Melvins Thunderball

Critic's Take

Melvins' Thunderball finds its best moments in the long-form epics and bold experiments, especially “King of Rome” and “Victory of the Pyramids”. Gentile frames the album as darker and heavier than prior work, praising the daring shift toward electronic textures on “Vomit of Clarity” and the soaring, Bowie-like sweep of “Victory of the Pyramids”. The reviewer’s tone is admiring and amused, noting that this reunion lineup pushes the Melvins into stranger, more powerful territory.

Key Points

• The best song is a long-form epic like "Victory of the Pyramids" because of its soaring guitar and dramatic shifts.
• The album’s core strengths are its darker, heavier tone and experimental, non-linear approach that reinvigorates the reunion lineup.

Themes

Critic's Take

Any attempt to predict what Melvins are gonna cook up next reads like the reviewer admitting defeat, and on Thunderball that unpredictability is the point. Olly Thomas leans into the album's oddball reunions - and notes contributions from Ni Maîtres and Void Manes - making tracks such as “King of Rome” feel like anchors amid experimental drift. The piece frames the record as a partial return to form yet decisively different, so best tracks on Thunderball are framed by lineup surprises and audacity.

Key Points

• The best song functions as an anchor amid experimentation, here represented by "King of Rome".
• Thunderball's core strengths are its unpredictable line-up choices and bold experimental collaborations.

Themes

Critic's Take

There will, fleetingly, be fireworks - Melvins' Thunderball rewards patience, and the best tracks emerge when their riffing and the guest noise maniacs finally click. The best songs on Thunderball are the rollicking opener “King of Rome”, the weighty, six-minute payoff of “Short Hair With A Wig” and the audacious suite “Victory of the Pyramids”, each delivering either vintage chuggery or glorious, slapdash audacity in the reviewer’s terms. If you query the best tracks on Thunderball, look to those songs for the album's moments of real fire amid some awkward stretches. This is a record that rewards fans who love its messy, impish heart rather than tidy consistency.

Key Points

• “Victory of the Pyramids” is the album's most audacious and rewarding piece due to its three-part structure and reckless ambition.
• Thunderball's core strengths are vintage riffing, successful noise collaboration moments, and an impish, messy audacity that yields fireworks amid uneven sequencing.

Themes

Critic's Take

Melvins' Thunderball feels like a triumphant return, a record where hooks and electronics collide to thrilling effect. The reviewer's voice revels in the expansive ten-minute epics - praising “Short Hair With A Wig” as addictive and calling “King of Rome” a near-perfect opener. He frames “Victory of the Pyramids” and “Venus Blood” as essential moments that prove Buzz's songwriting has evolved. Overall the piece positions Thunderball as possibly the Best Melvins full-length in years, balancing nostalgia with fresh, exciting sounds.

Key Points

• Short Hair With A Wig is the album's best song because of its sprawling sections, hooks and sheer addictive quality.
• Thunderball's core strengths are evolved songwriting and the addition of electronics that refresh the Melvins sound while honoring their past.