MELVINS — Freak Puke (review)

MELVINS — Freak Puke album cover Album · 2012 · Metal Related Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Freak Puke" is the 19th full-length studio album by US sludge/stoner rock/metal act Melvins. The album was released through Ipecac Recordings in June 2012. Buzz Osborne (guitars, vocals) and Dale Crover (drums) have opted to record the album without the Big Business part of the band (bassist/vocalist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis). Instead Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, Tomahawk) handles the bass on "Freak Puke", which was recorded as a trio. The trio have previously toured under the Melvins Lite monicker. As far as I understand there is nothing dramatic about the lineup change, and I expect it to be temporary. We might even be so lucky that there is a new Big Business album in the making.

Trio or fourpiece, the music on "Freak Puke" is unmistakably the sound of Melvins (or "the" Melvins as it says on the cover of the album). The percussion part of the album is a little bit less intense than have been the case on the last three albums, but as usual we´re treated to brick heavy riffing, weird humour and experimental musical ideas packed in a hard rock sludge/stoner metal sound. In addition to the group´s own material they´ve included a cover version of "Let Me Roll It" by Paul McCartney and Wings, which they respectfully give a Melvins twist.

The musicianship is as always excellent. Sure Buzz Osborne neither sings very pretty nor have a particularly powerful voice, but he still delivers a charming vocal performance that suits the music well. There´s of course no questioning his riff meister status. Osborne as always delivers one crushingly heavy yet hard rocking riff after another. Drummer Dale Crover delivers a heavy beat to boot and to round things off Trevor Dunn is quite the inventive bassist. Especially his upright bass playing stand out.

Overall "Freak Puke" isn´t the best Melvins album and personally I prefer the previous three albums where they worked as a fourpiece, but I admire their boldness and will to experiment. Melvins always push themselves and challenge their fans and that´s also the case with "Freak Puke". A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Rot Stink Rip Death Metal
TOMBSTONER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Human Rosin Melodic Metalcore
HATE BREEDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Through The Hell Hardcore Punk
ENEMY 906
Buy this album from MMA partners
Lightmatter: Rebirth Deathcore
EARTHGAZER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Eye Of Horus (Lightmatter EP Pt. 2) Deathcore
EARTHGAZER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Agremorta - Adrocitas (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 5 days ago
Agremorta - Ploratus Umbra (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 5 days ago
Agremorta - Vertex Membrana (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 5 days ago
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR - The Temple Of Curved Space (Official Track Stream)
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR
adg211288· 5 days ago
In Sulfur - The Gate (OFFICIAL VIDEO) 2022
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 6 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed