Melvins have spent decades building a reputation as one of the weirdest bands in heavy music. Their 1997 album Honky is a deliberate attempt to push that reputation further, moving beyond the slow, sludgy riffing that defined their earlier work into something stranger and more abstract. This is an album about discomfort, boredom, and the sheer will to make noise that refuses to resolve itself.
The record runs ten tracks and 70 minutes, and it is structured less like a collection of songs than like a series of experiments. Some of those experiments land. Some of them don’t. The result is a record that rewards patience and punishes it in equal measure.
They All Must Be Slaughtered Opens the Record
The album starts with “They All Must Be Slaughtered,” an eight-minute track that sets the tone immediately. It is slow, dense, and atmospheric, all of which is standard for Melvins. But there is something different here. The song builds a surreal, obscure atmosphere that critics have pointed to as the peak moment on the record. It has that weird aesthetic that Melvins are popularly known for today, and it earns that reputation.
“They All Must Be Slaughtered” is the pinnacle moment on the album. The track creates a very surreal, obscure atmosphere, and it has that weird aesthetic that Melvins are popularly known for today.
The track is not a straightforward rock song. It is a mood piece, and it works because the band knows exactly what they are doing. The rhythm section locks in, the guitars drift and clash, and the whole thing feels like a slow-motion nightmare. It is the best moment on the record.
Mombius Hibachi and the Short Middle Section
“Mombius Hibachi” follows at 1:59. It is a short, strange interlude that does not quite land. The song feels like a sketch rather than a finished piece, and it passes without leaving much of an impression. It is the kind of track that works better as a live experiment than as a permanent part of the catalog.
“Lovely Butterfly” (2:10) and “Pitfalls in Serving Warrants” (3:36) follow in quick succession. Neither of these songs does much to advance the record. They are competent, but they lack the personality that defines the tracks around them. “Pitfalls in Serving Warrants” has a slightly more interesting structure, but it still feels like filler.
Air Breather Deep in the Arms of Morphius
“Air Breather Deep in the Arms of Morphius” is the longest track on the first half of the album at 12:12. It is a slow, repetitive crawl that tests the listener’s patience. The song drags, and it is easy to zone out during the middle stretch. But there is a method to the madness. The track builds tension through repetition, and when it finally resolves, it feels earned.
It is not a great song, but it is a purposeful one. The band is clearly pushing at the edges of what a rock song can do, and this track shows what happens when they push too far.
Laughing With Lucifer at Satan’s Sideshow and How –++
“Laughing With Lucifer at Satan’s Sideshow” (2:17) is a short, chaotic burst that snaps the record back into focus. It is a relief after the long, slow build of “Air Breather.” The song is messy, but it is also fun in a way that the other tracks are not. It is a reminder that Melvins can be playful even when they are being weird.
“How –++–” (3:27) closes out the first half of the record. It is a strange title for a strange song, and it delivers on that promise. The track is disjointed, with a vocal performance that is more spoken than sung. It is not a comfortable listen, but it is an engaging one. It leaves the listener wanting more, which is a rare quality on this album.
Harry Lauders Walking Stick Tree
“Harry Lauders Walking Stick Tree” (3:18) is a slight detour. It is a short, oddball track that does not quite fit the rest of the record. The song is pleasant enough, but it feels like a palate cleanser rather than a statement. It is not bad, but it is forgettable.
“Grin” (4:12) is a stronger entry. It is a more conventional song, with a melody that sticks in the ear. It is the most accessible track on the album, and it shows that the band can still write a hook when they want to. It is a welcome change of pace after the abstract experimentation of the earlier tracks.
In the Freaktose the Bugs Are Dying
Then comes “In the Freaktose the Bugs Are Dying.” At 29:24, it is the longest track on the album and the centerpiece of the entire record. It is a massive undertaking, and it is not subtle about it. The song is a wall of noise, and it does not let up for over a quarter of an hour. The track is more than 25 minutes of silence at its conclusion, which is a bold move that some listeners will appreciate and others will find exhausting.
It is a track that demands attention, and it gets it. The song is a test of endurance, and it passes that test. It is the most ambitious thing the band has ever attempted, and it is the reason the album exists.
The Verdict
Honky is a strange record, and it is not for everyone. The album is at its best when it is weird and unrepentant, and it is at its worst when it is simply boring. The record is a mixed bag, and it rewards the patient listener while punishing the impatient one.
The critical consensus describes the album as a deliberately strange, experimental record that pushes the band’s sound beyond sludge metal toward avant-garde territory. That description is accurate, but it undersells the inconsistency. The album is not consistently avant-garde. It is sporadically avant-garde, and the difference is significant.
The record’s high points are the peaks. The low points are the valleys. The two are never far apart.
Ranking the Tracks
If you were to rank the tracks by how well they work, the order would look something like this:
- “They All Must Be Slaughtered”
- “Laughing With Lucifer at Satan’s Sideshow”
- “How –++–“
- “Grin”
- “Air Breather Deep in the Arms of Morphius”
- “Harry Lauders Walking Stick Tree”
- “Mombius Hibachi”
- “Pitfalls in Serving Warrants”
- “In the Freaktose the Bugs Are Dying”
- “Lovely Butterfly”
That ranking is subjective, and it reflects the experience of listening to the album multiple times. Some listeners will disagree, and that is fine. The point is that the record is not a cohesive whole. It is a collection of experiments, some of which work and some of which do not.
The Final Word
Honky is a brave record, and it is a flawed one. It is the kind of album that rewards repeat listens, but it is not an easy listen. The record is a challenge to the listener, and it is not always a fair one. It is a record that will divide people, and that division is part of its appeal.
The album is a snapshot of a band at a particular moment in their career, experimenting with ideas that they would later refine. It is not their best work, but it is a genuine curiosity. It is the kind of record that you put on when you want to hear something that is unlike anything else you have heard.
It is a record that deserves attention, but it is not a record that deserves a perfect score. The album is a 2.0 out of 10.
- They All Must Be Slaughtered8:17
- Mombius Hibachi1:59
- Lovely Butterfly2:10
- Pitfalls in Serving Warrants3:36
- Air Breather Deep in the Arms of Morphius12:12
- Laughing With Lucifer at Satan's Sideshow2:17
- How --++--3:27
- Harry Lauders Walking Stick Tree3:18
- Grin4:12
- In the Freaktose the Bugs are Dying29:24
