Hold It In

Hold It In is the twentieth studio album by the American experimental rock band Melvins, released on October 14, 2014, through Ipecac Recordings.^[1] The record features the band's core members Buzz Osborne on guitar and vocals and Dale Crover on drums, joined by Butthole Surfers alumni Jeff Pinkus on bass and Paul Leary on guitar, marking their first full-length collaboration as a quartet since 2010's The Bride Screamed Murder.^[2][3] Produced by the Melvins and longtime collaborator Toshi Kasai, the album runs 53 minutes and comprises 12 original tracks that showcase a blend of the band's signature sludge metal and experimental noise with psychedelic pop influences from their guests.^[1][4] The tracklist opens with the riff-heavy "Bride of Crankenstein" and includes eclectic cuts like "Brass Cupcake", "Onions Make the Milk Taste Bad", "Sesame Street Meat", and closes with the sprawling "House of Gasoline".^[4][3] Songs such as "You Can Make Me Wait", written by Leary, incorporate warped pop melodies and garage rock elements, while others like "Barcelonian Horseshoe Pit" deliver the Melvins' characteristic heavy, fuzz-laden riffs.^[2][5] This fusion results in one of the Melvins' most accessible and diverse albums, balancing their avant-garde roots with catchy, inventive songwriting.^[6][7] Critically, Hold It In was well-received for revitalizing the band's sound through the Butthole Surfers partnership, with reviewers highlighting its "syrupy, sickeningly sweet melodies" and fresh energy compared to prior releases.^[2] Outlets praised its sludge-filled riffs, frenetic pacing, and ability to appeal to both longtime fans and newcomers, though some noted a dip in intensity toward the end.^[5][8] The album solidified the Melvins' reputation for boundary-pushing rock, contributing to their extensive discography of over 20 studio albums since forming in 1983.^[9]

Background and recording

Conception

Hold It In is the 20th studio album by the Melvins, representing their first full-length collaboration with guitarist Paul Leary and bassist Jeff Pinkus of the Butthole Surfers.^[10] The project emerged from Melvins founders Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover's long-standing admiration for the Butthole Surfers, whom Osborne had followed since the early 1980s.^[11] The recruitment of Leary and Pinkus built on prior informal collaborations and shared touring history, including performances with Pinkus's band Honky and joint shows with the Butthole Surfers.^[11] Osborne and Crover specifically invited them to contribute, allowing Leary to co-write several tracks and infusing the album with Butthole Surfers' psychedelic flair alongside the Melvins' signature sludge metal foundation.^[12] This approach aligned with the Melvins' tradition of lineup variations and experimental projects, enabling a fresh blend of influences.^[13] Conception began in early 2014, shortly after the release of the Melvins' 2013 covers album Everybody Loves Sausages, shifting focus back to original material while incorporating guest contributors for added dynamism.^[12] The lineup and album were formally announced on July 31, 2014, coinciding with the reveal of supporting tour dates.^[14]

Recording sessions

The recording sessions for Hold It In took place in 2014 across multiple studios, including Sound of Siren Studios in Los Angeles, California; Haasienda Studios in Ojai, California; and Preacher Mon Studios in Austin, Texas.^[15][16] Engineering duties were led by Paul Leary, who also performed on the album, with additional contributions from Toshi Kasai at Sound of Siren Studios and Stephen Haas at Haasienda Studios; Leary handled engineering at Preacher Mon Studios as well.^[16][3][10] The sessions emphasized live band tracking to capture the quartet's interplay, with Leary's involvement in both performance and production shaping the raw, layered guitar textures.^[12] Mastering for most tracks was completed by John Golden at Golden Mastering in Ventura, California, while Brian Gardner handled tracks 2 ("You Can Make Me Wait"), 6 ("Eyes on You"), and 10 ("I Get Along (Hollow Moon)") at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood.^[17][15] These efforts were finalized swiftly in mid-2014 to align with the album's October release on Ipecac Recordings.^[15]

