Dale Crover (born October 23, 1967) is an American rock musician. He is best known as the drummer for Melvins and has also been the drummer for Men of Porn, Shrinebuilder, Crystal Fairy and, for a brief time, Nirvana. He is also guitarist and vocalist for Altamont. He has toured with Fantômas (filling in for Dave Lombardo), Off!, and Redd Kross. In 2016, Rolling Stone listed him as the 69th greatest drummer of all time.
Biography Melvins recruited Crover on drums in 1984 from an Iron Maiden cover band, following original drummer Mike Dillard's departure.Buzz Osborne. "Liner Notes to Mangled Demos from 1983". Ipecac Recordings. May 31, 2005. Crover has been one of the two constant members of the Melvins, along with frontman Buzz Osborne, and is the only band member besides Osborne to appear on all their studio albums. In late 1985, Crover played bass in Fecal Matter, a band he formed with Kurt Cobain and Greg Hokanson. After Hokanson left the band, Cobain and Crover recorded Illiteracy Will PrevailGillian Gaar. "Nirvana Timeline, Booklet to With the Lights Out". Geffen Records/Universal Music Group. November 23, 2004. on a 4-track on Easter 1986 at Cobain's aunt's home in Burien, Washington. Crover played bass and drums on the demo. "Spank Thru" from this demo appears on the Nirvana album Sliver: The Best of the Box. Fecal Matter disbanded in 1986.Michael Azerrad. "Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana". Doubleday, 1993. .
Crover drummed on Nirvana's ten-song demo recorded January 23, 1988, at Reciprocal Recording Studios in Seattle. Nine of these songs have been officially released:Live Nirvana: Studio session: January 23, 1988. "Floyd the Barber", "Paper Cuts", and "Downer" – Bleach "Beeswax", "Downer", "Hairspray Queen", "Mexican Seafood", and "Aero Zeppelin" – Incesticide "If You Must" and "Pen Cap Chew" – With the Lights Out
The original incarnation of Nirvana including Crover on drums played a 14-song show in Tacoma, Washington, on the night of the same day that they did the demo session. Three cuts from the show – "Downer", "Floyd the Barber", and "Raunchola"/"Moby Dick" – appear on With the Lights Out.Live Nirvana, Tour history: January 23, 1988. Later in 1988, Crover and Melvins' bandmate Buzz Osborne relocated to San Francisco, California. Not wanting to break the Melvins up, Cobain asked Buzz for recommendations on who he should recruit as his drummer and it was Osborne who referred Cobain to Dave Grohl, drummer of the hardcore band Scream at that time, commenting of Grohl that, "He's almost as good as Dale Crover." Crover briefly rejoined Nirvana during a short west-coast tour with Sonic Youth in August 1990.Nirvana Live Guide, August 1990 tour (08/16/90-08/25/90) . In April 1991, Crover played drums on a demo version of "Drain You" with Cobain on guitar and vocals and Dave Grohl on bass guitar.
In the years 1993 and 1994 the Melvins played a tour visiting every state in the contiguous United States, and released their first record on a major label (Atlantic) which had been nominally produced by Kurt Cobain, toured with Nirvana on the first leg of their world tour for In Utero, and then played a later leg of the tour that ended up including the last shows that Nirvana ever played. The Melvins opened for Nirvana at what turned out to be their final show in Munich after Cobain's overdose in Rome and shortly before his death. Prior to Cobain's departure for what wound up to be a short stint in rehab, the Melvins had several other shows scheduled to open for Nirvana in Europe. When these shows were canceled, the Melvins 'took their Nirvana money' to book studio time in London. They recorded two of their best-remembered albums in one week: Stoner Witch, and Prick. The album released as Prick was originally intended to appear under the title Kurdt Cobain, but this idea was shelved after Cobain's suicide. During the same year, Crover founded the band Altamont with Joey Osbourne and Dan Southwick of Acid King. He produced and performed additional vocals on Acid King's début release that year. During this time he was also married to Acid King's frontwoman Lori S., but they divorced. When Nirvana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2014, although not officially inducted with the band, Crover was singled out for his work with them during Crover's successor Dave Grohl's acceptance speech. A high proportion of the most substantive and historically informative entries in Kurt Cobain's published journals consist of unfinished letters that he started writing to Dale Crover.
