THE MAKING LOVE DEMOS
Year: 2007
Genre: Heavy Metal, Punk RockSub-Genres: Sludge, Hardcore, Post-Punk
Label: Bifocal Media
Tracks: 8
Length: 21 Minutes (Medium-Length)
Style: Weird/Mysterious
My Rating: 6/8
This album is a sort of joint effort between the Melvins and cartoonist Brian Walsby (who often did art for their more obscure records). It iz part comic book and part album. The comic book is called "Manchild 3" and it comes with the album (or maybe the album comes with the comic). Here's the scoop on what was up with the Melvins when these demos were recorded -- these were the last recordings done with Matt Lukin, the original bassist. The band was writing new songs for what would be their next album, "Ozma". So, these sound slightly different. Some of the songs are faster than their studio versions, and a lot of the names are different. The Melvins were still a very unpopular band with the punk rock scene, because their music was so slow, weird, and unpredictable. Brian Walsby was an early fan who actually enjoyed their music during this phase. As a result, Brian and the band have always been good friends, and as I said before, he did a lot of artwork for some of their less-known records (such as this one). Well, let's take a listen.
1. Creepy Smell
Great pick for an opening song. I like this version better than the studio version, to be honest. It's faster and more energetic than the Ozma version. Great drumming. Everything in this song is cool.
2. My Small % Shows Most
This version is longer than the Ozma version. It's a quirky song similar to the sort of songs that were on Gluey Porch Treatments. The song starts out pretty slow and starts to speed up towards the end.
3. Dime Lined Divide
Another faster song (barely a minute long). The guitar is heavy, the beat is powerful. As far as I'm concerned, this iz a song that didn't even get to be on Ozma. What a shame.
4. Excess Pool
Another song exclusive to this album. It ranges from kinda slow to VERY slow. Towards the end it reaches a doom-metal state. The song begins to fade out...
5. Vile Vermillion Vacancy
Another very slow song. It's also much longer than most of the other ones: over five minutes long! Strongly varying tempos. The beat that goes on while Buzz is singing sounds great with it. The vocals sound real good, too. A lengthy faster instrumental section. Buzz sings (more like talks) more in the end part. The song later became "Vile" from Ozma -- but this version of the song is different in a lot of ways. Longer, too. My favorite one on this album.
6. We Got Worries Here
Real slow. Beautiful chords. Soft but sinister vocals. Another song exclusive to this album.
7. Let God Be Your Gardener
I like both versions of this one. Starts with an ominous slow beat and riff. It eventually changes to something slightly faster which seems to just repeat until it just abruptly shifts to the main tempo in a creepy way with a creepy riff. This part is fast, especially compared to the original version. The song ends with a slightly different version of intro riff and beat.
8. Repulsion
This one was later renamed "Revulsion". The song starts semi-fast, with a mid-tempo thing going on, then with only the guitar sounding like it's going to get faster. That part ends and then shifts to a new riff and a very slow beat. This version of the song is a lot longer than the later Ozma version, this one being near six minutes long and the studio version being only three.
The sound-quality is poor (sounds like it was recorded to a single tape player), but the songs are great. To be honest, I like these versions better than the ones on Ozma. Shortly after this was recorded, Matt Lukin was kicked out of the band and replaced with Lori Black (also known as Lorax), the punk rock daughter of Shirley Temple (yes, THAT Shirley Temple). The band struggled to get an album out for a few years but finally got a deal sometime in 1988 by Boner Records, a label that the Melvins has released some of their most notorious work on. The comic that comes with this album seems pretty interesting too, though I haven't gotten a chance to read it, yet. But if you want to hear some older versions of songs from Ozma or just some of the ones you haven't heard before, check this out. Well, the snow outside is slowly beginning to melt (may not be the last of it, though), and it's one day away from the beginning of March. I'm fucking ready.
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