Crystal Fairy

Buzz Osbourne has nothing left to prove. His band, Melvins have sustained the ravages of time and, perhaps even more impressively, the ravages of the music industry. Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of Melvins' first album and within that time frame there has been few artists as prolific as Osbourne, whether it's with Melvins, or Venemous Concept, or Fantômas. So what's a man to do after so many fruitful years? Start another new project, that's what.

Crystal Fairy consists of Osbourne, Melvins bandmate Dale Crover on drums, At the Drive-In/Mars Volta guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez handling bass duties and Les Butcherettes' vocal hurricane Teri Gender-Bender on the mic.

Crystal Fairy is really the perfect amalgam of the four. They've created a different entity - sounding more accessible than any Melvins, Les Butcherettes, or Mars Volta album, but yet losing none of what makes those bands so great.

None of Crystal Fairy's members are strangers to working together. They share the same Ipecac label. They've toured together, recorded together and honestly should continue to do so. Buzz and Teri, in particular sound great together as when they duet on tunes like Posesión.

When hearing their respective bands separately, you wouldn't necessarily think a "Les Melvinettes" would necessarily work but they appear to be two halves of the same whole on this album. Then throwing in an Omar and Dale rhythm section? Forget about it. The pedigree is rock solid.

If one was to single out which band becomes dominant in the overall sound of Crystal Fairy, it would indeed be Melvins, but that really shouldn't be surprising as its members comprise half the band.

I really don't know if there's more Crystal Fairy albums to come, but I sure hope so, because so often when putting accomplished artists together to record an album, the results are, let's be honest - shit.

Crystal Fairy on the other hand sounds like they've been playing together as a single unit for years.

8.0 / 10 — Kevin Fitzpatrick