Composition

Musical style

Hold It In is primarily classified as experimental rock and sludge metal, incorporating psychedelic and noise rock elements drawn from the Butthole Surfers' influence through collaborators Paul Leary and Jeff Pinkus.^[2][5][8] The album's sound merges the Melvins' signature Cascadian heaviness with Texan psych-rock flair, resulting in warped pop structures, swampy garage riffs, and stoner jams that blend scuzzy foundations with catchy, syrupy melodies.^[2] This fusion creates one of the Melvins' most inventive yet accessible works, marked by abrupt shifts between slow, doomy tempos and uptempo bursts.^[5][8] Spanning 12 tracks with a total runtime of 53:07, the album features heavy, fuzz-laden riffs alongside syncopated rhythms and dynamic pacing that underscore its experimental edge.^[2][3] Instrumentation highlights the dual guitars of Buzz Osborne and Paul Leary, which generate dissonant, jagged textures through choppy new-wave and frenetic riffing, complemented by Dale Crover's powerful, stomping drumming and Jeff Pinkus' groovy bass lines that add a sludgy undercurrent.^[5][8] The collaboration with Leary and Pinkus infuses the Melvins' chaotic style with Butthole Surfers' macabre humor and trippy effects, such as flanged vocals and shoegazey overlays, enhancing the overall sonic dissonance without overshadowing the core lineup.^[2][5] Songwriting credits are primarily attributed to Osborne, with Leary receiving sole credit for three tracks, and co-writing contributions from Crover and Pinkus on select songs.^[18][6] Leary's tracks, including "You Can Make Me Wait," "Eyes on You," and "House of Gasoline," introduce more playful, vocoder-tinged elements and bluesy solos.^[6][18] Representative examples include the opener "Bride of Crankenstein," a sludgy riff-driven track with heavy, slow tempos and maximum fuzz that sets a bombastic tone through Osborne's tight, frenetic guitar work.^[8][5] Similarly, "Brass Cupcake" showcases trippy effects with flanged vocals, bright bouncing rhythms, and new-wave guitars, evoking cartoonish thrills amid the album's heavier palette.^[2][5][8]

Lyrics and themes

The lyrics of Hold It In embody the Melvins' signature blend of absurdity and surreal imagery, often delivered through oblique phrasing that invites multiple interpretations while avoiding overt political commentary in favor of personal and interpersonal quirks.^[19] Buzz Osborne's contributions emphasize dark humor and tension in everyday absurdities, such as failed expectations or hidden resentments, consistent with the band's long-standing lyrical approach of randomness and societal satire.^[20] The inclusion of Butthole Surfers members Paul Leary and Jeff Pinkus infuses psychedelic, stream-of-consciousness elements, enhancing the album's disorienting, fiction-like quality in a "world of fact and bullshit," as Osborne described it.^[12] Vocal delivery centers on Osborne's raw, shouted style—characterized as a "barbaric yawp" on tracks like "Onions Make the Milk Taste Bad"—which conveys urgency and emotional intensity over the music's sludge-heavy riffs.^[21] Leary provides lead vocals on select songs, such as "You Can Make Me Wait" and "Eyes on You," where his contributions introduce a more experimental, vocoder-tinged haziness that contrasts Osborne's directness.^[12][22] Background vocals from Osborne and drummer Dale Crover appear sporadically, adding layered texture to choruses without overpowering the foreground aggression.^[19] Representative tracks highlight these motifs: "Eyes on You," penned by Leary, evokes paranoia through its commentary on surveillance, portraying a watchful gaze that builds interpersonal distrust in a boogie-woogie framework.^[19] Similarly, "Bride of Crankenstein" uses bizarre, drug-tinged surrealism to explore themes of deception and disorientation, with Osborne's ghostly wail amplifying the sense of unraveling control.^[8] Most lyrics remain concise and repetitive, mirroring the album's intense pacing by hammering key phrases like warnings or refrains to heighten the music's relentless drive.^[19]

Release and promotion

Formats and packaging

Hold It In was released by Ipecac Recordings on October 14, 2014.^[3] The album appeared in multiple formats, including CD, digital download, and vinyl LP, with the standard edition encompassing all 12 tracks.^[3] The vinyl LP followed on December 16, 2014.^[17] Due to space limitations on the single LP vinyl pressing, it excludes "Eyes On You" (3:24) and "House Of Gasoline" (12:11), resulting in a 10-track configuration despite the back cover listing all songs.^[17][3] These omitted tracks appeared on the limited-edition 10-inch EP Bride of Crankenstein, issued by Amphetamine Reptile Records in 2014.^[23] The cover artwork, designed by Mackie Osborne, presents abstract, colorful illustrations of crudely cut-out band member headshots scooped in spoons, with names etched alongside, suggesting whimsical and psychedelic motifs.^[24][25] Vinyl copies feature a glossy printed inner sleeve containing liner notes that credit songwriters and production details.^[17]

