One expects a certain level of weirdness from The Melvins and frankly, after 30 years, they’ve certainly earned the right to follow whatever creative whims they choose. In fact, I find that they’re often at their best when also indulging in their most “out there” impulses. One of my favourite albums of theirs is Prick, the experimental noise goof off that they released at the height of their mainstream popularity. So while weirdness is expected, their latest, Everybody Loves Sausages, shows that the band still are able to throw us a a bit of a curveball every now and then. It’s a covers album ,which for many bands signals a switch to creative cruise control. The Melvins, however, throw in a few unexpected choices of cover material and use it as an opportunity for collaboration, something they’ve often done in the past, and the results, while mixed, are often quite enjoyable.
One of the more interesting tracks on the album is their cover of Roxy Music’s “In Every Dream Home A Heartache,” featuring Jello Biafra on vocals. Biafra’s take on the song comes across as part tribute to Brian Ferry and part mocking parody. And then the last couple minutes or so of the song are dominated by crazy phaser effects because of course it is. It’s The Melvins after all.