Melvins: At The Stake – Atlantic Recordings 1993-1995 – 3CD Review

15th June 2023 0 By Jon Deaux

What can I say about the Melvins that hasn’t already been said before? Apart from being a band that released what is quite possibly the best Grunge album ever (Stoner Witch), they are a band that rivals Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam for creating Grunge and being the absolute masters at it.

This box not only brings an expanded version of Stoner Witch but also expanded versions of the 1996 record Stag and the 1993 album Houdini. There are 12 bonus tracks through this box which already makes this an essential purchase.]There is not a bad album in this box and the cover version of the Pink Floyd classic Interstellar Overdrive is outstanding and is probably the greatest cover ever of this track.

Personally, I’m a massive fan of this band who can do no wrong. Even the albums they produced with ex-Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra are a work of genius. But I’m not here to review that project.

If you’re a fan of White Zombie/Rob Zombie, you’ll get a kick out of the album Houdini.

Stoner Witch as previously mentioned is probably the greatest Grunge album to be released. Far too many killer tracks to even pick one.

As for the final CD in this box Stag, it’s way more experimental than the previous album and more Grungeadelic, yet still with the bombastic riffs and groove, we’ve come to love from this band.

As I previously stated, this is a must-have set of albums it’s full of absolute bangers and the best Melvins have produced (and they’ve produced 31* albums so far).

Score 9/10

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE – Houdini (1993)

1 Hooch
2 Night Goat
3 Lizzy
4 Going Blind
5 Honey Bucket
6 Hag Me
7 Set Me Straight
8 Sky Pup
9 Joan Of Arc
10 Teet
11 Copache
12 Pearl Bomb
13 Spread Eagle Beagle
BONUS TRACKS
14 Rocket Reducer #62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)
15 Lexicon Devil
16 It’s Shoved (Live)

DISC TWO – Stoner Witch (1994)

1 Skweetis
2 Queen
3 Sweet Willy Rollbar
4 Revolve
5 Goose Freight Train
6 Roadbull
7 At The Stake
8 Magic Pig Detective
9 Shevil
10 June Bug
11 Lividity
BONUS TRACKS
12 Revolve (Edit)
13 Instant Larry
14 Anaconda (Live)
15 Let God Be Your Gardener (Live)
16 Revolve (Demo)
17 In The Rain

DISC THREE – Stag (1996)

1 The Bit
2 Hide
3 Bar-X-The Rocking M
4 Yacob’s Lab
5 The Bloat
6 Tipping The Lion
7 Black Bock
8 Goggles
9 Soup
10 Buck Owens
11 Sterilized
12 Lacrimosa
13 Skin Horse
14 Captain Pungent
15 Berthas
16 Cottonmouth
BONUS TRACKS
17 Interstellar Overdrive
18 The Bit (Radio Edit)
19 Tipping The Lion B