Melvins w/ Unsane

Melvins' massive, sluggish metal was a prime influence on Seattle's late-'80s grunge scene, and Nirvana in particular, so when Kurt Cobain's band broke, he returned the favor. With his endorsement, Melvins landed a deal with Atlantic Records. Ultimately their stint did little to expand their audience beyond a dedicated cult, and the band was dropped in 1996, but they've recorded at a brisk pace ever since. Their upcoming album <i>Freak Puke</i> was recorded with a slightly different lineup than the band usually tours with, a three-piece the group has deemed “Melvins Lite,” though there's nothing light about the music itself. Expect its songs to thunder when the band performs them with its usual four-piece, two-drummer lineup.