When they were just adolescent sasquatches, The Melvins made music for all the right reasons. They were bored in a small town and nothing goes better with beer, weed and wayward adolescence than rock guitar played really fucking fast.
In Washington State, these guys were legend material from the get go, stomping around with the likes of Chris Novaselic and absorbing in1983, the prime stew of punk rock.
The west coast punk influence in Mangled Demos from 1983 is unmistakable: fast-paced anthems with chunky breaks, vocal tirades that repeatedly mimic the lead guitar… most ending in 30-60 seconds.
Not always bearable, this album has its harsh listens. But it is “mangled” demo tracks, for crying out loud. This is the only Melvins recording that features all three of the original members (with Mike Dillard, before Dale Crover took the helm on drums). That alone makes it a worthy addition to the Melvins file.
More than this, the tracks that are good are PURE Melvins classic. They alone make this album one of the finest basement trophies in a good while.
