Melvins 1983 – the lineup featuring Buzz Osborne and original drummer Mike Dillard – offer a second preview of Thunderball (out April 18, Ipecac Recordings) with today’s release of “King of Rome”
The charging track once again features contributions from avant-electronic artists Void Manes and Ni Maîtres, with Osborne saying of the song “The ‘King of Rome!! Hot Cross Buns! This song is a hot little punk rock number. I hope all of you enjoy it and tell your friends.” The band previously released the near-10 minute long song “Victory of the Pyramids,” which Consequence declared a “minor epic.”
Album pre-orders are available now (https://themelvins.lnk.to/Thunderball), with Thunderball available on trio of vinyl variants including an indie exclusive “Smoke Is A Color” variant and an Ipecac webstore-only “Special Mustard Gas.” The album will also be available on CD and all digital formats.
The band kicks off a massive nine-week nationwide co-headlining tour with Napalm Death on April 4. Dubbed the “Savage Imperial Death March Part II,” the trek reunites the two iconic following the first “Savage Imperial Death March” tour of 2016. The Melvins’ current touring line-up features Osborne, Dale Crover, Steven McDonald, and Coady Willis. Tickets are available now at Ipecac.com/tours.
“Savage Imperial Death March Part II” tour dates:
April 4 San Diego, CA Music Box
April 5 Santa Ana, CA The Observatory
April 7 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
April 8 San Jose, CA The Ritz
April 10 Los Angeles, CA The Belasco
April 12 Las Vegas, NV Swan Dive
April 13 Phoenix, AZ The Van Buren
April 14 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
April 15 El Paso, TX Lowbrow Palace
April 17 Dallas, TX The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
April 18 Austin, TX Emo’s
April 19 Houston, TX White Oak Music Hall – Downstairs
April 20 Baton Rouge, LA Chelsea’s Live
April 21 New Orleans, LA House of Blues New Orleans
April 23 Tampa, FL The Orpheum
April 24 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
April 25 Orlando, FL The Beacham
April 26 Savannah, GA District Live
April 27 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade – Heaven Stage
April 28 Birmingham, AL Saturn
April 29 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club
May 1 Charlotte, NC The Underground – Charlotte
May 2 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
May 3 Virginia Beach, VA Elevation 27
May 4 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Soundstage
May 5 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
May 6 Allentown, PA Archer Music Hall
May 7 Brooklyn, NY Warsaw
May 8 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
May 10 Pittsburgh, PA Mr .Small’s
May 11 Cleveland, OH Globe Iron
May 12 Detroit, MI Saint Andrew’s Hall
May 13 Grand Rapids, MI The Intersection
May 15 Cincinnati, OH Bogart’s
May 16 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom
May 17 Nashville, TN Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
May 18 St. Louis, MO Red Flag
May 19 Chicago, IL Metro
May 20 Milwaukee, WI The Rave II
May 22 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
May 23 Des Moines, IA Wooly’s
May 24 Kansas City, MO Madrid Theatre
May 25 Omaha, NE The Waiting Room
May 27 Denver, CO Summit
May 29 Salt Lake City, UT Metro Music Hall
May 31 Bozeman, MT The ELM
June 1 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory
June 2 Seattle, WA The Showbox
June 3 Portland, OR Revolution Hall
June 4 Eugene, OR McDonald Theatre
June 6 Reno, NV Virginia Street Brewhouse
June 7 Berkeley, CA Cornerstone Berkeley
Formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington, the Melvins are one of modern music’s most influential bands. Founded by Buzz Osborne (vocals/guitar) with drummer Dale Crover joining a year later, the Melvins pioneered a genre-defying fusion of punk rock and heavy music. Over their four-decade career, they’ve released more than 30 original albums, countless live records, and numerous singles and rarities. Recent works include Tarantula Heart (2024), a dynamic showcase of the Melvins’ range where the songs were written after they were recorded, Bad Mood Rising (2022), an intense, sludge-infused exploration of their signature sound, and Five Legged Dog (2021), a 36-track acoustic retrospective that reimagines their heaviest songs alongside covers of favorite artists.
Known for their relentless creativity and collaborations with friends like Jello Biafra, Mudhoney, and Fantômas, the Melvins have circled the globe many times over, bringing their brash and genre-busting sounds to audiences worldwide.
Today’s Melvins lineup features Osborne, Crover, and Steven McDonald (Redd Kross), but the band’s history includes a variety of unique configurations. From the Osborne-Crover duo with Big Business’ Jared Warren and Coady Willis (Big Business) to a four-piece featuring the current line-up plus Butthole Surfers’ Jeff Pinkus, as well as Melvins 1983 (with original drummer, Mike Dillard), and Melvins Lite (with Mr. Bungle’s Trevor Dunn), the Melvins embrace evolution and their roots simultaneously.
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