Once upon a time, in the magical world of Little Witch Academia, there lived a young witch named Luna. Luna was a second-year student at Luna Nova Academy, a prestigious school for witches. Unlike her classmates, Luna did not come from a long line of powerful witches. She was the daughter of a humble potion-maker and had always felt like an outsider in the world of magic. Despite her humble background, Luna was determined to prove herself and become a great witch. She spent hours studying in the library, practicing spells in the enchanted forest, and attending classes.
“We went into it thinking we were going to do one record and it would all be over,” Osborne explained about their stint on Atlantic. That attitude pervades the band’s approach on these albums; nothing about them feels compromised. The Melvins have always sounded like The Melvins. With Houdini, Stoner Witch, and Stag they just did it on the largest scale possible.
There are absolute monster rock songs Queen, Sweet Willy Rollbar, Revolve, Roadbull mixed with experimental sludge Magic Pig Detective, Shevil, Lividity. Stoner Witch is The Melvins strongest album from their Atlantic days; it ups the production value listen to those drums on Roadbull while somehow maintaining cohesiveness through their straight-out rockers and weird explorations.
She spent hours studying in the library, practicing spells in the enchanted forest, and attending classes. However, no matter how hard she tried, Luna's spells always seemed to go awry. One day, Luna came across an old book in the library called "The Lost Secrets of Spellcasting.
Melvins - "Houdini," "Stoner Witch," & "Stag" (Third Man Records Reissues) | Album Review
I discovered The Melvins back in college, about 10 or 11 years ago. After a few initial tries, I finally started responding to Houdini, and in particular, the song “Honey Bucket.” That song literally made my jaw drop. I remember hearing it for the first time and immediately playing it five more. One day, I was blasting it in my room and my roommate poked his head in the door, face amazed. “What is this?” he asked in awe. He had the same, dropped-jaw look that I had the first time I heard it. It was at that point that I began to know the power of King Buzzo, Dale Crover and their rotating cast of bass players.
Fans revere The Melvins for their longevity, consistency, and most importantly, their weirdness. Generally, there are no in-between opinions. You either don’t like them, or you absolutely love them. Meeting a fellow Melvins fan is like meeting someone from your hometown in a city across the country. You instantly bond and you instantly get it. Now, thanks to Third Man Records, the band’s long out-of-print major label albums are getting reissued.
I’m sure I’m not alone when I say Houdini was my gateway drug. Their major label debut for Atlantic Records, Houdini was released in 1993 during the much-talked about and subsequently maligned grunge-signing frenzy. It put them on the mainstream radar not only due to their high-profile gig on Atlantic, but also their big ups from Kurt Cobain (who “produced” some tracks on it and played guitar and drums on a couple others). It’s amazing to think of this record, with its innocent, 50s-style cover art, nonsensical lyrics, straight-faced KISS cover, and impossibly heavy tracks, sitting on the new music display next to albums by Candlebox and Tag Team.
The first sound you hear on Houdini is Crover’s bass drum/crash cymbal wallop. “Hooch” might be the perfect Melvins song: big, lumbering, off-kilter, and catchy. It’s even Beavis and Butthead-approved. (“These words rule.”) Besides “Hooch,” Houdini contains two of their other most enduring live staples, the aforementioned “Honey Bucket” and “Night Goat.” If you don’t listen to anything else by them, check out these three songs to see what The Melvins can do when they’re firing on all cylinders. The album ends with “Spread Eagle Beagle,” a 10-plus minute noise track of room-sound drums and strange, metallic plucking.
Stoner Witch doesn’t deviate, relatively, from the groundwork they laid on Houdini. There are absolute monster rock songs (“Queen,” “Sweet Willy Rollbar,” “Revolve,” “Roadbull”) mixed with experimental sludge (“Magic Pig Detective,” “Shevil,” “Lividity”). It’s one of the great rock ‘n’ crimes that “Revolve” isn’t played on classic rock radio alongside the grunge standards from that era. “At the Stake” might be their heaviest anthem since Bullhead’s “Boris.” Stoner Witch is The Melvins’ strongest album from their Atlantic days; it ups the production value (listen to those drums on “Roadbull”) while somehow maintaining cohesiveness through their straight-out rockers and weird explorations.
