Members of Melvins, Butthole Surfers, Big Business, and Mr. Phylzzz have announced their new supergroup, Gatta Morta. All four members will provide vocals, with Buzz Osborne (Melvins) and Clinton Jacob (Mr. Phylzzz) on guitar, JD Pinkus (Butthole Surfers) on bass, and Coady Willis (Big Business) on drums.
The goal? To make heavy, weird rock music, said Osborne. The press release was posted to the Melvins’ official Instagram and shared to Gatta Morta’s social media. Additionally, the band released their debut EP, Burn Witch Burn, a four-track offering via Amphetamine Reptile Records.
“It’s always a good time for the world to embrace a new heavy/weird band,” said Osborne. “I had the idea for Gatta Morta while touring last fall. I realized I needed to start a band with these three. Seemed like a no brainer. Solidly weird rock music that needs to happen.”
Gatta Morta Surprise-Releases Debut EP of Big, Noisy, Thunderous Rock Music
JD Pinkus also added to the official statement. “It’s been way too long since I got to write a heavy album from scratch with such high caliber players with such complimentary styles,” he said. “And we’re just cat scratching the surface of what we got goin’ on!”
While Osborne is of course the co-founder of Melvins, Pinkus and Willis have been members at one time or another. Clinton Jacob is the only member of Gatta Morta who hasn’t been in Melvins. But he said he knew they were always destined to work together.
“I just had this feeling that one day we would work together,” said Jacob. “I became friends with Buzz over the past few years doing shows together and having him play guitar on a Mr. Phylzzz song. When I was asked to be a part of Gatta Morta, I was speechless, but I was 100% ready for it.”
A promising endorsement for Gatta Morta. Fans in the comments expressed excitement about the supergroup, with a few praising the EP. Additionally, a couple of fans explained the meaning behind the band name, both the literal translation and the idiom.
Literally translated from Italian, it means dead cat. However, the idiomatic translation refers to a woman who appears shy, quiet, and unassuming at first. But in reality, she’s a seductress, a manipulator, and knows how to use her femininity to get exactly what she wants. In modern slang, one might call her a boss bitch, although gatta morta is usually intended as a pejorative term.
In any case, Gatta Morta is already enticing original fans of Melvins, Butthole Surfers, Mr. Phylzzz, and Big Business. Four beloved punks in a band together making weird, heavy, loud, wall-shaking rock music? What more could anyone ask for?
Photo by Keturah Bishop
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