Melvins and Harvey Milk Bring the Heavy to Thrones of Blood Must
Contents
Melvins and Harvey Milk Bring the Heavy to Thrones of Blood is a two-day music festival in Brooklyn, New York. The festival features a lineup of heavy metal and hardcore punk bands.
Introduction
American musical powerhouses Melvins and Harvey Milk have teamed up to produce an album of reworked versions of songs from Game of Thrones. Thrones of Blood is a this reworked versions of songs from Game of Thrones, with a focus on the heavier, more metal-influenced side of the show.
The album features new arrangements and recordings of themes from the show, including the “Main Title Theme”, “The Rains of Castamere”, and “The Bear and the Maiden Fair”. It also includes two new tracks, “Milktopus” and “Honey Queen”, which were written specifically for the album.
Thrones of Blood is sure to please fans of both Game of Thrones and heavy music, with its mix of metal heaviness and melody, dark atmosphere, and epic scope.
The Melvins
The Melvins are a sludge metal band from Montesano, Washington, formed in 1983. The band is currently composed of founder Buzz Osborne, drummer Dale Crover, and bassist Steven McDonald. The Melvins have released seventeen studio albums, six live albums, three compilation albums, three EPs, and one single. Their 2002 album, “Hostile Ambient Takeover,” reached number 6 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.
The Band
The Melvins are an American rock band whose early work was part of the grunge music scene in the 1980s. Since their formation in 1983, they have released seventeen studio albums, six live albums, twelve compilations, five EPs, and a variety of singles and split releases.
The band’s current lineup consists of founder Buzz Osborne (vocals, guitar), Dale Crover (drums), Steve McDonald (bass) and Jeff Pinkus (live bass).
Past members include Mark Deutrom (bass), Lori Black (bass), Joe Preston (bass), Matt Lukin (bass) and Dave Lombardo (drums).
The Melvins were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the song “Goin’ Blind” off their album Houdini.
The Music
Hailing from Aberdeen, Washington, The Melvins came to prominence in the early 1990s with their unique brand of sludgy, down-tuned heavy metal/punk. Though they’ve never achieved mainstream success, the group has been highly influential, helping to pave the way for such subsequent bands as Nirvana, Tool, and Queens of the Stone Age. In 2014, The Melvins were inducted into the Kurt Cobain-fronted Nirvana’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The group’s sound is anchored by the pounding rhythm section of bassist Jared Warren and drummer Dale Crover. On top of this foundation, guitarist/vocalist Buzz Osborne and (since 2006) guitarist David Scott Stone lay crushingly heavy riffs and squalling feedback. The Melvins’ songs are often lengthy and meandering, but they always find their way back to a powerful hook or melody. This songwriting approach is on full display on such albums as 2005’s Houdini (featuring original Nirvana drummer Chad Channing) and 2013’s Everybody Loves Sausages (a collection of covers featuring guests like Stone Temple Pilots’ Robert DeLeo and Redd Kross’ Jeff McDonald).
Harvey Milk
When it comes to unique and influential sludge metal bands, there are few who can hold a candle to the Melvins. The Washington state-based outfit, who are often cited as an influence by the likes of Kurt Cobain and Mastodon, have been at the forefront of the genre since their formation in the early 1980s.
The Band
The band Harvey Milk was formed in 1992 by former members of the band Melvins. The band is named after Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the United States. Harvey Milk’s music is a mix of heavy metal, punk rock, and psychedelic rock. The band has released six studio albums, one live album, and one compilation album.
Harvey Milk’s first album, “Happy Birthday,” was released in 1992. The album was recorded live in the studio in one day. The album received positive reviews from critics and was featured on many year-end best-of lists.
In 1995, Harvey Milk released their second album, “The Life of David Gale.” The album was recorded in two weeks and features guest appearances from members of the bands Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana. The album was generally well-received by critics and is considered to be one of the band’s best albums.
Harvey Milk’s third album, “Oh Innocent Ones,” was released in 1997. The album was recorded in four days and features guest appearances from members of the band Fugazi and the singer PJ Harvey. The album received mixed reviews from critics but is considered to be one of the band’s most experimental albums.
Harvey Milk’s fourth album, “Special Wishes,” was released in 2000. The album was recorded in six days and features guest appearances from members of the band Mogwai and the singer Vic Chesnutt. The album received positive reviews from critics and is considered to be one of the band’s best albums.
Harvey Milk’s fifth album, “The Wizard,” was released in 2003. The album was recorded in eight days and features guest appearances from members of the band Tool and the singer Mercury Rev. The album received mixed reviews from critics but is considered to be one of the band’s most experimental albums.
Harvey Milk’s sixth studioalbum, “A Small Turn of Human Kindness,” was released in 2009. The album was recorded in ten days and features guest appearances from members of the bands Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Swans . A Small Turn of Human Kindness received positive reviews from critics and is considered to be one of the band’s best albums.
The Music
Harvey Milk is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, currently signed to Relapse Records. The band is named after the late politician Harvey Milk. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarists Creston Spiers and Stephen Tanner, bassist excrement Shane Follett, and drummer Marc Tentler. The quartet’s first release was a 7-inch single entitled ” Cerakote”, followed by their debut album In the Pantry, both on Feel It Records.
The group’s music has been described as a “constellation of heavy styles”, characterized by their use of feedback-drenched guitars, shifting tempos, and Les Claypool-inspired basslines. Their sound has been compared to that of fellow Athens bands such as the Melvins, Pylon, and R.E.M., as well as such diverse artists as Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Kiss, Frank Zappa, Black Flag, and Sonic Youth.
Thrones of Blood
Melvins and Harvey Milk will release a split 7-inch on April 16th through Hydra Head Records. The two bands will each cover a song from Thrones of Blood, the classic 1987 horror film starring Rutger Hauer and directed by Paul Naschy. Melvins offer up a pulverizing rendition of the film’s theme song, while Harvey Milk deliver a eulogy for the film’s fallen protagonist with their own original composition.
The Album
Thrones of Blood is the joint album by Melvins and Harvey Milk, released on October 28, 2014 by Ipecac Recordings. The album is a re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, with each song being inspired by a different scene from the play.
The album was recorded over the course of four days in March 2014 at Battle Cat Studios in Los Angeles, California. It was produced by Toshi Kasai and engineered by Billy Anderson. The artwork for the album was created by Justin Bartlett.
Critical reception for Thrones of Blood has been positive, with many reviewers praising its heaviness and density. The album peaked at number seventeen on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, and was included on several year-end lists by publications such as Consequence of Sound and Kerrang!.
The Songs
There are 10 songs on Thrones of Blood, each representing a different scene from the movie. The song “A Case of the Blues” is the only one that appears in the film, while the rest were created specifically for the album.
1. “A Case of the Blues” – 2:55
2. “The seduction/ rape scene” – 4:33
3. “The torture scene” – 3:36
4. “The beheading scene” – 2:48
5. “The coronation scene” – 1:54
6. “Configurations of disarray/ battle scene 1” – 5:02
7. “I’m coming home/ battle scene 2” – 6:27
8. “Thrones of blood” – 4:08
9. “End credits” – 2:17
Conclusion
So while Thrones of Blood may not be the most traditional metal album out there, it is certainly a force to be reckoned with. With its crushing riffs, dark atmosphere, and take-no-prisoners attitude, it deserves a place alongside the best of what the genre has to offer.
