Peter Gabriel (Melt)

Peter Gabriel's third eponymous studio album is commonly referred to as "Melt" due to its distorted, melting cover art. The striking cover photograph was taken by Hipgnosis and features Gabriel's face warping away as if it is melting. The album is also sometimes simply called "Peter Gabriel III."

The album is highly notable for its innovative production, specifically pioneering gated reverb drumming on the opening track "Intruder." This technique, engineered by Hugh Padgham, completely changed the sound of 1980s rock music. It gave Phil Collins' drum kit a massive, punchy, and explosive sound.

The album was released in 1980 as Peter Gabriel's third solo project. It was his first album to achieve significant commercial success in the United Kingdom, buoyed by the anti-war single "Games Without Frontiers." The song famously reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart.

Yes, Phil Collins, Gabriel's former bandmate in Genesis, played drums on the album, most notably on "Intruder." Collins inadvertently helped create the famous gated reverb drum sound that he would later use on his own hit solo single "In the Air Tonight." He was brought in because Gabriel wanted a specific drum sound.