Melvins - "Chicken Switch"

Chicken Switch is a ‘remix’ project of previously recorded Melvins material. No new songs, just remixes. Huh? For most of us just merely pondering the concept of a remix brings about images of sweaty dance clubs and not to mention that incessant bass thump. Try combining this concept together with the music of the Melvins and what you have is reminiscent of that time as a child where you stared into the nighttime sky and realized there was no end to the physical universe. Your brain puked, short-circuited and needed to be reformatted in order to function again. However, this befuddling approach is what makes this collection of ear-grating noise and maniacal soundscapes extremely appealing in the end. What makes it even more interesting is the fact that the remixing duties were handled by other eminent talent - Lee Ranaldo, Matmos, and the Boredoms' Eye Yamatsuka just to name a few.

You could imagine how curious I was to give this a first listen. Each remix artist had to pick a specific album and create an entirely new composition from it. This is a collection of dissonant fury which jumps all over the place. Take "Prick Concrete/Revolution M" remixed by David Scott Stone. This track is essentially the audio equivalent of three or so dying (or maybe horny) bovines hovering above your head for over three minutes.

In summary don’t expect straight forward Melvins material here, you will be quite surprised and may suffer some inner ear damage. For well over 20 years the Melvins have and continue to play by their own rules which is something much deserving of respect. This record does not disappoint, if anything it puts an interesting twist on an incredible back catalog. As if the Melvins needed to make their music any more interesting.