This truly is a a fantastic CD of raw, early recordings from 1987 which were given to the comic creator and ex- Polvo drummer almost 20 years ago. The tracks imply the fury that the band would harness during their illustrious, monolithic career. It's a collection of good old 4-track recordings from the post Gluey Porch Treatments period. Perhaps it is a little rough around the edges but that's natural for a recording of this nature / period. It presents the group (to me one of the most important heavy rock bands of the 20th century) at their infancy and yet with a clear idea of their sound and direction.It is full of killer riffs, ace songs, and total heaviness (which isn't clear in the overall sound but all those who had been there at the recording would have been skull fucked).
This is a band at their most primal and innocent. No one can fuck with lyrics like "you disgrace me... Now you learn what it's like to cry" and "Repelled at just the site." 21½ minutes leaves me wanting more, yet I must remain grateful that these recordings were ever unearthed in the first place. Recent converts to the church of the Melvins may be disorientated a little, however, as this serves as an education to their roots and is an essential document of the bands history. In King Buzzo's guitar riffs lie the early ideas for "Anaconda" from classic their Bullhead LP and uber classic "Nightgoat" tune.
Meanwhile the comic book has some moments of genius punk rock parody and cartoonism. It is absolutely crushing stuff. This will surely (and maybe sadly) become the stuff of the infamous online bidding Web site legend.