Promotion and touring

The Melvins announced Hold It In on July 31, 2014, through a press release emphasizing the album's collaboration with Butthole Surfers members Paul Leary and JD Pinkus, marking the band's first studio release as a quartet since 2010.^[14] This announcement coincided with the reveal of the October 14 release date via Ipecac Recordings and initial tour dates.^[26] In promotion, the band released a limited-edition 10" single titled "Bride of Crankenstein" on October 17, 2014, through Amphetamine Reptile Records, serving as a promotional tie-in that included the title track from the album alongside two songs omitted from the vinyl edition as B-sides.^[27] Select tracks from Hold It In, such as "Sesame Street Meat" and "Brass Cupcake," were made available for pre-release streaming on platforms including SoundCloud and the band's official channels in the weeks leading up to the album's launch.^[28] The full album was streamed in advance on Pandora beginning October 7, 2014.^[29] The album's rollout included interviews with frontman Buzz Osborne, who discussed the expanded lineup and recording process, including a conversation with Bearded Gentlemen Music published on October 13, 2014, and another with Guitar World on September 30, 2014, focusing on the Butthole Surfers contributions.^[11][12] Limited merchandise, including vinyl variants and apparel tied to the release, was offered through Ipecac Recordings.^[30] To support Hold It In, the Melvins launched a fall U.S. tour on October 15, 2014, at the Assembly in Sacramento, California, with performances continuing through December 5 in Santiago, Chile, though the international date extended beyond the initial U.S. leg.^[31] Setlists for the tour prominently featured new material from the album, including tracks like "Bride of Crankenstein," "Onions Make the Milk Taste Bad," and "Sesame Street Meat," alongside Melvins classics.^[32]

Reception

Critical reception

Upon its release, Hold It In received generally favorable reviews from music critics, earning an aggregate score of 74 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 16 reviews.^[33] AllMusic awarded the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising its inventive songwriting and the fresh energy brought by the collaboration with Butthole Surfers members Paul Leary and Jeff Pinkus.^[34] Pitchfork gave it a 6.1 out of 10, highlighting the successful merger of the two bands' styles and the resulting catchy melodies that made it one of the most accessible Melvins records to date.^[2] In contrast, Consequence of Sound rated it a C+, commending its muscular riffs while noting some uneven pacing across tracks.^[6] musicOMH described it as a strong return to form for the band with varied and rewarding compositions.^[35] Reviewers frequently appreciated the Butthole Surfers influence, which infused the album with a sense of playfulness and freshness, blending the Melvins' signature sludge with psychedelic and melodic elements.^{[2] [7]} Criticisms centered on occasional meandering tracks that disrupted the flow, though the overall consensus positioned Hold It In as an accessible yet experimental effort that revitalized the band's sound.^[6] Notable quotes included Pitchfork's observation of the album's "syrupy, sickeningly sweet melodies" atop scuzzy foundations, and AllMusic's acclaim for the "mad, inventive" band dynamic that echoed the Melvins' foundational riff-heavy style while exploring new curiosities.^{[2] [34]} By 2025, Hold It In has been regarded as a solid entry in the Melvins' extensive discography, effectively bridging their sludge metal roots with heightened psychedelia and collaborative experimentation.^[36]

