A Senile Animal

Rate It! Avg: 4.5 (202 ratings)
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A Senile Animal album cover
Album Information

Total Tracks: 10   Total Length: 41:14

eMusic Review 0

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J. Bennett

eMusic Contributor

04.22.11
A blaring testament to all that is thick, hairy and weird.
2006 | Label: Ipecac Recordings / The Orchard

Twenty-some albums in nearly as many years is a lot for anyone. But it's especially impressive for guitarist/vocalist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover, if only because every few years they have to teach yet another new bass player about 40 Melvins songs. On (A) Senile Animal, the Melvins not only have a new bassist (their sixth) in Big Business 'Jared Warren, but a second drummer in Big Business 'Coady Willis — which means that all of Big Business is officially in the Melvins now. And really, it's about time: Crover and Willis induce many a tom-tom avalanche (check out the dizzying break on opener "The Talking Horse" and at the end of the infectious "Civilized Worm"), while Osborne and Warren trade bellows like giants threatening to grind the bones of Englishmen (especially on "The Hawk").

On "A History of Bad Men" (not to be confused with the album's fourth track, "A History of Drunks"), the new and improved Melvins break off some woozy slow-mo riffs and a brilliantly distended bass line. Both of these sound suspiciously similar to some of the band's older material, but that's probably because these dudes know that if you're gonna steal, steal from the best,… read more »

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A senile person does not download this

nandoknack

this is good. big business' first orgy w/ the melvins and it rocks! the two that follow are good too but this one is the best place to start on the new era of the best band in history of sound! get it or be square!!

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More melody

TheGZeus

than previous releases. Perhaps it's actually the depth of harmony that brings the melody to the surface.

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Still strong.

Queef

I own Nude With Boots, but this in my opinion is their best modern release. Every track delivers.

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Can play it loud enough!

suds

I somehow missed these guys over the years but am sooo glad to have found them. Just the right mix of sludge metal prog I was looking for. Downloading more as soon as my credits refresh. The double drums on this album are stunning.

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I want to rip my face off

kneehigh

So heavy. One of their best releases in my book. "Nude With Boots" is killer album also.

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the first with big bussiness

daytone

At first listen, the sound of the album was a little disapointing. After I got used to it, this album soon became one of my favourite melvins albums.

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Yes. Please.

ludlow555

The Melvins have been flippin' us the bird for about 25 years and they've never sounded more vital than on this album. This is where they've decided to drop the sarcasm and flex their muscles. Every song is a stone-cold killer. Extra points for "A History of Bad Men" for being the song Lindsay Lohan strips to in "I Know Who Killed Me." Or maybe those points should be subtracted??

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One of their best

SenorPepe

I've been listening to these guys since the eighties, and have a handful of their albums. This is a band that hasn't slowed down or sold out. And this album is evidence of their continued intensity. "Lysol" is still my favorite album by them, but this ranks in the top three.

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killadrumma

nagynorfolk

i love melvin taylor, not the melvins> sorry wrong website

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hmm

Texafornia

Hmm I still don't quite get this one. HAT and Pigs of the Roman Empire were awe inspiring productions. Big Business seems to blunt the out-there edge that I love the Melvins for.

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The Melvins have long been considered one of hard rock/metal’s most powerful/monolithic-sounding bands, despite only consisting of three members. So, imagine what the group would sound like with two drummers. Well, imagine no more. The Melvins’ second release of 2006, A Senile Animal, sees longtime members — guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover — joined by both members of noise duo Big Business (bassist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis). Unlike some bands that have two drummers but do not sound that remarkably different than if they had a single one, the “new look” Melvins puts the extra pair of sticks to good use, as evidenced by the drum march breakdown of the album opening “The Talking Horse,” the onslaught of “You’ve Never Been Right,” and “Civilized Worm,” which ends in an absolute landslide of percussion. Although they started out primarily as a punk band that slowed down the riffs, the Melvins have also always mixed in prog rock-like bits, such as the tricky rhythms of “Blood Witch” and the King Crimson/Tool-ish “The Hawk.” The album also contains some of the group’s most straightforward compositions in some time, including the metallic/new wave-ish ditty “A History of Drunks.” The transfusion of new blood has made one of rock’s gnarliest beats even — gnarlier! – Greg Prato

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