Isis / Melvins - Split 12'', Release July 13th 2010 via Hydra Head Records

oh fuck, we forgot to mention MELVINS/ISIS split 12". If you rat us out karma will fuck you.

Artwork ISIS/MELVINS split 12"

Turner dice: ''i supplied the illustrations, mackie osborne completed the layout. the 12" is intended to be released to coincide with the upcoming isis and melvins tours, during part of which the 2 bands will be touring together. if all goes with smoothly with print and vinyl production this plan will become actuality... ''

Isis, Melvins split set for release

The split 12" from Isis and Melvins has now been slated for a July 13th release via Hydra Head Records. The split will feature two songs from each band.

The Isis tracks are amongst the last recorded output to be released by the band. Both were recorded during sessions for the band's "Wavering Radiant" album.

Meanwhile, Melvins' contribution is comprised of two tracks from their latest full-length, "The Bride Screamed Murder." However, said tracks have been remixed and "reworked."

Here's the track listing:

Melvins side:

1. Pig House (Alt. Version) (5:53)
2. I'll Finish You Off (Alt. Version) (4:44)

Isis side:

1. Way Through Woven Branches (6:27)
2. The Pliable Foe (7:43)

Isis / Melvins Descriptive Text:

The long running and the longer running. The finite and the perpetual. Two of the last studio tracks from a band now in their final days, and two songs from a band who will potentially outlive us all. ISIS. The Melvins. If you enjoy music of the heavier variety and haven't heard either of these aural entities you are also probably unaware of other modern developments such as disposable contacts, the internet, and Snuggies.

As mentioned above the two ISIS songs featured on this split are amongst the last recorded output to be released by the band, and are (relatively) exclusive to this 12". The first, "Way Through Woven Branches" has previously only been available as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of their most recent full length "Wavering Radiant". The second track "Pliable Foe", has never been released anywhere, and believe or not (at the time of this writing anyway), has managed to escape being sucked into the shadowy vortex of illegal internet file sharing. Both tracks were recorded during the sessions of the aforementioned "Wavering Radiant" album and continue along the trajectory established therein - in other words, long and winding strands of melody wrapped around jagged blocks of shuddering distortion. A fitting close to a continually evolving but coherently developed cannon of recorded works, and appropriately paired with one of their early and admitted influences, that being The Melvins.

The Melvins tracks featured on the flipside of this platter are culled from their latest full length album "The Bride Screamed Murder", albeit in highly altered forms from what appears there and are exclusive to this release. Remixed and reworked by the band themselves along with the help of ever nimble and able engineer and ally Toshi Kasai, these tracks are prime examples of The Melvins persona as we've come to know it - alternately jarring, tuneful, heavy, and bizarre. While the album versions of these tracks may fall further on the side of the "heavy" and "rocking", on display as presented here is the dadaist/trickster tendencies of the band which has frustrated and delighted fans in equal measure since (very nearly) the beginning of their existence. Never content to let the listener settle into a comfortable groove, the will to disrupt and dismay may prove satisfying for some and confounding for others. In any case, if you know and love The Melvins (like we do) these songs will be another must have addition to their ever growing library of aural curios.

Side Melvins: 1. Pig House (Alt. Version) (5:53) 2. I'll Finish You Off (Alt. Version) (4:44)
Side Isis: 1. Way Through Woven Branches (6:27) 2. The Pliable Foe (7:43)

Melvins/ Isis Split Released Today

Being an avid vinyl collector has many joys. Little can beat the mental celebration that accompanies finally finding the record that’s been on your list for several years, of actually snatching a copy of anything limited without a rabid hunt to ten different shops, or learning that one record you must have regardless of the pressing is being reissued. In the case of the Melvins/ Isis split 12-inch released today, some of you might find yourself panicking to snag a copy: the record is already sold out on several sites. It’s time to drag your ass to your local brick and mortar shop and grab a copy. Aaron Turner tells us why.

Tell me about your split LP with the Melvins. The press release says it will be “amongst the last recorded out put.”

There is actually one other thing that we did, or have started on which I suppose will be the last thing we ever record together that will go on an EP after the split along with the tracks that are on the split. It will be CD only. But these two tracks that are on the split with the Melvins, this may be their only appearance on vinyl.

“Way Through Woven Branches” had previously only been available as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of Wavering Radiant, but “Pliable Foe” is brand new.

This is the first time it has appeared anywhere. Part of the reason we wanted to do it this way was because at this point it is really hard for bands to keep their music private before it is given to the public. (The music is) always released months and months ahead of an album being released, and being that this is the end of Isis, we tried to do something where the first time people were able to hear new music from us it was the result of people actually coming to see us, from more direct contact from the band. We are doing things in a more old school approach. That was the reason we debuted the song on the split. Beyond that, we’ve been talking about doing a split with the Melvins for years and we had never been able to get material together that was suitable for that purpose. When we recorded Wavering Radiant we ended up with a couple extra songs that while we felt they were really good songs they didn’t necessarily fit in the context of the album or would have made it overly long, both of which we wanted to avoid. And the two songs seemed to fit well together as a pair. As far as what people should expect who haven’t yet heard it… I feel like it is fairly in mind with the tone of the last Isis record and won’t come as a complete surprise to anyone who is more familiar with the band but in an odd way it has the starkest contrast of any of the newer songs we’ve done. Parts of it are poppier than Isis has ever dared to be and there are other parts that are heavier and more metallic in nature than we’ve been for quite some time.

Is that what you mean when you say they weren’t suitable for Wavering Radiant?

Partially yes and part of the thing that we’ve always tried to do with albums is group songs together that feel like they’ve got some sort of consistent flow or construct some sort of narrative when put together. Listening to those two songs in the context of the other songs that did end up on the album, they felt just out of place.

What is the one track that will be on the upcoming CD EP?

It is the two songs on the split with the Melvins because that is a limited vinyl only thing and we realized there is some people who don’t have turntables and aren’t interested in the format, so it will be those two tracks and another ambient piece that we recorded right before Wavering Radiant was released that originally accompanied a studio video we made and than this final thing we are working on at the moment. And if the material we are working on is appropriate there will be a DVD that accompanies the EP.

What is the “final thing” you’re recording now?

It is a vastly different take on one of the songs we did for Wavering Radiant, the song “20 Minutes/40 Years.” It is something that we’re recording ourselves rather than going into a studio to do which gives us a little more flexibility in terms of the experimentation with it. So while it’s not an entirely new composition, I think it is going to be pretty different from the album version of that track.


The Melvins side of the split features two alternative versions of songs from The Bride Screamed Murder, including “Pig House” and “I’ll Finish You Off.” Also released on Hydra Head today is the Torche and Boris Chapter Ahead of Being Fake split, which is also sold out online. Happy hunting!