It may be significant to point out that after Cobain's death and the waning of grunge rock's centrality in the popular culture of the 1990's, Crover's career with Buzz Osborne in the Melvins, though they started playing together a decade earlier in 1984, had still scarcely begun in 1994. The volume and influence of the music that they produced thereafter has only grown over time. Since 1994, the Melvins have released nearly thirty studio albums and twenty EPs while continuing to tour relentlessly since that time. They played with Nine Inch Nails on the Downward Spiral tour in 1995, and on a later tour with Tool they both opened and played as additional personnel with the headlining band after opening for them. They toured with Faith No More and with the legendary, seminal punk musician Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys while also putting out a collaborative album with him, and playing guitars and drums during the Dead Kennedys sets during the tour. Their collaboration with Lustmord on the Pigs of the Roman Empire is perhaps lesser known, but much cherished by fans. Crover is credited as the drummer on most of the tracks on Mike Patton's Peeping Tom project from 2006. The Melvins also play with Patton on the Fantomas records and have contributed to various other Patton projects. Crover is credited on nearly 400 releases according to Discogs.
He has released three LPs as a solo artist includingThe Fickle Finger of Fate and Rat-a-Tat-Tat. In the summer of 2024, he released Glossolalia on Joyful Noise Recordings with musical guests including Tom Waits, Ty Segall, Kim Thayil and Rob Crow. Crover has also released a number of other one-off projects at Joyful Noise including the percussion project Hew Time, which enlisted the drummers Coady Willis (of Big Business) and Joe Plummer (of Modest Mouse).
Appearances Dale Crover made an appearance in Neil Young's video "Harvest Moon" playing Neil Young. This was largely due to his physical resemblance to the younger Young.
Cartoon versions of Crover and bandmate Osborne appear in an episode of Uncle Grandpa as well.
Discography Date of release Title Label Credited for Catalog number1994Acid King: Acid KingSympathy for the Record IndustryAdditional vocals1996Dale Crover: DrumbMan's Ruin RecordsPerformerSeptember 7, 1999Hank Williams III: Risin' OutlawCurb Recordsdrums on "Cocaine Blues"October 19, 2004Men of Porn: Wine, Women and SongSmall Stone Recordsdrums SS-047October 2009Shrinebuilder: ShrinebuilderNeurot Recordingsdrums NR070February 2015Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends: The Enemy of EveryoneSeismic Wave Entertainmentdrums SW013May 2016Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends: The Art of Murderdrums SW014September 2019Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends: Protons and Electronsdrums SW027December 2020Plan DJoyful Noise RecordingsdrumsJNR 309December 2020Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends: Dark PassengersLearning Curve RecordsdrumsLCR077-1February 2022Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends: Dangerous NomenclatureLearning Curve RecordsdrumsLCR080-1October 2023Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends: Adult PromLearning Curve RecordsdrumsLCR090-1March 2025Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends: The Way of the NeutronSeismic Wave Entertainmentdrums, vocalsSW036
