Melvins are an American rock music band and usually play as a trio. Singer/guitarist Buzz Osborne (aka "King Buzzo") and drummer Dale Crover are constant members, but several bass guitarists have been through the group. The band was named after a grocery clerk at the Thriftway in Montesano, Washington where Osborne served as clerk (and vandal). Melvin was the most-hated fellow employee and the band's members felt it to be an appropriately ridiculous name.
Melvins' music is influenced by Black Flag's My War era punk and Black Sabbath-style metal, but their idiosyncratic approach, bizarre sense of humor, and experimentation make neat categorization difficult. Melvins often favor rather slow tempi, and their sludgey sound was a strong influence on grunge music, especially Nirvana and many other bands from Seattle. Their protegés, however, tended to use more conventional musical structures with this sound. The Melvins are also a noted influence on many doom metal bands, most explicitly Boris, who took their name from one of the Melvins' songs.
Though the group has received mostly positive critical notice, Crover's drumming has been especially praised; Patrick Kennedy describes his work as "astonishing, powerful, and daring."
While never finding and probably never even seeking great mainstream success, Melvins maintain an impressive schedule of new albums and tours, including two releases with former Dead Kennedys front man Jello Biafra, and have a dedicated cult following. The band has been colloquially known as "The Jelvins" during Biafra's current tenure with the band. In appreciation of these devoted fans, Melvins have released various collectables through the years that have included two-headed dolls, an eight track tape, a plastic fetus in a jar, and more.
