[5/5] While their 20-year catalog has countless streaks of greatness, Melvins haven't made a truly, consistently, unflinchingly fucking amazing album since 1991's Bullhead. Instead, cluttered with screwball concepts and hit-or-miss audio experiments, the band's post-'91 output has rejected the ferocious proto-grunge tunnel vision that defined everything before it. Thankfully, with the addition of Big Business members Coady Willis and Jared Warren on bass, guitar and vocals for (A) Senile Animal, lead Melvins Buzz Osborne (guitar/vocals) and Dale Crover (drums) haven't just reconnected with their early roar; they've added welcome new layers of excess to it: more groove ("A History Of Drunks"), more brutality ("The Hawk"), more melody ("Civilized Worm") and more wonderfully gratuitous percussion ("A Vast Filthy Prison"). Yeah, it's still a screwball concept, but it's also just the kick in the rear Melvins needed. (IPECAC) Aaron Burgess
 Official Website: http://www.ipecacrecords.com
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