Melvins’ King Buzzo Still Refuses to Stand Still

For most legacy bands, longevity comes with expectations. Fans want familiar songs, familiar sounds and familiar records. More than four decades into the Melvins‘ career, Buzz Osborne — better known as “King Buzzo” — still seems determined to avoid all of it. After more than 40 years of redefining what heavy music can be, the Melvins remain allergic to creative comfort. King Buzzo has collaborated with everyone from Jello Biafra to Lustmord, reinvented the band’s lineup countless times and now joined forces with Napalm Death for Savage Imperial Death March, a release born from improvisation and a refusal to repeat the past.

Originally created as a limited tour-only EP, the project has now received a wider release after Osborne and company realized the material deserved a larger audience. Unlike a traditional split release, Savage Imperial Death March was conceived as a single creative unit. “We actually collaborated top to bottom,” Osborne says. “I brought in parts of songs, and they brought in parts of songs. We built it in true collaboration. We did it as one big band.”

The result doesn’t simply alternate between Melvins sludge and Napalm Death speed. Instead, it creates an entirely new musical space. When I mention the record’s cinematic, almost science-fiction atmosphere, Osborne immediately lights up. “I’m so glad that’s what you picked up on,” he says. “That’s exactly what we were going for. It means we did our job right. It’s not like anything that either band would do.”

That willingness to chase new ideas rather than protect an established identity has become one of the defining characteristics of the Melvins. Across dozens of albums, Osborne has embraced collaborations with everyone from Ni Maitres to Void Manes while continually experimenting with electronics, ambient textures, noise and unconventional song structures. “We can collaborate with anyone,” he says matter-of-factly. “Anyone. It wouldn’t be out of character for us.”

It’s a mindset that extends well beyond guest appearances. Asked whether constant reinvention has become part of the band’s identity, Osborne downplays any deliberate strategy.

“I’m not too concerned with doing things in a conventional way,” he says. “It’s more an idea-driven thing than purposely trying to change things creatively. It’s difficult to imagine doing all of these albums the same way.”

That philosophy also explains why, after more than 40 years, the Melvins have largely avoided becoming a nostalgia act. “Doing something that’s exactly the same as something previous doesn’t excite me at all,” Osborne says with a laugh. “I have to come up with something else, or I’m out.”

Melvins return to Salt Lake City on August 8 alongside Tomahawk, reuniting Osborne with longtime collaborator Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle). Despite years of working together in Fantômas, releasing albums through Patton’s Ipecac Recordings and sharing stages across multiple projects, Osborne insists the relationship has never changed his own creative approach. “I appreciate what he does and how much he does,” he says. “Beyond that, the way he works doesn’t translate into how I work.”

Osborne’s affection for Salt Lake City, however, is unmistakable. He describes the city as “an island,” separated from the rest of the country by geography and distance. “There’s this isolated desperation that’s not everywhere else,” he says. “Not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s just different.”

After decades of refusing to fit neatly into any genre — or even into his own past — the only certainty surrounding King Buzzo is that the next Melvins record probably won’t sound much like the last. And judging by his enthusiasm, that’s exactly the point.

Read more interviews conducted by Jeremy Cardenas
Questioning the Corporate Culture with Steve Albini
Deathpunk, Dizaster, and Rockets of the Ass: An Interview with Turbonegro

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