Album Review: Melvins - Everybody Loves Sausages

Ever wanted to stab a rock band? It's possible that track two of the Melvins 20^th studio album could drive you to that kind of violence. It's a covers album, demonstrating the unpredictable band's diverse range of influences, and come to think of it, being possibly the least commercial covers album you could imagine, it probably explains some things.

Track two is their sickly saccharine version of Best Friend by Queen, with guest vocals from Caleb Benjamin of Tweak Bird, that's all cheesy keys and untrustworthy niceness. Pretty much the last thing you would expect from a band that once prided themselves by their ability to torment their audience with the slowest heaviest riffs ever. But then that's part of Melvins charm. They thrive on doing the unexpected. Black Betty is instantly forgettable, as any goodwill for that song has previously been extinguished, buried, then set alight and buried again by Spiderbait. Mark Arm (Mudhoney) warbles and drones like only he can on Set It On Fire from The Scientists and it's a classic rock and roll dirge. Their take on Bowie's Station To Station, with the incredible JG Thirwell (Foetus) on vocals, begins with unpleasant noise before locking into a seemingly endless triumphant riff. In 11 minutes it takes the song out of Bowie's cocaine prison and returns it messy, kicking and screaming to the garage.

Clem Burke from Blondie drops in to add some drums to a punked up Attitude from The Kinks, Scott Kelly (Neurosis) growls on Warhead from UK metalheads Venom and Jello Biafra messes with Roxy Music's In Every Dream Home A Heartache. That's comedy right there. In fact this whole album is one big joke. Even when they're trying to be sincere the Melvins can't help but take the piss.