Melvins are an eccentric American heavy rock band that usually performs as a trio. They are responsible for influencing genres like sludge, grunge and doom metal. Singer/guitarist Buzz Osborne (aka "King Buzzo") and drummer Dale Crover are constant members while several bass guitarists have cycled through the group. The band was named after a grocery clerk at the Thriftway in Montesano, Washington where Osborne was employed. Melvin was the most-hated fellow employee and the band felt it to be an appropriate name.

Melvins' music is influenced by Black Flag's My War-era punk and Black Sabbath-style metal, but their idiosyncratic approach, bizarre sense of humor, and experimentation make neat categorization difficult. Like SF noisenik predecessors Flipper, their love of slow tempos and sludgy sound were a strong influence on grunge music, especially Nirvana and many other bands from Seattle. Their protegés, however, tended to use more conventional musical structures with this sound. They are one of the pioneers of the sludge genre.

Though the group has received mostly positive critical notice, Crover's drumming has been especially praised; Patrick Kennedy describes his work as "astonishing, powerful, and daring."

While never finding and probably never even seeking great mainstream success, Melvins maintain an impressive schedule of new albums and tours, including a collaboration with Fantômas in The Fantômas Melvins Big Band and two releases with former Dead Kennedys front man Jello Biafra, and have a dedicated cult following. (The band has been colloquially known as "The Jelvins" during Biafra's current tenure). In appreciation of these devoted fans, Melvins have released various collectables through the years that have included two-headed dolls, an eight-track tape, and a plastic fetus in a jar.

Melvins are currently performing with bass player Jared Warren from Big Business, who participated on their album (a) Senile Animal along with Osborne and Crover. Coady Willis, the drummer from Big Business, has also been inducted into the band - he and Crover both take up the position of drummer simultaneously, contributing extremely heavy-hitting, explosive rhythms in synchronization with each other.