April 19th saw the release of new albums from two very different bands, who both share a time and space in music history – despite their careers having played out on very different trajectories. They are both survivors of the Grunge scene that was born in Seattle in the late 80s, and took over the music world in the early 90s. Pearl Jam formed in 1990 following the end of guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament’s band Mother Love Bone – after their singer Andrew Wood tragically died of a drug overdose.
Gossard and Ament were already both veterans of the Seattle alternative music scene, having played together as teenagers in Green River. A band who formed in 1984 with singer Mark Arm, a musician who himself would go on to form Mudhoney following the end of Green River in 1988 – another legendary band in the north-west scene. A year before Green River started, around 100 miles away in Aberdeen, Washington – (The) Melvins we’re formed by singer/guitarist Buzz Osborne. They started releasing music on independent labels, with their debut full length LP Gluey Porch Treatments landing on the San Fransisco based indie, Alchemy Records in 1987.
It’s fair to say that (The) Melvin’s grafted hard during their early period. Becoming staple performers in the neighbouring Seattle scene, while influencing many bands that would become synonymous with the Grunge sound. Future Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic would play with them live on a few occasions around 1984, while (The) Melvins drummer Dale Crover would then himself play with Nirvana in 1988. The band would convey their experimental side in their early recordings, creating a prototype Grunge sound – often playing a slower and sludgier version of Hardcore, while also testing the waters with drone-like compositions.
In contrast while (The) Melvins were releasing their third LP – Bullhead – through Boner Records in 1991 to little commercial fanfare, Pearl Jam were to drop one of the finest debut albums in Rock – with their major label (Epic Records) release Ten. An album that would catapult the band into the mainstream, as Gossard and Ament gelled perfectly with guitarist Mike McCready and then unknown singer Eddie Vedder to create a masterclass. 1991 would be a pivotal year in the Grunge sound gaining worldwide recognition, as Nirvana would also release their seminal second album Nevermind – and subsequently all eyes turned to Seattle, with labels searching for the next big thing.
(The) Melvins connection with Nirvana would also continue as Buzz Osborne was friends with both Novoselic and Kurt Cobain, and it would be Buzz who would introduce the pair to ex-Scream drummer Dave Grohl prior to the recording of Nevermind. (The) Melvins, having been such an influence on the sound of Nirvana would then become one of the local indie signed bands in the north-west to benefit from the success of both them and Pearl Jam, as well as other major label signings from the area such as Soundgarden and Alice In Chains. They were snapped up by Atlantic Records and would release what are perhaps their two best known records – Houdini (1993) and Stoner Witch (1994).
Pearl Jam’s own success would go from strength to strength with their initial three album run, which would see them follow up Ten with Vs (1992) and then Vitalogy (1994) – two further classics released during the hey-day of the Grunge scene. Pearl Jam would see out the 90s with two further acclaimed albums within their catalogue – No Code (1996) and Yield (1998) – while also starting to show an experimentation in the sound that had made them superstars. And as the new millennium rolled in, while many of their contemporaries had disbanded due to a myriad of reasons – drug addiction / musical differences / deaths – Pearl Jam would continue to tour, and release new albums on a regular basis.
However, their records have been a little hit or miss in that time. New music released from a legacy band, one of the biggest live draws in Rock, but a band who have never quite been able to recapture the magic of their first unforgettable decade creating music together. (The) Melvins have also remained consistent with their output, in what is now a career spanning more than four decades. After the Grunge bubble burst, the band would find themselves dropped by Atlantic in 1997, following the release of their third record with the label – Stag (1996). Before they would eventually find a home on Faith No More singer Mike Patton’s experimental – Ipecac Recordings.
And while Pearl Jam have continued to play it safe with more of a classic Stadium-Rock style of songs, (The) Melvins have continued to endlessly push boundaries, and blur genres in their own enigmatic style – even if their music can often be somewhat of an acquired taste. And it is this, that absolutely sums up both band’s new records in 2024. With their twelfth album Dark Matter (released on EMI) – Pearl Jam appear to have taken zero risks whatsoever. Creating an album that again pales in comparison to their groundbreaking early work, while also falling short of the best music they have produced in the last 20-25 years.
Sure there are a handful of good songs on the the record, namely the opener ‘Scared of Fear,’ which indicates the band are in a reflective mood as Eddie Vedder croons; “We used to dance, we used to sing, we used to believe!” The title track has an infectious main riff, and when they push the tempo on both ‘Running,’ and with the stand-out and most memorable chorus of ‘React, Respond’ – they show glimpses of their early fire. However elsewhere, Dark Matter unfortunately provides a blur of forgettable, radio friendly Indie Rock. Created by a band who now well over 100 songs into their career – are just unable to maintain the bite of their early years.
Vedder’s voice does sound as great as it ever did and there are some sumptuous Blues soaked guitar solo’s from Mike McCready. It’s just that for the most part, this record is Pearl Jam at their blandest. It’s not that Dark Matter is bad … it just doesn’t excite or do anything different. Comparatively, (The) Melvins offer something that is the complete opposite on Tarantula Heart. They continue to experiment with the Rock genre, opening the record with the 19 + minute ‘Pain Equals Funny’ – and a hum of droning feedback. When the instruments start playing it has the feel of a loose and improvisational jam session, as it mixes an early Grunge style with 70s psychedelic. They take the song into a prodding Sludge-Metal style, before fading down to 5 mins of their instruments conversing like insects – before delivering a final repetitive stabbing riff and rolling groove.
From here the record continues to get stranger. ‘She’s Got Weird Arms’ is insanely bizarre and off-kilter, blending Primus, Frank Zappa and Madness. While both ‘Allergic To Food’ and ‘Smiler’ provide the feel of a 50s Sci-Fi B-Movie, with the former sounding a little something like The B-52’s on Acid! The most straight forward song on the release is ‘Working the Ditch,’ featuring a strong riff which downward spirals into a sludgy mire, while Osborne sings lines such as; “It was a dark time for us, the whole goddamn gutless world!” But even when playing it somewhat straight, (The) Melvins still take the track into the realms of psychedelic experimentation, and well this just sums them up.
Both bands are two of the only remaining survivors from the bygone era of Grunge, and they are nothing if not at polar opposite ends of the scale. Pearl Jam are selling out stadiums and releasing music which sticks rigidly to their own tried and tested formula. A sound that sticks closer to the likes of R.E.M or Neil Young, than the brash sound of their youth. While (The) Melvins continue to plug away as they have always done, releasing music about as far off the wall from anything that will achieve them commercial success as you can get. And even by their standards … Tarantula Heart is a weird one. Both Pearl Jam and (The) Melvins are vintage bands from the classic era of 90s Alternative Rock, and it is testament to both that they are able to release new music in 2024. They each do things their own way, and continue to tread along their thoroughly different paths. KZ
Words by Abstrakt_Soul
kult-zilla.com 
Leave a comment