MELVINS Drummer DALE CROVER To Undergo Emergency Spinal Surgery

MELVINS drummer Dale Crover will sit out the band's tour with BORIS and MR. PHYLZZZ in order to undergo emergency spinal surgery. Filling in for him will be former MELVINS drummer Coady Willis (BIG BUSINESS, HIGH ON FIRE),who played with the band between 2006 and 2016.

Earlier today, MELVINS released the following statement via social media: "MELVINS dedicate 'Twins Of Evil' tour to Dale Crover as he prepares for spinal surgery.

"We are sad to announce that literally days before leaving on tour, our drummer Dale Crover learned he needed immediate emergency spinal surgery which will take him out of commission for months. He's doing as well as can be expected considering the severity of the situation.

"The one stroke of luck in all this was that Coady Willis part of the MELVINS' family for 8+ years, who literally trained in sitting by Dale's side on too many tours to count is able to step in and take over on drums.

"With MR. PHYLZZZ already on the road heading to L.A. from Chicago and BORIS flying in from Japan, we all felt we needed to support Dale and the other bands on the bill, as well as the ticket holders, by continuing with the tour as scheduled. We ask everyone's solidarity during this dark time. Obviously, our primary concern right now is Dale's health, and we're doing everything possible on our end to make sure he gets what he needs to make a full recovery."

MELVINS' "Twins Of Evil" tour with BORIS and MR. PHYLZZZ will kick off on August 24 at the Belasco in Los Angeles. The seven-week trek will see the Los Angeles-by-way-of-Washington band MELVINS and the Japanese trio BORIS performing classic albums in their entirety: "Bullhead" (MELVINS) and "Heavy Rocks" (BORIS).

THE MELVINS have already had an eventful 40th-anniversary year, recently wrapping up a stint on the Ipecac "Geek Show" tour with labelmates MR. BUNGLE and SPOTLIGHTS, before venturing overseas for the band's first European outing since 2018. The group were also recently featured on a series of Revolver covers, marking their 1983 inception with a trio of portraits shot by TOOL's Adam Jones. Ipecac Recordings has spent the year highlighting previously released MELVINS' albums with quick-to-sell-out vinyl reissues.

THE MELVINS are one of modern music's most influential bands. Having formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington, the group founded by singer/guitar player Buzz Osborne (with stalwart drummer Dale Crover joining the following year),has been credited with merging the worlds of punk rock and heavy music, forming a new subgenre all its own. Over the band's 40-year history, they've released 30-plus original albums, numerous live full-lengths and far too many to count singles and rarities. In the course of their discography, they've partnered with Jello Biafra, MUDHONEY and FANTÔMAS for individual releases and toured the world many times over. In fact, the band had the misfortune to be in both Christchurch and Tokyo for their 2011 earthquakes. In 2012, THE MELVINS completed the "51 States In 51 Days" (50 states + DC) tour, which was chronicled in the film "Across The USA In 51 Days". The current incarnation of the band is Osborne, Crover and Steven McDonald (REDD KROSS, OFF!). Previous lineups include a pairing of Osborne and Crover with BIG BUSINESS band members Jared Warren and Coady Willis, a four-piece featuring the current trio plus BUTTHOLE SURFERS' Jeff Pinkus, as well as MELVINS LITE, which partners Osborne and Crover with MR. BUNGLE's Trevor Dunn. Sometimes, if you're extra lucky, one version of THE MELVINS will open for THE MELVINS.

Photo credit: Chris Casella