The Melvins — Five Legged Dog
The Melvins have always been a band who have added their own quirk and distinctive touches to everything they have released over their nearing forty-year existence. And this new double-disc album Five Legged Dog is another prime example of this trait- as the whole thing is purely acoustic- but don’t worry there’s no sign of mellow/ thoughtful ballads, barren folk-ness, or similar fare. Instead, we get the band covering selected tracks from throughout their career, as well as hand-picked covers in a decidedly playful and at times damn heavy manner.
The release appears as a double CD or digital download on Ipecac Recordings, who have put out the band's output over the last twenty or so years. I’m reviewing the CD version- and this comes presented in a mini six-panel gatefold, which features an eight-page fold-out. Artwork wise we glum cartoon artwork/ graphics- with a picture of the three-piece band on the back and inside the fold-out.
Over the two discs, we find a whopping total of thirty-six tracks, with each CD clocking in well over the seventy-minute mark- so you certainly get a lot of bang for your buck. With the three-piece managing to utilise their sonic acoustic tools to fairly varied and creative effect. The line-up here is King Buzzo- vocals, acoustic guitar & sitar, Dale Glover-vocals & drums, Steven McDonald -vocals & acoustic, with a few folks dropping in here ‘n’ there for lead/ back-up vocals, but largely this is trio release.
The first disc features sixteen tracks, and these go from the bright guitar-pop strumming and sneering sing-song vocals of “Up The Dumper”- from 1999’s The Bootlicker. Onto gloomy strum, lopping bass, and wailing-whining vocals of "Charlie"- which is a Red Cross cover. Through to snaping ‘n’ darting percussion smarts, bass thumb, and wondering 'n' wavering guitar soloing of “Evil New War God”- from 2010s The Bride Screamed Murder. Onto moodily creepy-to-weaving riffing meets wavering new wave vocals of "Halo of Flies"- which is an Alice Cooper cover.
Moving onto disc two, and we have another twenty tracks. And here we move from the strung-out strums, bounding bass, and snapping reverbed drums of “Anaconda”- from 1991’s Bullhead. There’s rapidly-at-points blurring bass bounding and guitar chugging of “Honey Bucket”- from 1993’s Houdini. We have the manically descending-to-scrubbing riff craft of “Let God Be Your Gardener”- from 1989’s Ozma. Or the urgent strums-meets- thick gloomy slugging bass work of “Night Goat”-from 1993’s Houdini. With the album playing out with the seesawing bass-meets- jigging guitar and lightly jaunting banjo tones of “Don't Forget To Breathe” from 2018’s Pinkus Abortion Technician.
On the whole Five Legged Dog is a consistent and varied album- which highlights the bands highly distinct sound and take on rock music. There really is no one else like The Melvins, and this double-disc release is a great celebration of that fact!.