Melvins Thunderball
Melvins' Thunderball arrives as a deliberate push-pull between heavy riffing and unruly experimentation, and critics are split on how well those extremes cohere. Across three professional reviews, the record earned a 50/100 consensus score, with praise reserved for the moments where the band’s signature chug meets guest-driven noise - notably “King of Rome”, “Short Hair With A Wig” and “Victory of the Pyramids”.
Reviewers consistently highlight a return to heavier riffing and audacious collaboration as the record's strongest instincts. Louder Than War celebrates expansive, ten-minute epics and calls “Short Hair With A Wig” addictive and “King of Rome” a near-perfect opener; Sputnikmusic singles out those same tracks as the best songs on the record, praising their vintage chuggery and dramatic payoffs; Kerrang! frames lineup changes and guest noise contributions as the engine behind the album’s unpredictability. Critics agree that “Venus Blood” and even oddities like “Vomit of Clarity” add texture, but many also note uneven sequencing and stretches where experimentation feels scattershot rather than revelatory.
Taken together, the critic consensus positions Thunderball as a polarizing but often rewarding entry in Melvins' catalog: essential for fans drawn to collaboration and bold, noisy detours, while less persuasive for those seeking consistent pacing or polished cohesion. Below, the full reviews unpack where the record's high points and awkward stretches land in the band’s wider trajectory.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
King of Rome
3 mentions
"making tracks such as "King of Rome" feel like anchors amid experimental drift"— Kerrang!
Victory of the Pyramids
3 mentions
"The whole thing is a gloriously slapdash stab at being audacious"— Sputnikmusic
Short Hair With A Wig
3 mentions
"the essential chemistry of the release finally results in bespoke fireworks"— Sputnikmusic
making tracks such as "King of Rome" feel like anchors amid experimental drift
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
King of Rome
Vomit of Clarity
Short Hair With A Wig
Victory of the Pyramids
Venus Blood
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 5 critics who reviewed this album
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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
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Short Hair With A Wig is the album's best song because of its sprawling sections, hooks and sheer addictive quality.
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Thunderball's core strengths are evolved songwriting and the addition of electronics that refresh the Melvins sound while honoring their past.
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
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“Victory of the Pyramids” is the album's most audacious and rewarding piece due to its three-part structure and reckless ambition.
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Thunderball's core strengths are vintage riffing, successful noise collaboration moments, and an impish, messy audacity that yields fireworks amid uneven sequencing.
Themes
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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
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The best song functions as an anchor amid experimentation, here represented by "King of Rome".
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Thunderball's core strengths are its unpredictable line-up choices and bold experimental collaborations.