Melvins / Isis
extended play
The Melvins and Isis released a split EP on Hydra Head Records in 2010, with each band contributing two tracks. Isis' "Way Through Woven Branches" had previously only been available as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of their last full-length, Wavering Radiant, whilst "Pliable Foe" was exclusive to this release. Both tracks were recorded during the Wavering Radiant sessions. Meanwhile, the Melvins tracks are reworked from their release The Bride Screamed Murder, described as displaying the "dadaist/trickster tendencies of the band which has frustrated and delighted fans in equal measure since (very nearly) the beginning of their existence". The album was released July 13, 2010 on CD format, with vinyl copies available a week earlier from Vacation Vinyl in Los Angeles.
Pitchfork's Jess Harvell was unimpressed by Isis′ contribution to the split, stating that “Isis seem to be building to something on these songs, but the climaxes are so restrained you can almost miss them if you're not paying close enough attention [...] I kept hoping Isis would finally let loose, offer a little chaos. After all, the best part of Mogwai's "Like Herod" isn't the clockwork precision; it's the freak out.” As for the Melvins side, she deemed it “more of the same, but here I don't mean that in a disparaging way at all”, and found that “the grooves, especially on "I'll Finish You Off", have the same punchy dynamics the Isis tunes lack.”
Isis frontman and owner of Hydra Head Records, Aaron Turner, documented the design process of the album art on his personal blog.
The split was released after Isis had announced their imminent dissolution. Melvins subsequently supported Isis for several dates on their farewell tour.
“Melvins / Isis” enters the record as extended play. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Melvins, Isis and extended can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Melvins / Isis” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Melvins, Isis and extended provides the most credible route into that argument.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q17041137. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2010.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Melvins / Isis”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Melvins / Isis primary sources, Melvins / Isis archive and Melvins research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Melvins / Isis”?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Melvins / Isis” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.