Pigs of the Roman Empire

Released in 2004 on Ipecac Recordings, Pigs of the Roman Empire is a collaborative full-length between the Melvins and dark ambient pioneer Lustmord (Brian Williams). While the Melvins had long experimented with noise and avant-garde structures, this record represents their most formal foray into industrial and ambient territories. The album is anchored by the 22-minute title track, which serves as a centerpiece of atmospheric sound design. Critics, including those at AllMusic, noted the successful marriage of Lustmord's cavernous textures with the Melvins' signature sludge, highlighting how the two disparate styles complemented each other's sense of 'bigness.' The record stands out in the Melvins' massive discography for its lack of traditional song structures on several tracks, opting instead for a mood-driven, cinematic arc that influenced later 'drone-doom' and 'post-metal' movements.