Melvins: King B. (vocals, guitar, bass); Mark D. (bass, guitar, background vocals); Dale C. (drums, guitar, background vocals). Additional personnel: Paul Dicarli (Moog). Recorded at A&M Studios, Hollywood, California. Released during the Melvins' mid-1990s major-label stint (a move orchestrated by longtime friend and supporter Kurt Cobain), STONER WITCH finds the Washington State ensemble reveling in glacial grandeur, slowly deploying juggernaut riffs and pummeling rhythms. As always, "King Buzzo" Osborne leads the group with his gruff vocals and alternately stinging and sludgy guitar lines, as evinced on the thrillingly ominous "Queen" and the stomping "Revolve," tracks that also highlight drummer Dale Crover's powerful percussion. Featuring the Melvins' trusty tendency for absurdity (see the song titles "Goose Freight Train" and "Magic Pig Detective"), WITCH gets weirder as it goes along, winding down with the punk-like burst of "June Bug" followed by "Lividity," more than nine minutes of near-silence capped off by jarring noise. Easily one of the Melvins' finest outings, STONER WITCH is an uncompromising alt-metal classic that is essential for any self-respecting fan of the venerable Pacific Northwest band.

• Genre: Pop
• RSD Date: DDD
• Format: Vinyl
• Released: 7/5/2019