Concert Preview: Melvins at Metro Music Hall 

• Toshi Kasai
• Melvins

A legendary band in the rock and sludge-metal sphere is heading to Salt Lake City.

Melvins have managed to toe the line between being extremely successful, and largely unknown among many fans of popular rock acts. Even though their pioneering mix of metal, punk and heaviness influenced the likes of Nirvana, Soundgarden, Tool and others, the Melvins have remained a consistent force in the venue scene, opting to never "sell-out" and tour arenas or stadiums.

The band will perform Thursday, May 29, at Metro Music Hall. The show is a part of a co-headlining tour with grind-core pioneers Napalm Death. The last time both bands toured together was in 2016. "Every time Trump gets elected, we tour with Napalm," guitarist Buzz Osborne joked.

Available at the merch booth (if copies remain) will be Savage Imperial Death March, a limited-edition split record featuring new songs and performances from both bands. "We're all playing on the same songs," Osbourne said. "Two of them came over (from England), and then Barney (Greenway), the singer, recorded overdubs in the studio in England. The tour is called the Savage Imperial Death March Part Two, and the record is Savage Imperial Death March. I came up with a tour name, which I thought was good. 'Savage Imperial Death March' says it all, doesn't it?"

Melvins are also supporting Thunderball, their 28th studio album, which was released in April. It's a part of the band's series of "Melvins 1983" releases, featuring original Melvins member Mike Dillard on drums. Thunderball offers an exciting musical twist on the OG Melvins sound, however, as it prominently features contributions from Void Manes and Ni Maîtres, two electronic noise artists.

"I really wanted to do something with them. That record is with the original drummer, and then I'm doing all the instrumentation and all the vocals," Osborne reported. "It was as close to the original lineup as we can get, and I always wanted to do something with the two noise guys, so they're all over the record. I think it came out really cool."

Osborne, a movie lover, wants to make things clear: Thunderball has no connection to the 1965 James Bond film. "I just love the name," he said. "We did a record a few years ago called A Walk With Love and Death, which is the name of a John Huston movie. It has nothing to do with the movie, but I just love the name."

Osborne, it seems, has a profound appreciation for the arts. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I have a very severe fascination with movies and music," he emphasized. "It's gotten me through the worst parts of my life, and I think music is probably the most powerful art medium that there is."

The Salt Lake City date of the Savage Imperial Death March II tour is show 45 of 52. While others may criticize the consistent touring and release schedule of the band, Osborne said he relishes the fact that he is a professional musician and has no plans to ever hit the brakes.

"I'll go out on tour and do 52 shows everywhere I can think of, and then come back and do all the places I didn't play in the fall," he remarked. "I'm happy to be a musician. They asked Bob Dylan, 'Why are you still touring at your age?' And he said, 'That's the deal I made.' This is the deal I made. I'm a professional musician, it's what I do. I make records; I go on tour; I write music. I think people who are professional musicians should realize the position they're in, and they should work harder than anybody at their craft. Make records. Go play live. Do all of it; put your ass on the line, and don't worry about the results. While they're sitting there comprehending whether you should have made this record, you should be on your way to doing something else. Don't give people enough time to think about if it's good or not."

When you're always on the road, there is no shortage of fun and memorable moments, and for a band like the Melvins, there have been numerous tours and festivals shared with other rock legends. For example, in 1998, Melvins toured with Tool. From an evening filled with peak performances from two of rock's most inventive bands, Osborne's most notable memory involves a completely nude crowd-surfer.

They pulled him over the barricade, and the cops just descended on him," Osborne recalled of the event. "They dragged him outside to the parking lot in the back and handcuffed his hands behind his back. They sit him down in the middle of the parking lot and just say, 'You sit right there; don't move.' He said, 'Can I have something to cover me?' They're like, 'No, you can't. You want to be nude? There, you're nude, right in front of everybody.' The paddy wagon eventually came, like half an hour later, and they threw him in the paddy wagon, completely starkers. I thought that was the funniest thing. 'You want to fucking crowd-surf nude? You're sitting right out here now. Don't ask for a blanket at this point, fuck you.'"

Go to 24tix.com for tickets and info.