Colossus of Destiny

Melvins | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 3, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ipecac Recordings
• ASIN: B00005AWIT
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #199,660 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Colossus Of Destiny

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars choking on my own vomit -- 1/10th star, May 8, 2004

By 

T. H Ligon "Of Death" (Champaign, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Colossus of Destiny (Audio CD)

Of all the Melvins albums I have (about 15) this is, by far, my absolute least favorite!!! If you're looking for a Melvins disc
that actually contains music, don't bother with this one. IT's mostly a bunch of f^%$#ng noise that will result in nothing short of a pounding migrain. When I bought this album I was expecting to hear some typical Melvins sludge rock, instread I got an album that was about as interesting as watching bread become toast. I guess if you like noise and the smell of sun-baked rotting dog vomit, this album is for you...otherwise, do yourself a favor and buy a great album like H.A.T., Stoner Witch, or Houdini as this album can't possibly qualify as 'music'. Yeah, the Melvins have a sense of humor, in this case they thought it'd be funny to make real fans waste their money on this glorified coffee cup coaster. Seriously, I _almost_ threw this out on the interstate while driving. I can't even use it as toilet paper...you can however, break the CD and use the shards to slice a gaping wound in your wrists...that's ALL this album is good for, gauranteed!

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Dissertation into the Genesis of "Colosus", August 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Colossus of Destiny (Audio CD)

Lately I have come across the inspirations of Melvins titles ever more frequently. There are allusions to "the Anti-Vermin Seed" off of the fantastic "Hostile Ambient Takeover" (which may very well be the Melvins greatest, most cohesive work to date) in Gore Vidal's novel "Messiah". Two other songs off of "H.A.T." find their titles rooted in science fiction. "The Brain Center at Whipples" is the title of a Twilight Zone episode while "The Fool, the Meddling Idiot" is screamed at the climax of the 1950's sci-fi epic, "Forbidden Planet" starring a surprisingly suave Leslie Neilsen.
By far my favorite Melvins song title discovery is "Colossus of Destiny" which is found midway through the great John Fante's novel "the Road to Los Angeles". It is the title our hero, Arturo Bandini dreams of for what will be his masterwork, his final statement to the world. When I read that name on the page the clouds parted.
"Colossus of Destiny" was initially intended to be "the Crybaby", the third part of the Melvins 1999-2000 trilogy which ultimately became the guest stars album. The trilogy was intended to showcase a different facet of the Melvins music on each album; "the Maggot" being the heaviest album ever released and "the Bootlicker" being a relaxed, quiet work. Looked at in the context of the potential third piece of the musical puzzle, "Colossus..." makes a lot more sense. Many people hate the noise of this record but cannot deny that this is a significant part of the Melvins makeup. The Melvins have released difficult music since their inception and noise pieces have been part of their repertoire for a while now, most notably on the underrated "Honky" and culminating in the aforementioned "Anti-Vermin Seed", the Melvins most accomplished foray in this vein so far. The majority of the poorly-worded, far from scathing reviews below mention past Melvins noise efforts in their diatribes dismissing this album, for example "Prick". These people are essentially the crybabies the Melvins name in this album's original title.
I find the album itself fun to listen to. I bought it outside of Seattle as I drove cross country and as I twisted my van along craggy mountains and lush, green valleys, the music held my attention and god forbid, engaged me. I will admit that I do not listen to "Colossus of Destiny" as much as I do other Melvins albums but that does not mean it's poor. I want to hide a boombox with "Colossus of Destiny" behind the jack o lantern on my porch come Halloween and really scare the hell out of the neighborhood.
It is extremely hilarious seeing how infuriated people get over the lack of "songs" on this album. I find the people that try to find some rhyme or reason or theory to this album equally comic. Both camps are wrong. It's like Buzz says in his liner notes to the reissue of "Gluey Porch Treatments". There is plenty of room out there for the Melvins to release anything they want and why shouldn't they? They keep us on our toes unlike any other band out there.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't care if it's a "joke" or not, I really like it, October 7, 2006

By 

stonedzombie "stonedzombies" (tampa, fl. usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Colossus of Destiny (Audio CD)

It seems to me that most people on here hate this album and write it off as a bunch of noise; which it is, but it is good noise. I listen to this album quite frequently at work as it provides a nice background to the whiny servers I have to deal with. I am a fan of Fantomas and Lustmord so that might be why I like this. I also really like Prick as well but not as much as this. It takes big balls for any band to play this live and then release it to their unsuspecting fans. I can see how many fans would feel cheated upon their purchase of this masterpiece; I would have too had I not been farily warned by a friend. I wasn't totally convinced after one listen but the more I listened to it the more it grew on me and it gets more airplay than say the Joe Preston solo ep or The Crybaby which are both great in their own right. Plus, after recently re-watching Forbidden Planet, I can't help but think this album is the Melvins' version of that movie's soundtrack.