1994 Atlantic Records
The perfect chaser for “Houdini” and easily the best of a trifecta of Melvins albums that were their only major label releases ever, “Stoner Witch” will forever be my favorite slab of Melvins…the Melvins CD I return to most, although it really works nice in tandem shuffle-play with “Houdini.”
“Skweetis” kicks things off in a superbly sludgy fashion that sounds like the soundtrack to watching someone pour a big jar of molasses…leading right into the sparse-then-pounding “Queen.” From there, King Buzzo and the boyz kick into what is probably my favorite Melvins track ever, the overdriven and stop-on-a-dime-tight “Sweet Willy Rollbar.” It’s one of those two minute shots of greatness that commands repeated listens on brevity alone.
Then it’s onto choice Melvins like “Revolve,” “Roadbull” and “Magic Pig Detective” interspersed with their trademark curveballs like the beautifully agonizing “At the Stake,” and closer “Lividity.” Like its predecessor “Houdini,” “Stoner Witch” is very much its own world and a treasure trove of slow cooking grooves and hooks, some of which don’t sink in until after repeated listens.
It’s amazing really, that a band could get away with being so un-commercial on a major label release. No wonder Buzzo and company get so much respect from so many musical circles so many years after their inception. Melvins have always been a band that just doesn’t take themselves or anything else too seriously and that’s one of the things that makes them so dern much fun.
They’re not a band that everyone “gets,” but for those that do…Melvins just always seem to deliver.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5