Tank full of Oil

Genre: Noise, Garage
Style: Noise, Alternative, Experimental, Garage, Punk, Industrial
Label: Alternative Tentacles Records

Jello Biafra and the Melvins are musical pranksters united for a common cause - to detonate your brain with some of the most twisted rock anthems ever crafted! Starting off album #2 with a heavier-than-life version of the Alice Cooper cult classic, "Halo of Flies," an intricate tune that alternately slithers and crushes, the band then proceed to treat us to a completely different extended take of their tune "The Lighter Side of Global Terrorism" (Jello's Hawkwind influence showed through when he asked the Melvins to create a take on the song similar to their cover of "Youth of America" by The Wipers). With the first two harrowing tracks clocking in at over fifteen minutes -this is not what you'd expect from a Jello record - steering into a more Melvinoid direction, but remaining distinctly separate from anything easily definable - far from a mishmash or outtakes collection, even the Jelvins were surprised at how well Sieg Howdy! flowed as an album. Through the course of the album the band (yes, they sound like a proper band, not a "project!") erupts with colors of its respective players in turns. Biafra's spleen-venting rants "Voted off the Island" and "Those Dumb Punk Kids (Will Buy Anything)" are amongst his most acerbic (not to mention insightful!), and the Melvins' cathartic drum and guitar workouts pummel brilliantly through "Lessons in What Not to Become" and the septic all bass-chug of Kevin Rutmanis (making his final appearance on vinyl with the Melvins on this album) and Buzzo that anchors "Wholly Buy Bull." Of course, the cherry on top is Jello and the lads ripping through a new, updated version of "Kalifornia Über Alles" - as sung by the Gropenführer himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger! With Jello's unmistakable wit and even more distinctive punk-rock croon fully intact, it's a breath of fresh air to hear a live Jello classic sound the way it was intended to for a change! The album's remaining remixed tracks serve to deepen the impression that what has been created throughout the course of this collaboration is the work of a band - A band whose songs have enough depth to remain interesting in new and sonic environs. Dalek's chilling reworking of "Dawn of the Locusts" brings the song into a completely different light, and Al Jourgensen's (Ministry) take on "Enchanted Thoughtfist" is so cold and almost new-wave-y that it works brilliantly. The tone of the track reaches waaay back into the Ministry back catalog, surprising even Al himself! Then the fresh new tag-team Deaf Nephews (Dale Crover and Toshi, the album's engineer) reshape "Caped Crusader" into a disturbing cartoon version of itself to round out the record. The fact that these songs are open to this kind of interpretation, and that these interpretations work so well is a testament to the quality with which they were crafted in the first place. Once again, the band is joined by Adam Jones from Tool on guitar for over half the tracks, and this time around, the stunning artwork is provided by none other than Camille Rose Garcia! 27 minutes of new and never before heard Jello Biafra and the Melvins and 17 minutes of remixed weirdness from the group's friends has created a record that surpasses its predecessor in sheer sonic audacity and is an extremely satisfying listen in its own right. Whether you missed the boat the first time around, or you couldn't get enough of Never Breathe What You Can't See, it's time to stand up, put your right hand over your heart, extend that middle finger, and say it loud - say it proud - SEIG HOWDY! The LP has the same songs as the CD, although it's spread out over a 12"LP and a 7". Don't forget to grab the first Jello/Melvins sonic explosion, "Never Breathe What You Can't See"!

"Some new tracks, some remixes of tunes from the last album and a couple of covers (including an updating of 'California Uber Alles' in honor of our current Hummer-driving Aryan caricature of a governor). Jello is just as topical, witty, cynical, and pissed off as ever, and Buzz and the gang serve up what is easily the best music that Jello has fronted since, oh, 1984 or so. Speaking of the 80s, check out 'Those Dumb Punk Kids (Will Buy Anything),' a swipe at both a certain band that once entertained some relevancy during that gilded age of punk and the hordes of modern-day consumerist 'punks' who line up to pay top dollar to revel in nostalgia rather than look for and appreciate what's going on now. Worse than hippies, that lot is."
- Razorcake"Sieg Howdy- 9/10

This is the best and worst record all at once. The Melvins, always amazing, are in absolute top riff form, while, on the other hand, Jello's voice conjures up images of cheese graters rubbing furiously on soft pink nipples. As much as I don't want to admit it, it works really well. Plus the art kicks ass and the record is called fucking 'Sieg Howdy.' Goddamn it, they win."