Commercial performance

Hold It In achieved modest commercial success as an independent release through Ipecac Recordings, reflecting the Melvins' enduring cult following in underground rock and metal scenes. The album did not enter the Billboard 200.^[37] In the United Kingdom, Hold It In entered the Official Independent Album Breakers Chart at number 13, spending one week on the listing following its October 14, 2014 release. This performance underscored its appeal in alternative and experimental music circles, though it did not achieve broader chart traction. For the tracking week in early January 2015, the album sold approximately 330 units in the U.S., reflecting typical post-holiday sales patterns for independent sludge and metal releases.^[38][37] The vinyl edition proved particularly popular among collectors, selling out quickly upon release and demonstrating strong demand in physical formats despite the album's overall underground status. Promotional efforts, including limited-edition packaging, enhanced visibility within fan communities. By 2025, the album had seen sustained streaming growth on platforms like Spotify, where the Melvins maintain approximately 444,000 monthly listeners as of November 2025, with Hold It In featured in sludge and experimental rock playlists. This long-term digital engagement highlights its lasting impact, outperforming some prior Ipecac releases in fan interaction metrics while remaining firmly rooted in niche audiences.^[39][40]

Track listing

Standard edition

The standard edition of Hold It In contains 12 tracks and has a total length of 53:07.^[15] It was released on CD and as a digital download by Ipecac Recordings on October 14, 2014.^[1] All tracks were written by Buzz Osborne, Jeff Pinkus, and Dale Crover except where noted.^[6] The track listing and durations are as presented on the CD and digital releases.^[3] Unlike the single LP vinyl edition, this version includes all tracks without omissions.^[41]

Vinyl edition

The vinyl edition of Hold It In was released as a single LP by Ipecac Recordings on December 16, 2014.^[42] Due to space constraints on the format, it omits tracks 6 ("Eyes on You") and 12 ("House of Gasoline") from the standard edition track listing, while resequencing the remaining ten tracks across two sides. Side A features tracks 1–5: "Bride of Crankenstein," "You Can Make Me Wait," "Brass Cupcake," "Barcelonian Horseshoe Pit," and "Onions Make the Milk Taste Bad." Side B includes tracks 7–11: "Sesame Street Meat," "Nine Yards," "The Bunk Up," "I Get Along (Hollow Moon)," and "Piss Pisstopherson." The omitted tracks appear on the back cover artwork but are absent from the pressing itself; they are, however, included with the digital download code provided with the vinyl.^[17] A companion 10-inch EP single titled Bride of Crankenstein was issued by Amphetamine Reptile Records on October 17, 2014, in a limited run of 700 numbered copies across various color variants.^[27] The single's A-side contains the album's opening track "Bride of Crankenstein" paired with "Eyes on You," while the B-side is the lengthy "House of Gasoline," effectively providing collectors with the complete album experience alongside the vinyl LP.^[23] The omissions from the main vinyl pressing stemmed primarily from the 12-minute duration of "House of Gasoline," which exceeded practical limits for an LP side without reducing audio fidelity.^[43]

Personnel

Core musicians

The core musicians for the Melvins' album Hold It In consisted of the band's longstanding members alongside collaborators from the Butthole Surfers, forming the primary recording ensemble with no additional guest performers on instruments.^[3] All songs were written by Buzz Osborne, Dale Crover, and Jeff Pinkus except "You Can Make Me Wait" and "Eyes on You", which were written by Paul Leary.

• Buzz Osborne (also known as King Buzzo): lead guitar and lead vocals; he co-wrote the majority of the tracks.^[3][18]
• Dale Crover: drums and backing vocals; he co-wrote tracks such as "Bride of Crankenstein" and "A History of Drunks."^[3][18]
• Paul Leary: guitar; he wrote "You Can Make Me Wait" and "Eyes on You."^[3][18]
• Jeff Pinkus: bass; he co-wrote tracks including "Barcelonian Horseshoe Pit."^[3][18]

Additional personnel

The engineering for Hold It In was led by Paul Leary at Preacher Mon, with Toshi Kasai contributing at Sound of Siren Studios and Stephen Haas at Haasienda Studios. Mastering duties were split, with John Golden handling the bulk of the work at Golden Mastering, and Brian Gardner mastering specific tracks (2, 6, and 10) at Bernie Grundman Mastering.^[44][17] Artwork and design credits go to Mackie Osborne, who created the cover illustration and overall layout, featuring stylized cut-out images of the band members.^[3] Production was overseen by Buzz Osborne as part of the Melvins collective, in collaboration with Toshi Kasai. No supplementary session musicians were involved beyond the primary recording lineup, and the album's liner notes were compiled by Ipecac Recordings staff.^[1]