Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Melts - Salicoutinaw


Label: 227/Hammerhead
Year: 1993

I'm excited about this particular post, because it resurrects an old classic that has been long gone and out of print for years, plus it's a record that was barely heard beyond the southeastern United States, but if it was released today, it would be huge. That's the real beauty of these music blogs, rescuing the lost treasures and re-introducing them to the right audience (that'd be you guys reading this). Much like Skullfuzz, this album would be a good candidate for the Sludge Swamp. 
I initially remembered I had this record because I was looking for music from Atlanta to pass along to James over at Beyond Failure, and I knew there was some Atlanta connection to this band, I just couldn't remember what. I did a little research, and determined that Melts were based out of North Carolina (Greensboro I think) but did feature Andrew Barker who lived in Atlanta and started the Gold Sparkle Band (there you go James...update the genome) after Melts. The copy I have of this album is the promo version that came to the radio station in Athens while I was music director there, so there's no information at all about the band. I d recall them playing Athens at least once and being really loud, and really strange, but it's a foggy memory at best. If anyone else has any info on this band, please do share.
So the music...
This is the "southern Melvins" basically. It's super heavy, knuckle dragging Sabbath as strangled by the noise rock canon, then dragged through the southern red clay. Goddamn it's good. Big, huge, riffs drenched in the finest bass and guitar tones, pummeling drums, and vocals that are 75% Kinghorse, 25% Cherubs...weird right? It's more metallic than Melvins (that doesn't seem right), but that's the band I find the most common ground with.
If you like, Melvins, Harvey Milk, Cerubs, Craw, Regraped, Godheadsilo, Electric Wizard...shit...if you like heavy music, I command you to download this, then remember what year it came out, then say, "Melvins, who?". 

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

thanks for posting this...i forgot about this band . I saw them YEARS ago in gboro with harvey Milk and Geezer Lake!

pinto said...

Thanks for this. Really good shit. Since you mentioned Regraped is it possible that you could post something by them? I know there's not a lot out there but I've had a hell of a time trying to find their releases.

Anonymous said...

i have a BUNCH of Regraped stuff, on mp3...A LOT OF IT UNRELEASED. MESSAGE ME IF any of you guys want that stuff we can trade...

Gus
eengstrom@carolina.rr.com

Gray said...

any regraped you have would make a fine addition to this particular blog. could you upload it somewhere and send me the address?
i have the regraped / shiny beast album, but it's on vinyl, and i'm not set up to rip vinyl right now.

do you remember any other info on Melts? like who they were, or what bands they went on to play in?

you got any geezer lake records in digital format?

graykiser@hotmail.com

thanks in advance,
gray

Anonymous said...

i have Regraped tape and split LP in mp3 form. I also have the Regraped 7" and the lost Regraped Pinehaus sessions. some of the first stuff they recorded. Has Stephen herring singing even. I also have all the Geezer Lake stuff too. It's all on my external hard drive. email me if ya feel up to it...

Gus
made.in.kansas@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

man, this band SUKZ. its pretty corny, can't hold a match to the Melvins. this record is really terrible....

Chrislowski said...

Don't agree Anon, I think this is an awesome album. The production's not as good as Melvins, but the tunes are just fucking cool, and I like the singer's delivery, it's kind of tongue in cheek.

Anyway awesome blog thank you!!!

Unknown said...

could someone that snagged this reupload it? lost it in a hd crash, impossible to find!

Slanderbob said...

https://youtu.be/zYcUXIMZMl4

 
Designed by mln3 designs & etc.