A Walk With Love and Death

A Walk With Love and Death
Initial album cover.
Studio album by Melvins
Released	July 7 2017
Recorded	2016 - 2017 at Sounds of Sirens Studios in San Francisco, California, USA
Length	81:22
Producer	Toshi Kasai; Melvins
Melvins chronology
Steven McDonald (2016)	A Walk With Love and Death (2017)	Pinkus Abortion Technician (2018)

A Walk With Love and Death is a studio album by Melvins, set to be released in July 2017. The first double album in the band's history, the first full album with Steven Mcdonald on bass and their longest album to date, this album features two separate themed albums: "Death" which is a conventional Melvins album and "Love" which is the score to the Jesse Nieminen directed, self-produced short also titled A Walk With Love and Death. The short however had no set release date at the time though a trailer had been released on 6 April 2017, later seeing release on DVD with a limited soundtrack via Amphetamine Reptile Records. The music is a film score derived from the two discs, along with unreleased material.

Notably the album's title is taken from the 1969 John Huston directed film of the same name.

Background

On 7 April 2017 A Walk With Love and Death would be announced for 7 July 2017 via Ipecac Recordings. Buzz Osborne would describe the album, the soundtrack and the film composed as "a huge undertaking". Notably the song "Euthanasia" had been written and recorded in the early 1990s but never placed on any album and when the band began playing it again in 2016 Osborne decided to add it to the record. Along with the album's announcement the band would announce an extensive tour in support of the record.

A Walk With Love And Death is the first full-length Melvins album to fully feature bassist Steven McDonald, who only appeared on four of the songs on their previous album Basses Loaded. Guest musicians include Joey Santiago (Pixies), Anna Waronker (that dog.) and Teri Gender Bender (Le Butcherettes).

A Walk With Love and Death attained mostly positive reviews though addressed the musical conflict between the two discs. Loudwire would heavily praise the album to a degree, describing the "Death" disc as "classic Melvins" and described the "Love" disc as "where the listener's patience is going to be tested to the highest degree.". Metal Injection would elicit a similar reaction, highly praising the "Death" disc (9/10) and lauding the "Love" disc (2/10). The Line of Best Fit however would award a 9/10 and praise the context and themes of both discs.

Other notable reviews would come from the likes of The Guardian (3 Stars), Punk News (4 Stars) and Exclaim! (6/10).

Melvins "Christ Hammer" (Pre-Order Available Now)

Tracklist

Love

• 1. Aim High (2:01)
• 2. Queen Powder Party (2:14)
• 3. Street Level St. Paul (2:18)
• 4. The Hidden Joice (1:11)
• 5. Give It To Me (2:49)
• 6. Chicken Butt (1:49)
• 7. Eat Yourself Out (5:03)
• 8. Scooba (1:09)
• 9. Halfway to the Bakersfield Mall (4:17)
• 10. Pacoima Normal (2:33)
• 11. Park Head (3:39)
• 12. T-Burg (4:10)
• 13. Track Star (5:02)
• 14.The Asshole Bastard (4:53)

Death

• 1. Black Heath (6:41)
• 2. Sober-delic (acid only) (6:03)
• 3. Euthanasia (4:36)
• 4. What's Wrong With You (2:36)
• 5. Edgar The Elephant (3:36)
• 6. Flaming Creature (4:22)
• 7. Christ Hammer (3:51)
• 8. Cactus Party (3:37)
• 9. Cardboa Negro (2:56)

Personnel

Death

• Buzz Osborne - Guitar, Vocals
• Dale Crover - Drums, Vocals
• Steven McDonald - Bass, Vocals
• Joey Santiago - Extra Guitar
• Anna Waronker - Backing Vocals
• Teri Gender Bender - Backing Vocals

Love

• Buzz Osborne - Guitar, Vocals, Theramin, Modular Synth, Assorted Noise
• Dale Crover - Drums, Vocals, Assorted Noise
• Steven McDonald - Bass, Vocals, Assorted Noise
• Toshi Kasaii - All Sorts of Assorted Recordings and Noise
• Joey Santiago - Special Guest Guitar
• Anna Waronker - Special Guest Backing Vocals
• James Bartlett - Special Guest Keyboards
• Tom Hazelmyer - Special Guest Guitar

Other

• Toshi Kasai - Recording, Producer
• Mackie Osborne - Artwork, Layout