Ozma

Melvins: Buzz (vocals, guitar), Lori (bass), Dale (drums, background vocals). The cassette version of "Ozma" does not contain "Gluey Porch Treatments". It does, however, contain one bonus track. Years before the term "grunge rock" was coined, the Melvins were laying down the style's heavy, plodding foundation in the Pacific Northwest. This disc presents two of the notorious trio's earliest records, 1989's OZMA and its predecessor, GLUEY PORCH TREATMENTS. One of OZMA's initial tracks, "At a Crawl," perfectly describes both the song and the group's overall sound, with frontman Buzz "King Buzzo" Osbourne's guitar riffs looming and lurching forward like a hobbled-yet-determined predator. Drummer Dale Crover (who recorded with Nirvana during this period) offers up booming start-and-stop rhythms on "Agonizer," a tune that also calls attention to Buzzo's over-the-top and exceedingly quirky vocals. (Oddly enough, a metallic cover of the Cars' "Candy-O" is featured here, as well.) Although other Melvins outings may be more concise and consistent, this 34-track double-album set finds the influential band building up steam and providing a crucial example of its standing as a musical bridge between the heavy metal of Sabbath and Nirvana's take on punk yet to come.