A Walk with Love & Death

A Walk with Love & Death is a double album from Melvins, released on 7 July 2017. It splits into two distinct halves: Love, fourteen pieces written as the soundtrack to a short film of the same name by Jesse Nieminen, and Death, a set of nine songs in the band's more familiar mould. It is the group's 22nd album, and it carries a sludge metal and experimental rock stamp throughout.

It also marks a change in the line-up, as the first full-length Melvins record to feature bassist Steven McDonald, who had played on only four tracks of the previous album, Basses Loaded. Guests add extra colour, among them Joey Santiago of Pixies, Anna Waronker of that dog. and Teri Gender Bender of Le Butcherettes. For anyone curious about the band's wilder, more adventurous side, the film-score half alongside the straighter songs makes a good entry point.