Melvins

One of the pioneers of the grunge era, the Melvins' sludgy, anarchic mix of punk and downbeat DIY metal made them heroes of the US underground scene during the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Formed in Montesano, Washington in 1983 and led by school friends Buzz Osborne and Mike Dillard, their early albums 'Gluey Porch Treatments' (1987) and 'Ozma' (1989) helped pave the way for Soundgarden, Nirvana and Pearl Jam and pretty soon Seattle was ablaze with rock journalists claiming they were at the epicentre of the new music. The hype led to the Melvins signing to major label Atlantic Records for 'Houdini' in 1993, which reached number 29 in the US Charts, and 'Stoner Witch' (1994); but they were always more at home in dingey basement clubs thrashing out noisy, hardcore blasts of heavy alternative rock than in the mainstream charts.

Their later album, '(A) Senile Animal' (2006), is acclaimed by fans as among their finest moments and saw them travel across the pond to tour the UK, with brand new singles 'Suicide in Progress' and 'Billy Fish' earning them a wider fanbase along the way. 'Nude With Boots' came in 2008 with the remix record 'Chicken Switch' quickly following a year later.

Despite being extremeley unlucky to be touring in both Christchurch, New Zealand at the time of the 2011 earthquake, and in Tokyo, Japan during the tsunami, the Melvins continued their eagerness to tour. In 2012 they completed a record-breaking 51 nights in a row in 50 different States (plus the District of Columbia), starting in Alaska and ending in Hawaii. They celebrated their 30th anniversary with a special tour in 2013 and a brand new album 'Tres Cabrones', featuring the original line-up from 1983. In 2016 they announced that they were working on new material for their next album.