The Melvins – A Walk With Love and Death – Album Review by Killian Laher

Heavy rock band the Melvins have released more than 20 albums, only flirting briefly with the mainstream around the time of 1993’s Houdini album.  Their latest sees them release a double album.  The first album, Death, is nine tracks of lean, low slung heavy doom gaze.  If you’re looking for pummelling riffs and pounding drums you won’t find it here.  This stuff is moodier, taking its time over long, slow build ups.  Second track Soberdelic is the type of thing bands like True Widow have built a career on, downbeat, dark riffs, not far off the more accessible moments of heavy drone merchants Earth.  Euthanasia is a heavy, slow grind, while What’s Wrong With You is almost pop, a straightforward rock song with a proper chorus.  Other tracks such as Christ Hammer and Cactus Hammer kick considerable ass, particularly for a band who’ve been on the go for 30 years.

The second album, Love, is something else entirely.  A soundtrack to a Jesse Nieminen film, it’s largely made up of creepy and disturbing atmospheric noises.  Don’t listen to it on your own.

A hard one for the casual fan to digest, more for those already committed.

Death
1. Black Heath
2. Sober-delic (acid only)
3.Euthanasia
4. What’s Wrong With You
5. Edgar the Elephant
6. Christ Hammer
7. Flaming Creature
8. Cactus Party
9.Cardboro Negro
Love
1. Aim High
2. Queen Powder Party
3. Street Level St. Paul
4. The Hidden Joice
5. Give It To Me
6. Chicken Butt
7. Eat Yourself Out
8. Scooba
9. Halfway to the Bakersfield Mall
10. Pacoima Normal
11. Park Head
12. T-Burg
13. Track Star
14. The Asshole Bastard