buzz osborne

The Melvins (left to right: Dale Crover, Steven Shane McDonald, Buzz Osborne) have been doing things their own way—with varying degrees of ‘success’—for over 40 years.

Photo by Chris Casella

Forty-one years into their career, King Buzzo and his relentlessly creative heavy-music outsiders are more sure than ever that there are no rules for success.

On the Melvins’ new record, Tarantula Heart, the first track alone is longer than most hardcore punk records. “Pain Equals Funny” builds, collapses, and rebuilds over nearly 20 minutes. It’s grungy and bizarre and confrontational, swerving across prog-metal, industrial, noise, and grease-smeared stoner rock. Buzz Osborne’s trademark foghorn voice, sounding out from between his mad-scientist hair and high-priest robes, blasts in and out of the track with contextless proclamations and anecdotes, his behemoth guitar thrashing across an ocean of distortion. Steven Shane McDonald’s bass drones, flooding the room; Dale Crover’s drums, often doubled and bolstered by Ministry drummer Roy Mayorga’s, are punishing, bare-knuckled and relentless. Feedback interrupts in squeals, then in squalls, until it’s all you can hear—then, it’s instruments that disrupt the feedback, rather than the other way around. The track stews and clangs and hulks along without any indication of where it’s heading next. It’s the sound of chaos distilled and reined in, just barely. It sounds a bit like life.

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A fuzz-forward take on late-'60s octave-fuzz flavor opens up unique—and menacing—tone territories.

Octave fuzz with a little more fuzz presence. Responsive to guitar volume attenuation. Killer handcrafted vibe. Nice build quality.

Some players might find the tone palette limited for the price.

$180

Hilbish T-Fuzz
hilbishdesign.com

4.5
4
4
4

It's always impressive to hear buttery smooth, full-spectrum fuzz—the kind that sustains and sings eternally, that captures and magnifies every overtone, and makes '90s-era David Gilmour fans rapturous. But a true distortion maniac cannot live by fuzz foie gras alone. Sometimes you need a little more scuzz in your fuzz, and a filthier fuzz than the Hilbish T-Fuzz would indeed be hard to find.

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Buzzo’s signature squish machine is surprisingly subtle. The PG Hilbish Compressimiser review.


Recorded via Shure SM57 and Apogee Duet to Garage Band with Rickenbacker 370-12, Fender Jazzmaster, and Fender Vibro Champ.
Electric 12 string track features a arpeggiated loop and lead through the Compressimiser at 70-80% squish and 30% level.
The lead track is run through a Strymon Flint ’60s reverb and then through the Compressimiser at 70-80% squish and 30% level.
 

Ratings

Pros:
Transparent, sensitive, subtle compression. Rangey controls. Awesome enclosure.

Cons:
Can be noisy.

Street:
$225

Hilbish Compressimiser
hilbishdesigns.com


Tones:


Ease of Use:


Build/Design:


Value:
 
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