Stoner Witch
Stoner Witch brings the Melvins closer to rock songs while retaining their taste for strange detours. The best pieces combine recognisable riffs with rhythms that move slightly differently from expectation. Buzz Osborne can roar threateningly or sound far calmer. Dale Crover gives both approaches enough force to belong on the same album.
Revolve is among the clearest examples of that more direct approach. Its guitar parts have strong shapes and stick easily. The band sound accessible without losing their heavy character. They need little complexity to give the riffs convincing movement.
Sweet Willy Rollbar chooses a much shorter outburst. The pace is fast, the guitars have a punk quality, and the drums keep the song firmly moving. That energy gives the record another side beyond slow heaviness. The musicians can enlarge their sound by pushing harder, but also know when a brief idea has said enough.
Goose Freight Train changes the setting again. Relaxed, blues-based backing and Osborne's more restrained voice create an almost lounge-like atmosphere. The quiet tension shows how many different attitudes this band can accommodate. Guitar does not have to reach maximum distortion to hold attention.
The experiments work less consistently. Magic Pig Detective lets noise continue for a long time before the song properly opens up. Lividity's minimal bass movement also struggles to maintain tension throughout. Stoner Witch is consequently stronger in individual passages than as a smoothly developing whole. The best songs nevertheless count for a great deal. They reveal a band whose forceful riffs and distinctive playing offer enough direction to keep the stranger excursions interesting, even when those excursions could use a tighter edit.
