structure. The eight songs on the record are intriguing and eminently listenable.

Stop Moving to Florida opens the record. It is an amalgamation of the old James Gang song Stop and the Butthole Surfers track Moving to Florida from Rembrandt Pussyhorse. The catchy classic rock style of the Stop portion improves upon the original version, while the Florida portion is remarkably similar to the original. Embrace the Rub follows, it is a short New-Wave inspired track with a punk inspired chorus.

Don’t Forget to Breathe is a seven minute plus track that moves at a slow, methodical pace with an ominous sound and shows touches of the bands more trademark heavy/sludge sound. The song is also highlighted by an odd steel drum/synth/dulcimer sound. One of the most interesting songs on the record is the atmospheric pop of Flamboyant Duck. The song is the first of two that opens with an acoustic guitar and brings in some of Pinkus trademark banjo plucking before transforming into a heavy guitar and synth closing. An interesting note on the first half of the record is that the majority of lead vocals are done by the bassist duo and not Buzz.

Break Bread is a more straight ahead, almost southern rock tinged track. It’s no secret that the band has an affection for ZZ Top. The songs mid-tempo beat and catchy chorus give way to a noisy breakdown that reminds me a lot of the little band from Texas. Ironically, one of the heaviest songs on the record is a cover of the greatest pop group of all time.

I Want to Hold Your Hand has been a live staple for quite a few years. The song maintains the catchiness of the original but adds a real heavy punch that makes it one of the stand out tracks on the record. The Melvins prove throughout this record (as well as past albums) that they can really do some remarkable work with a cover song. Prenup Butter follows and opens once again with an acoustic guitar that gives way to a definite psychedelic guitar sound. The track has a driving drum beat that carries a dark, heavy psych stomp. A second Butthole Surfers cover of Graveyard, from the almost name sake Surfers record Locust Abortion Technician, closes the record.

This is the sludgiest, most old school Melvins sounding track on the record. The band makes it their own, while still keeping it similar to the original, this track may be the most obvious to have a double bass sound to it. The guitars are heavy, the drums loud and the vocals are trade mark Buzz style with plenty of noise and feedback to go around.

At this point in the game the Melvins approach an album and do what they want with no regard or interest in what others expect or want them to do. This must be an amazingly liberating feeling. If you are a Melvins fan, you will absolutely dig Pinkus Abortion Technician. 

Don’t do yourself the disservice of pushing it off because it lacks the Sludge of Lysol or the heaviness/metal sound of their Atlantic years. Embrace it and enjoy the ride, the Melvins know where they are going, even if the rest of us don’t. 

Pinkus Abortion Technician is a welcome addition to an already impressive catalog of killer music.

- Todd S

Instagram @alltheghoststhathauntyou

Words by Todd Stealey

Thanks to Lauren at Rarely Unable PR for the promo. Pinkus Abortion Technician will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ipecac Recordings from April 20th 2018.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

LowFlyingHawks - Genkaku (Album Review)

Release date: August 25th 2017. Label: Magnetic Eye Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Genkaku – Tracklisting

1.Smile

2.Uncool

3.Virgin Witch

4.Space Wizard

5.Hallucination

6.Twilight

7.Sinister Waves

Band Members

Dale Crover - Drums

Trevor Dunn - Bass

Buzz Osborne - Vocals and Lyrics on Tracks 1 and 4

Toshi Kasai - Vocals, Fx and Guitar on Track 4

AAL - Guitars, Vocals

EHA - Guitars, Lead Vocals

Review

LowFlyingHawks makes a welcome return with Genkaku. LowFlyingHawks released a monumentally stunning and heavy album almost two years ago with Kōfuku. On that album multi-instrumentalists AAL and EHA were helped on their sonic quest by Dale Crover and Trevor Nunn of the legendary group The Melvins. 

Their debut album was produced by Toshi Kasai. Now the band have returned with those key people intact but this time they have brought King Buzzo along for the ride and he provides his incredible talents to some of the albums best moments on Smile and Space Wizard. Though I'm getting ahead of myself.

Genkaku is a different sounding album compared to their debut album. As that album was more drone based compared to this one. Genkaku sees the band stepping back from the drone based noises and opting for a more riff driven affair. As LowFlyingHawks deliver a more involving highly emotional affair.

Opening track - Smile - is a psychedelic sludge/doom/noise rock odyssey with the vocals being remarkably heartfelt and full of remorse. The lyrics are quite emotional with the music containing dark moments of gloomy riffs. The distorted sounds from their debut album make a welcome return but are played for minimal effect in the background. King Buzzo makes an appearance on this track and you his razor sharp vocals add a more decidedly heavier approach. The song becomes heavier and perhaps more Melvins sounding for the first time. Though LowFlyingHawks main members still hold their own against their famous pals.

Second track - Uncool - opens with a distorted heavy guitar riff with drums being added at a very slow pace. The psych based sounds come swirling into the background and the vocals echo from far way. The song is a twisted and melodic version of Sludge/Stoner Rock with elements of Doom and Noise keeping the mood going. The album has a more progressive edge than their debut album and this song ranks as another one of the albums standout tracks.

Genkaku is a very dark album and the first two songs deliver on that promise with supreme confidence. The next two tracks Virgin Witch and Space Wizard - move the album into heavier sludge/doom waters with the band settling into a confident rhythm as Virgin Witch has some of the albums bleakest lyrical content with the music being the star attraction yet again.

Space Wizard sees King Buzzo making another appearance on the album and they create the albums standout track. The song does indeed have a familiar spaced out sound with moments of harsh distorted riffs. The vocals are once again moved to the background with them becoming the centrepiece of the song as time passes by.

The final three songs on the album - Hallucination, Twilight and Sinister Waves follow the same musical path with LowFlyingHawks sticking to a winning formula. They do try their hand at heavier riffs as the album stays remarkably exciting and fresh. Even down to the last final moments with the band leaving you wanting more. Genkaku is a very hard album to describe as LowFlyingHawks play so many elements of different music.

It's a much more accessible record than their debut album but it still manages to be a complex and dark sounding album. The production with Toshi Kasai involved is first rate. As Toshi brings up distinctive noises to the forefront of the album as only Toshi can.

Genkaku is one of the most daring and best albums of the year.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Magnetic Eye for the promo. Genkaku will be released on CD/DD/Vinyl via MagneticEye Records from August 25^th 2017.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp