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Melvins

American rock band

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionSep 15, 2026
Entity authoritySource title only
Source-derived summary

Melvins are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Known for combining heavy, slow riffs with experimental and eclectic songwriting, the band has been credited as pioneers of sludge metal, and a key influence in the development of alternative metal and grunge. Since 1984, vocalist/guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover have been the band's only constant members. Primarily a trio, they have also performed as a quartet, with either two drummers or two bassists, and have been credited for their prolific output, having released over 25 studio albums.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Melvins” as american rock band. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Melvins, American and rock.

Editorial reviewA practical starting point whose main value is the path it opens into stronger specialist and primary sources. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1983, 1984—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Melvins, American and rock providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Melvins”, the useful work is to connect “american rock band” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 15, 2026. The first chronological checks are 1983 and 1984.

Critical limits

A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. 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

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

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  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Melvins”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Melvins primary sources, Melvins archive and Melvins research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Melvins”?
  2. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
  3. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Melvins” 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.