Melvins + Boris (21+)

It's no overstatement to say the Melvins thoroughly reformulated the sound of heavy guitar music in America in both the punk underground and the hard-rock mainstream. This is no small feat, considering that the band—cofounded by guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover in Montesano, WA, in 1983—have always been unconventional cult artists. Across their first five full-lengths, from 1987’s Gluey Porch Treatments to 1993’s Houdini, they developed a grinding synthesis of Black Sabbath-inspired metal and hardcore punk aggression that influenced not only Nirvana and grunge but also sludge, stoner rock, doom, and drone metal. The Melvins aren’t just heavy, however: They’re weird and irreverent, too. You can hear it in Osborne’s gnarled bellows and absurdist lyrics. That sensibility also explains why their records—especially those released after hooking up with Mike Patton’s Ipecac label in 1999—boast such wildly different personalities. Their 2004 collaboration with industrial pioneer Lustmord descends into dark ambient; by contrast, 2018’s Pinkus Abortion Technician is a slab of ’70s rock worship featuring Butthole Surfers legend Jeff Pinkus on bass. There’s real freedom in the Melvins’ unpredictability, and it’s just as central to their legacy as all their brilliantly crawling riffs and thunderous grooves.

Boris formed in 1992 and eventually arrived at the band’s current lineup of Takeshi, Wata, and Atsuo in 1996.  In the years since, Boris has tirelessly explored their own rendition of what is heavy through methods entirely their own. Though the depths of their “heaviness” may intensify, their unique musicianship defies classification in any one genre or style, so let’s just call it real “heavy music” in extreme color. Their music has been called a “game changer” regarding the leading edge of the world’s rock scene, and that influence is limitless. They enter realms that cannot be described simply in terms of the “explosive sound” or “thunderous roars” that have become their trademark.

Formed in late 2015, Mr. Phylzzz (pronounced Mr. Flyzzz..get it right!) is an ever changing no rules twopiece freakshow from Chicago Il with founder Clinton Jacob on Guitar/Vocals and Danny Sein on Drums. Over time Mr. Phylzzz formed a heavy wall of sound filled with hooky riffs, melodic vocals and explosive drums that created a chaotic genre jumping storm which caught the ear of Thomas Hazelmyer 
(Amphetamine Reptile Records) who has been releasing Phylzzz records into the world since 2019.