Speaking of weird explorations, Stag must have been the point where The Melvins knew they weren’t getting that extended-stay offer from Atlantic. It leads off with another enduring live staple, “The Bit,” which is as heavy and straightforward as they get on the album. “Bar-X-the Rocking M,” the other single from Stag, features a prominent trombone line and solo (courtesy of Dirty Walt from Fishbone), keyboard zaps, and even a goddamn turntable. It works somehow. Stag sounds like the band utilizing all of the instruments and studio trickery at its disposal for one last hurrah on Atlantic’s dollar. It’s got an honest-to-god indie/psych/pop song (“Black Bock”) and experimental organ track (“Soup”) bookending what has to be their approximation of hell in a song (the demonic and terrifying “Goggles”). Stag is a powerful and awesome album, but it’s not a great starting point for the uninitiated.
The reissues don’t have much in the way of bonus material; Houdini comes with the band’s cover of “Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)” by the MC5 that has been floating around for a while. According to Third Man Records, each album was remastered from the original analog tapes.
“We went into it thinking we were going to do one record and it would all be over,” Osborne explained about their stint on Atlantic. That attitude pervades the band’s approach on these albums; nothing about them feels compromised. The Melvins have always sounded like The Melvins. With Houdini, Stoner Witch, and Stag they just did it on the largest scale possible.
" Intrigued, she started reading and discovered that the book contained ancient spells that were said to be the most powerful in existence. Eager to prove herself, Luna decided to try one of the spells. She chose a spell called "The Whispering Wind," a spell that allowed the caster to communicate with animals. Luna thought that if she could successfully cast this spell, she could finally show her classmates and teachers what she was capable of. Luna ventured into the enchanted forest, where she found a little baby dragon crying. She approached the dragon cautiously and cast the spell. To her surprise, the spell worked, and she could understand the dragon's cries. Luna learned that the dragon's mother had been captured by an evil sorcerer. Determined to help, Luna set off on a quest to rescue the dragon's mother. Along the way, she encountered many challenges and had to use her wits and newfound magical abilities to overcome them. As Luna battled against the sorcerer's minions and faced dangerous obstacles, she discovered her true strength and resilience. Finally, Luna reached the sorcerer's lair and confronted him. With the help of her friends from Luna Nova Academy, Luna defeated the sorcerer and rescued the dragon's mother. The dragon family was reunited, and Luna became a hero in the eyes of her classmates and teachers. Through her journey, Luna learned that it doesn't matter where you come from or what others expect of you. What truly matters is the belief in oneself and the determination to follow one's dreams. Luna's story inspired many at Luna Nova Academy, showing them that anyone can achieve greatness with hard work and perseverance. And so, Luna's tale became a legend in the world of Little Witch Academia, inspiring future generations of witches to never give up on their dreams and to always embrace their unique abilities..
Reviews for "The Midnight Masquerade: A Fan Written Adventure in the Enchanting World of Little Witch Academia"
1. John - 1/5 stars
I was really excited to read this fan-written story set in the world of Little Witch Academia, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The writing was amateurish, with numerous grammar and spelling mistakes throughout. The story itself lacked cohesion and felt like a jumbled mess of unrelated events. The characters were poorly developed and lacked depth, making it difficult for me to connect with them or care about their journey. Overall, I was extremely disappointed in this fan-created work and feel it did a disservice to the Little Witch Academia universe.
2. Sarah - 2/5 stars
As a fan of Little Witch Academia, I was looking forward to diving into this fan-written story. However, I was left underwhelmed by the execution. The author seemed to struggle with maintaining the tone and atmosphere that made the original series so captivating. The plot was predictable and lacked any real surprises. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to immerse myself in the story. While I appreciate the effort put into expanding the Little Witch Academia world, this fan-written story failed to capture the magic and charm of the original series.
3. Emily - 2/5 stars
I must admit, I had high expectations for this fan-written story set in the world of Little Witch Academia, but it sadly fell short. The pacing felt off, with certain events dragging on while others were rushed through. The writing style was subpar, with awkward sentence structures and a lack of descriptive language. The plot lacked depth and failed to engage me, leaving me uninvested in the characters' journey. While I appreciate the effort and passion behind this fan creation, I cannot ignore its flaws, and unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations.