February 18, 2025, LOS ANGELES – Melvins 1983, the raw and unfiltered incarnation of the legendary band featuring Buzz Osborne and original Melvins drummer, Mike Dillard, return with Thunderball – their first full-length album in four years, out April 18 via Ipecac Recordings.
“Thunderball is the third Melvins 1983 record we’ve made together, and I wanted it to be bombastic – I think we achieved that,” says Osborne. “I also wanted to do something with electronic artists Void Manes and Ni Maîtres for a long time. Both of them are exceptional talents. Their out-of-the-box use of electronics pushed Thunderball beyond my expectations.”
A preview of the five-song, 34-minute album is out now, with today’s release of “Victory of the Pyramids.” Driven by Dillard’s unrelenting cadence, the song opens with an almost deceptively poppy feel before spiraling into the crushing, sludgy depths that have long defined the Melvins’ sound. As Dillard said, it’s “a lovely blend of beautiful noise and gut-busting grooves.” The album was recorded by Toshi Kasai at Sound of Sirens Studios.
Album pre-orders are available now (https://themelvins.lnk.to/Thunderball), with Thunderball available on trio of vinyl variants including an indie exclusive “Smoke Is A Color” variant and an Ipecac webstore-only “Special Mustard Gas.” The collection is also available on CD and all digital formats.
After a short run of California dates in March (“The Spring Break Tour”), the band will embark on a massive nine-week, nationwide co-headlining trek with Napalm Death. The Napalm Death/Melvins outing is the follow-up to the legendary bands’ 2016 joint outing, dubbed the “Savage Imperial Death March” tour. Both “The Spring Break Tour” and the co-headlining shows with Napalm Death will feature Osborne, Dale Crover, Steven McDonald and Coady Willis. Tickets are available now via Ipecac.com/tours.
“The Spring Break Tour”
March 1 Bakersfield, CA The Nile Theater
March 2 Fresno, CA Strummer’s
March 3 Sacramento, CA Goldfield Trading Post
March 4 Santa Cruz, CA The Catalyst Atrium
March 5 San Luis Obispo, CA SLO Brew Rock
March 7 Pioneertown, CA Pappy & Harriet’s
“Savage Imperial Death March Part II” tour dates:
April 4 San Diego, CA Music Box
April 5 Santa Ana, CA The Observatory
April 7 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
April 8 San Jose, CA The Ritz
April 10 Los Angeles, CA The Belasco
April 12 Las Vegas, NV Swan Dive
April 13 Phoenix, AZ The Van Buren
April 14 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
April 15 El Paso, TX Lowbrow Palace
April 17 Dallas, TX The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
April 18 Austin, TX Emo’s
April 19 Houston, TX White Oak Music Hall – Downstairs
April 20 Baton Rouge, LA Chelsea’s Live
April 21 New Orleans, LA House of Blues New Orleans
April 23 Tampa, FL The Orpheum
April 24 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
April 25 Orlando, FL The Beacham
April 26 Savannah, GA District Live
April 27 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade – Heaven Stage
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February 18, 2025, LOS ANGELES – Melvins 1983, the raw and unfiltered incarnation of the legendary band featuring Buzz Osborne and original Melvins drummer, Mike Dillard, return with Thunderball – their first full-length album in four years, out April 18 via Ipecac Recordings.