Solo Date of releaseTitleLabelAlbum/SingleCredited forCatalog numberAugust 2016SkinsJoyful Noise RecordingsSinglePerformerJuly 2017The Fickle Finger of FateAlbumVocals, Guitar, DrumsJNR235August 2019Sell OutSeismic Wave EntertainmentSingleVocals, GuitarSW026May 2020Piso MojadoJoyful Noise RecordingsSingleVocals, GuitarJNR341August 2020Swiss TripletsJoyful Noise RecordingsSingleVocals, GuitarJNR344-7December 2020Christmas Time Is HereJoyful Noise RecordingsSingleVocals, GuitarJNR369-11January 2021Rat-A-Tat-Tat!Joyful Noise RecordingsAlbumVocals, Guitar, DrumsJNR345June 2024Doug YuletideJoyful Noise RecordingsSingleVocals, Guitar, DrumsJNR484July 2024RingsJoyful Noise RecordingsFlexiVocals, Guitar, DrumsJNR484July 2024GlossolaliaJoyful Noise RecordingsAlbumVocals, Guitar, DrumsJNR484
with Altamont Date of releaseTitleLabelCredited forCatalog numberMay 27, 1997Wanted Dead or Alive (split album with Acid King)Man's Ruin RecordsMR-072October 13, 1998Civil War FantasyMR-085March 26, 1999In the Groove (Compilation album, Rattlesnake Shake)The Music CartelJuly 10, 2000Right in the Nuts (Compilation album, Make It)Small Stone RecordsMay 1, 2001Our DarlingMan's Ruin RecordsMR-2020November 1, 2005The Monkee's UncleAntAcidAudioAAA-995
with Melvins Date of releaseTitleLabelCredited forCatalog number1986Six SongsC/Z RecordsCZ0021987Gluey Porch TreatmentsAlchemy RecordsVM1031989OzmaBoner RecordsBR16-2August 21, 1991Kill Rock Stars (Compilation album, Ever Since My Accident)Kill Rock StarsKSR 2011991Your Choice Live Series Vol. 12Your Choice RecordsYC-LS 0121991BullheadBoner RecordsBR25-21991EggnogBR28-21992Salad of a Thousand DelightsBox Dog VideoBDV0021992Dale CroverBoner RecordsBR33-21992Lysol (aka Melvins)BR35-2September 21, 1993HoudiniAtlantic Records82532-2August 1994PrickAmphetamine Reptile RecordsAmRep 031September 1994Stoner WitchAtlantic Records82704-2July 15, 1996Stag82878-2May 5, 1997HonkyAmphetamine Reptile RecordsAmRep 064-2August 26, 1997Singles 1–12AmRep 0631998Alive at the Fucker ClubAmRep 072May 17, 1999The MaggotIpecac RecordingsIPC-002August 23, 1999The BootlickerIPC-004February 7, 2000The CrybabyIPC-006November 27, 2000Gluey Porch TreatmentsIPC-012February 6, 2001ElectroretardMan's Ruin RecordsMR2002April 16, 2001Colossus of DestinyIpecac RecordingsIPC-014April 1, 2002Millennium Monsterwork 2000 with FantômasIPC-019April 15, 2002Hostile Ambient TakeoverIPC-020March 11, 200326 SongsIPC-038September 16, 2003Melvinmania: The Best Of The Atlantic Years 1993–1996Atlantic Records5050466574428March 9, 2004Neither Here Nor ThereIpecac RecordingsIPC-047August 23, 2004Pigs of the Roman Empire with LustmordIPC-054October 19, 2004Never Breathe What You Can't See with Jello BiafraAlternative TentaclesVirus300September 26, 2005Sieg Howdy! with Jello BiafraVirus350May 16, 2006A Live History of Gluttony and LustHoudini Live 2005Ipecac RecordingsIPC-076October 10, 2006(A) Senile AnimalIPC-082July 8, 2008Nude With BootsIPC-105June 1, 2010The Bride Screamed MurderIPC-112June 5, 2012Freak Puke (Melvins Lite)IPC-136April 30, 2013Everybody Loves SausagesIPC-144November 5, 2013Tres CabronesIPC-150October 14, 2014Hold It InIPC-164April 1, 2016Three Men and a Baby with Mike KunkaSub PopSP 1147June 3, 2016Basses LoadedIpecac RecordingsIPC-178July 7, 2017A Walk with Love & DeathIPC-195April 20, 2018Pinkus Abortion TechnicianIPC-201February 26, 2021Working With GodIPC-234October 15, 2021 ‘’Five Legged Dog’’IPC-238September 30, 2022 ‘’Bad Mood Rising’’Amphetamine Reptile RecordsAMREP 145April 19, 2024 ‘’Tarantula Heart’’Ipecac RecordingsIPC-276April 18, 2025 ‘’Thunderball’’Ipecac RecordingsIPC-290April 10, 2026 ‘’Savage Imperial Death March’’Amphetamine Reptile RecordsAmRep 158
with Nirvana