Sep 5, 20233 min read

Melvins bring 'Bullhead' (1993) to life once more on the Twins of Evil Tour (Photos)

The iconic trio also celebrate a 40th anniversary alongside Japan's Boris.

melvins, buzz osborne — Photograph by Joshua Alvarez

Words, Photos by Joshua Alvarez (@joshua.jam3s) at The Belasco in Los Angeles:

Melvins and Boris have joined forces for the can't miss Twins of Evil US tour, which kicked off at The Belasco in Downtown Los Angeles and is actively drowning audiences in riffs across the country. Melvins, who are playing their 1991 album Bullhead along with some other notable selections, like Honey Bucket and Night Goat, were nothing short of stupendous at the LA tour opener, commanding and invigorating from the stage from beginning to end.

Opening the show was Chicago two-piece, Mr. Phlyzzz (pronounced Flyzzz), who filled the room with heavy riffs and even harder hitting drums that could have fooled you to think there were 4 people on stage. They delivering a loud and entertaining set that set the tone for what The Belasco was about to experience.

From here we had our co-headliners. Boris, who can't really be forced into a specific box given their multilayered sound and evolution over the years, were also celebrating a seminal album, that being Heavy Rocks (2002). To do right by its recent arrival to digital platforms, the Japanese band played it in its entirety.

boris, boris japan — Photograph by Joshua Alvarez

The evening provided a heavy dose of Boris' signature sludge that everyone loves with Takeshi, Wata, and Atsuo all sounding at the top of their game while delivering one of the loudest sets your ear canals will ever experience. With stacks of Orange Amps blasting walls of sound towards the mesmerized audience, the hour long set consumed you whole and left you grounded.

boris, boris drone, boris japan — Photograph by Joshua Alvarez

What better way to end their set than by covering the Melvins track that inspired their name, Boris. The volume was cranked to 11 and a strong homage was paid to the band that influenced them musically.

Boris Photo Gallery

Melvins proceeded to blow our minds with one of their heaviest and most notable full-length records, Bullhead. With Buzz at the helm and Steve on bass, you knew that your face was about to be melted from opening the set with Ligature, sending chills down your spine.

the melvins, melvins — Photograph by Joshua Alvarez

You haven’t heard loud until you have seen Melvins rip to the ungodly level of volume they were sending throughout the Belasco. The tinnitus inducing Melvins played and extended version of Anaconda with Buzz’ distinct haunting vocals sprawling across the venue. That cannot be replicated.

Just prior to the start of the tour, Melvins shared the unfortunate news that drummer Dale Crover was sitting the tour out due to emergency spine surgery (wishing him a speedy recovery). Filling in for him is drummer Coady Willis, who played with band for years when they had two drummers. As expected, Coady did not miss a beat and delivered a performance that Dale (and everyone in the room) would be proud of.

coady willis, melvins, the melvins — Photograph by Joshua Alvarez

Though the work ethic and relentless touring of Melvins is consistent, the celebration of Bullhead’s 30+ year anniversary is something that you don’t want to miss. Don't take the fact that the Melvins don't close the show as they deliver a full set matching (if not surpassing) their headlining performances. Beyond the album celebration, the band ended the set with some of their aforementioned staples: Revolve, Honey Bucket, and Night Goat. Take this as a public service announcement to see the significance of a band influential to many, joined by a Japanese trio equally impactful in the doom field. It just doesn't get better than that.