- Vice Magazine"Do I really need to introduce Jello Biafra? Or the Melvins? Of course I don't, you idiot! This is the second instalment of the collaboration between the legendary Dead Kennedys-frontman and the sonic freaks of the Melvins. But actually, most of what's on this thingy dates back from the same sessions. I never picked up the first one, but for what Biafra-adepts and Melvin-freaks told me, the latter made a bigger mark on this one, with the sludgy guitars and lengthy songs, whereas the first one "Never Breathe What You Can't See" was more a Biafra-esque album. Nonetheless, Biafra is very recognisable, blurting out his issues with modern day politics, music and humanitarianism. Surprisingly, the album starts off with a cover of Alice Cooper's "Halo of Flies". Curious, whilst Cooper is a new-born Christian and an icon of corporate America, isn't he?
Anyway, most of the issues tackled here are brought with the usual tongue in cheek, like the way he makes fun of his reunion-driven colleagues of the Misfits, DK's and other punk legends who desperately want to make some extra bucks for a comfy retirement.
You know, there's so much to say about this album, but I really don't want to bore you with blabbering about remixes, Schwarzenegger, Hitler or anti-capitalistic homophobic neo-conservatism - I'll leave those issues to Biafra himself - and just lay it out on the table: if you like Biafra, get this album. If you like the Melvins, get this album. If you like alternative music, get this album."
- Punk Rock Theory

Personnel:
The Melvins:
Buzz Osborne (King Buzzo) - vocals, guitar, bass guitar, noise
Dale Crover - drums, guitar, vocals, noise
Kevin Rutmanis - bass, slide bass, oscillator, harmonica, metronome, vocals, guitar
Tool:
Danny Carey - drums on track 7
Justin Chancellor - bass on track 7
Adam Jones - guitar on track 7
Maynard James Keenan - vocals on track 7
Skeleton Key:
Erik Sanko - guitar and vocals on track 6
Rick Lee - trash and samples on track 6
Bliss Blood - vocals, Wurlitzer, treated vocals, electric sitar, musical saws and Señor Wences samples on track 10
And:
Henry Bogdan - steel guitar on tracks 3 and 9
Bruce Bromberg - guitar on track 6
Amanda Ferguson - vocals on track 6
Leif Garrett - vocals on track 1
Mike Patton - vocals, sampler, guitar and percussion on track 4
Godzik Pink - performs "Interlude" on track 8
Kevin Sharp - vocals and samples on track 11
J. G. Thirlwell - vocals and samples on track 5
Hank Williams III - guitar and vocals on track 3, vocals on track 9
David Yow - vocals on tracks 2 and 8

Tracklist:
1. Jello Biafra with The melvins - Halo of flies (7:43)
2. Jello Biafra with The melvins - The lighter side of global terrorism* [Extended space-melt version] (7:55)
3. Jello Biafra with The melvins - Lessons in what not to become (4:05)
4. Jello Biafra with The melvins - Those dumb punk kids [Will buy anything] (3:14)
5. Jello Biafra with The melvins - Kali-Fornia uber alles 21st century* [Live] (3:19)
6. Jello Biafra with The melvins - Wholly bun bull (2:33)
7. Jello Biafra with The melvins - Voted off the island (0:50)
8. Jello Biafra with The melvins - Dawn of the locusts* [March of the locusts deadverse remix by dalek] (5:40)
9. Jello Biafra with The melvins - Enchanted thoughtfist* [Enchanted al remix] (5:08)
10. Jello Biafra with The melvins - Caped crusader [Subway gas/Hello kitty mix] (7:33)

JELLO BIAFRA & THE MELVINS - Sieg Howdy!
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