If you were at the Showbox Sodo on April 18, you got a full dissertation on heavy metal from some of the genre’s musical giants.
The heaviness began with North Carolina’s Corrosion of Conformity (COC). COC separates itself from the clichés of metal by adding a hint of southern grooves to massive sludgy riffs, making them the ZZ Top of heavy metal.
Although the original lineup formed in 1982, the band only gained relevance in the early 90s with the addition of longtime frontman and rhythm guitarist Pepper Keenan. Through the album Deliverance and their popular single “Albatross,” they reached commercial success. At the Showbox Sodo, fans cheered as the band played favorites such as “Vote with a Bullet,” “Albatross,” and “Clean My Wounds.”
A particularly fun part of their set came when they did what the band calls “dealers choice,” in which lead guitarist Woody Weatherman selects a random song that the rest of the band joins in on.
Following Corrosion was hometown legends Melvins. Melvins are credited with being the fathers of grunge, doom, sludge and alternative metal (a mighty fine resume). While the band’s core lineup consists of guitarist and singer Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover, Melvins has had over 12 bass players since its formation. Steve McDonald, of the iconic 80s punk band Redd Kross (which Crover now plays with), joined in 2015 and has been the band’s longest-serving bassist. His use of dynamics and high-treble basslines and licks adds a distinctive reinterpretation of old songs and gives the band room to play even heavier.
Despite not being the headliner of this tour, Melvins stole the show by playing classic songs “Honey Bucket,” “Hooch,” “Queen,” and “The Bit.” Their onstage presence and animated antics combined with skull-crushing riffs made them a force to be reckoned with. Midway through Melvins’ set, Ministry drummer Roy Mayorga came out and played some songs with the band. The dexterity of his drumming showed off Crover’s ability to play synchronized drum parts–as he did during Melvins’ Big Business era.
Originally formed in 1983 by Osborne (AKA King Buzzo) in the far reaches of Montesano and Aberdeen, WA, Melvins inspired Seattle bands Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Alice in Chains, and most notably, their fellow Aberdeen band Nirvana. Melvins members grew up with Kurt Cobain, where they listened to music, made art, and got into trouble with the authorities.
Lastly, industrial rock originators Ministry ended the night with heavy metal supremacy.
Formed in 1981 as a synth-rock band, lead singer Al Jourgensen transformed the group’s sound and helped create the industrial-metal genre through several star-studded lineups over four decades. This current formation includes Prong’s guitarist Monte Pittman and keyboardist John Bechdel, guitarist Cesar Soto of Gorilla Death Box, Hellyeah and Stone Sour drummer Mayorga, and original Tool bassist Paul D’Amour (who grew up in Spokane, Washington). Before starting, the band maintained its political roots by projecting a banner showing its support for Ukraine.
Ministry created a malevolent aesthetic the rest of the evening by setting a metal fence between them and the crowd. Jourgensen pulled his face right up to the holes as he screamed. He also had an LED cross and a satanic altar from which he sang sermons of evil to adoring fans.
The band amazed the audience with tracks such as “Just One Fix,” “N.W.O,” “Thieves,” and off their latest album Moral Hygiene, “Good Trouble,” a reference to the late civil rights activist John Lewis. Then, Melvins returned a favor by having Cover come out and play drums with Mayorga. Ministry threw in a couple of lackluster covers during their set but finished with a thrilling rendition of “Search and Destroy” by the king of punks, Iggy Pop and the Stooges.
Check out all the photos below.
If you missed this night of metal headbangers and high-energy moshing, don’t worry. Melvins are embarking on a summer headlining tour of America where they’ll be playing The Knitting Factory in Spokane, Washington, with Seattle alternative-metal band Helms Alee.
All photos by Chris Butcher
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